Posted on 03/31/2009 12:15:18 PM PDT by Zakeet
On the March 28 World News Saturday, ABC gave rare attention to the plight of drought-stricken farmers in California who have been denied access to a major water supply by a judge citing the Endangered Species Act to protect a type of fish. During a story recounting the unusual level of problems facing these farmers – a recession coinciding with drought – correspondent Lisa Fletcher informed viewers: "And for the first time ever, farmers may be completely cut off from one of their sources of water. Farmers don't have access to this water that runs right through the center of their farmland. It is being allocated to the delta smelt, a little fish protected by the Endangered Species Act. Conservationists say the smelt are dying in the irrigation pumps, so a judge ruled they must be shut off for much of the growing season."
Fletcher then told of an almond farmer who is now forced to spend $600,000 digging his own well. Fletcher: "That hits almond farmers, like Shawn Coburn, particularly hard. Ninety percent of the nation's almonds come from this valley, and almond trees need a lot of water. ... So Coburn is spending $600,000 to dig a new well, and he hopes to buy himself some time."
The report ended with a soundbite of Firebaugh, California, city manager Jose Ramirez pleading for more water: "All our people want here is a job. That's all we want. You let the water flow, food will grow, and jobs will flow after that, and we're in business."
Below is a complete transcript of the story from the March 28 World News Saturday on ABC:
DAN HARRIS: In California, the problem is not too much wet weather, but not enough of it. A drought combined with the bad economy have delivered a one-two punch to the Central Valley, where much of the nation's food is grown. 100,000 acres went unplanted last year, and this year, it could be 750,000 acres. Economists say that will mean $1.5 billion in lost income and the elimination of 40,000 jobs. Lisa Fletcher is in California tonight.LISA FLETCHER: In just a glance, you know something is very wrong.
PETE RAMIREZ, CROP DUSTER: It's like a desert. A couple of years ago, it was all farmland and everybody had a job.
THEDA LAWRENCE, MENDOTA: What are the people gonna do? How are they gonna eat whenever there's no farming?
FLETCHER: A quarter of the nation's fruits and vegetables are grown here in California's Central Valley. But the farmers here have been hit with two crises at the same time. They're in their third year of severe drought. And now, they must also cope with the worst recession in a generation. That has driven unemployment to staggering levels – 35 percent in some places, numbers that recall the Great Depression. And for the first time ever, farmers may be completely cut off from one of their sources of water. Farmers don't have access to this water that runs right through the center of their farmland. It is being allocated to the delta smelt, a little fish protected by the Endangered Species Act. Conservationists say the smelt are dying in the irrigation pumps, so a judge ruled they must be shut off for much of the growing season. That hits almond farmers, like Shawn Coburn, particularly hard. Ninety percent of the nation's almonds come from this valley, and almond trees need a lot of water.
SHAWN COBURN, ALMOND FARMER: If you have a crop that needs water year in and year out, you, it either dies, or you try to find a way to keep it alive.
FLETCHER: So Coburn is spending $600,000 to dig a new well, and he hopes to buy himself some time.
JOSE RAMIREZ, CITY MANAGER FOR FIREBAUGH, CALIFORNIA: All our people want here is a job. That's all we want. You let the water flow, food will grow, and jobs will flow after that, and we're in business.
FLETCHER: Lisa Fletcher, ABC News, in California's Central Valley.
Where I grew up, we called this critter a minnow and used it as bait.
I just love the eco-terrorist mind. A minnow is more important than human food crops that need to be grown.
We still call it a minnow. Funny how they’ll cut the water for a fish and won’t drill for the oil bonanza that is just off our coast. Screw the humans, save the fish! Idiots!
Will it be Klamath Falls II?
And not one Delta Smelt’s name will or will not be written in the Book of Life. Where are our priorities???
Leviticus 26 (New International Version)
Punishment for Disobedience
14 “ ‘But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands, 15 and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant, 16 then I will do this to you: I will bring upon you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and drain away your life. You will plant seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it. 17 I will set my face against you so that you will be defeated by your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee even when no one is pursuing you.
18 “ ‘If after all this you will not listen to me, I will punish you for your sins seven times over. 19 I will break down your stubborn pride and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze. 20 Your strength will be spent in vain, because your soil will not yield its crops, nor will the trees of the land yield their fruit.
see #6............
Since eco-terrorists espouse the belief that man is the scourge of the earth, logically, they should act on that by removing themselves from the earth.
Their failure to act is proof of their hypocrisy and bankruptcy of their purported beliefs.
I spent 3 years in California wackoland.
They are more interested in creatures than humans.
PETA will one day get eating meat outlawed so everyone will have a veggie and fruit diet.
We need to laugh out loud at these antics and foolish clowns.
I watched this report when it aired. What was interesting was the most vocal opponents to the water rationing are the migrant worker activists. No water = No Crops. No Crops = No jobs for migrant workers.
Jeff ... some folks need advice.
Sounds familiar...
You can catch you some fine sac-a-lait with some good min'ers this time of year!
And caught big pearch in Michigan.
Pray for rain and common sense to prevail.
[goes to Google search]
Ah, yes. The Klamath Falls Bucket Brigade protest of 2001.
Search link here.
Good post. If we don’t start pushing back - and hard - we’re doomed.
Is enough EVER going to be enough????
It has nothing to do with the actual availability of the water. In the West, water is all about power.
It's just that simple.
The situation will always be scary in order for the power to be maintained.
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