Farmers in California’s citrus belt are still being left high and dry even as federal officials tap into the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and Millerton Lake to provide contractual water allocations to landowners on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley.
Officials from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation recently announced that landowners from Patterson to Mendota will receive 529,000 acre-feet of water, an approximate 51% boost over the 350,000 acre-feet – 40% of their allotment – they were told they would receive, according to the Fresno Bee. Understandably, this announcement upset eastern San Joaquin Valley farmers who are still slated to receive no water amid California’s severe drought.
Joel Nelson, President of California Citrus Mutual, criticized the allocation and the government’s decision, stating, “The Federal Government announced that the production of food and fiber in the nation’s number one agricultural state and the highest producing agricultural counties are no longer important. Two agencies, the Bureau of Reclamation and the National Marine Fisheries Service have determined they can’t create a solution that allows an affordable food supply to be the strength of this nation.
“Over a million acre-feet of water was added to storage since the Armageddon announcement earlier this year and yet not one drop can be made available to senior water right holders thereby forcing the Eastside of the San Joaquin Valley to go dry?”
As we all know by now, surface water supplies in California are dwindling as farmers are forced to fallow thousands of acres. This is the first time since the 1930s that water has been taken from San Joaquin River water to fulfill contractual obligations to west side landowners.
While the situation may improve later in the year for east side growers as others voice their concerns, will the government provide enough water in time to save these farms?
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue our coverage on this developing story.
Companies in this Story
California Citrus Mutual
California Citrus Mutual is a citrus producer's trade association whose 2,200 grower members comprise 60% of…
