California Shuts Off Water To Farmers To Save Fish

Technocracy.News ^ | Kary Grimes

[Jan_Sobieski]

As a former rice farmer in northern California, I can testify to the stupidity and insanity of environmentalists who favor obscure fish over humans. Water to farmers is now below growing levels and will cause devastation to the 2022 rice industry, taking down farmers as well as all related industries. The fact that the world is facing a major food shortage means nothing to these environmental zealots. ⁃ TN Editor

Colusa County in Northern California is the top producer of rice in the Sacramento Valley. Colusa County historically produces more than 150,000 acres of rice in a normal year. But in 2022, Colusa officials say they will only be able to produce a fraction of their usual rice crop, costing rice farmers, workers and suppliers hundreds of millions of dollars.

“In April 2022, the water districts serving Colusa County were given their final allocation for the 2022 growing season – 0.4-acre feet per acre,” Colusa County officials said in a statement. “This allocation is not enough to support rice production, and estimates show that the Sacramento Valley will fallow 370,000 of 450,000 acres in the Sacramento River Settlement Contractors service area, primarily in Colusa and Glenn Counties. Currently, less than 7,000 acres are estimated to be planted in Colusa County, resulting in a direct financial loss to growers in excess of $270 million.”

The first 50% of California’s water flows out to the Pacific Ocean for fish and environmental purposes – something the Public Policy Institute of California verified in 2019: “Water in California is shared across three main sectors. Statewide, average water use is roughly 50% environmental, 40% agricultural, and 10% urban...”

[Engedi]

I refuse to buy almonds due to the amount of water it takes to grow one tree. Farmers that produce food, need that water. Health nuts started pushing avocados and almonds and both take lot of water. Avocadoes are like gold in Mexico; people steal water and Avocado farms because they make lot of money.

[absalom01]

The Sacramento River delta is not what anyone who's been there would call "arid". Never has been.

But you're making a broader point, one of many where Libertarians part company with most conservatives and "right populists". 

The massive system of dams, channels, canals that today (mostly) controls the river was indeed constructed largely at public expense, but with the explicit understanding that the beneficiars would be the people who taxed themselves to pay for it (and their decendants).  The present priorities, that send half of the water in the system uselessly out to sea deserve more than a shrug of the shoulders and contempt for those betrayed by their overlords who now control the government in Sacramento, imho.

Put that aside, the present priorties in California are not just bad policy over which reasonable people can disagree.  They've gone completely nuts, and, even worse, are using the public infrastructure to target their cultural enemies.  And they're willing to use water as a way to weaponize food supplies.  That should concern everyone, even the most loyal Libertarian.

[eyeamok]

I heard this on the radio today, unbelievable how the Stupid has taken over.

[Mariner]

“Well it used to be back when.”

CA has had years when nearly the entire big valley was flooded.

1986 was the last big one.

But as recently as 2017 we’ve had more than we could use.

Those years are exceptional.

Most years we get just barely enough, and many years not quite enough.

We are perpetual drought and flood. Usually 3-5 years of drought followed by WAY too much.

[Mariner]

Every single almond nut takes 1.1 gallons of water.

[Georgia Girl 2]

Not the Delta smelt again! 🙄

[Mariner]

“The present priorities, that send half of the water in the system uselessly out to sea deserve more than a shrug of the shoulders and contempt for those betrayed by their overlords who now control the government in Sacramento, imho.”

All Californians paid for the entire water distribution system, except for that which was paid by the feds.

And the majority of Californians want 50% of the water to flow through the rivers, keeping alive the riparian habitats of the Big Valley. A great number of conservatives among them.

Some of us have seen great rivers flowing the wrong direction...with brackish sewage. I cite the confluence of the Tuolumne and the San Joaquin in the fall of 1975 as an example. When the fish were considered poisonous.

If you want that, create it in your own state. Grow your own food.

We have too much ag in CA.

[no-to-illegals]

biden, the governor or California, democrats, rinos, and the lamestream media celebrates.

[PIF]

Haven’t been there since 1980-81

[Gigantor]

Don’t forget Riparian Mariner.

[Mariner]

“Don’t forget Riparian Mariner.”

Your abject stupidity shows.

[Tommy Revolts]

Clay soil.

[Waverunner]

There is a lot living in the water.

[Blood of Tyrants]

So? There is plenty of water if you don’t dump it in the ocean to save a fish no one cares about.

[Chickensoup]

So

Disobey.

[SisterK]

just damned

pecans, walnuts, almonds are my primary source of protein

they have been getting harder to find and more expensive in the last couple of years

[Robert A Cook PE]

These “fish” being “protected” by flushing fresh irrigation water into the brackish tidal waters of the delta are NOT fish farm young but are an invasive species to the delta. The lying claim that this species would be harmed if extra irrigation water is used for people or plants is shown by the simple fact that, in earlier years BEFORE rice farms and fields were irrigated, the natural delta water would vary far, far more every summer. With no fish kills.

[Jacob Kell]

Hardly worth the tartar sauce.

[POWG]

I left California 37 years ago and have never been back. Good riddance.

[fella]

Riceland Rice can pick up the slack. They’ve almost got to much water. Then there’s the rice lands all along the Gulf Coast.

As long as The Usurper doesn’t sell it to China we should be OK.