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California farmers won't get federal water
Yahoo News ^ | February 22, 2014 | Scott Smith

Posted on 02/22/2014 1:12:09 PM PST by Robwin

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — Without a lot more rain and snow, many California farmers caught in the state's drought can expect to receive no irrigation water this year from a vast system of rivers, canals and reservoirs interlacing the state, federal officials announced Friday.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation released its first outlook of the year, saying that the agency will continue to monitor rain and snow fall, but the grim levels so far prove that the state is in the throes of one of its driest periods in recorded history.

Farmers who rely on the federally run Central Valley Project received only 20 percent of their normal water allotment last year and were expecting this year's bad news. Some communities and endangered wildlife that rely on the federal water source will also suffer deep cuts.

The state's snowpack is at 29 percent of average for this time of year, which means that for farmers it's going to be a hard year.

"My gross sales are probably going to be cut in half," said Bill Diedrich, who farms 1,500 acres of almonds, tomatoes and other crops in the parched Central Valley community of Firebaugh. "Some farmers out here are going to lose everything they've got."

Gov. Jerry Brown last month declared California's drought emergency, and both state and federal officials have pledged millions of dollars to help with water conservation and food banks for those put out of work by the drought.

California officials who manage the State Water Project, the state's other major water system, have already said they won't be releasing any water for farmers, marking a first in its 54-year history.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; US: California
KEYWORDS: califdrought; californiadrought; drought; watershortage
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To: andyk

Yes you would. Stealing “Federal Water” is a felony offense, AFAIK. :)


21 posted on 02/22/2014 1:48:51 PM PST by upchuck (South Carolina Representative Trey Gowdy for Speaker of the House!!!)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

It has been posted here that California might have unlimited gas if their shale was fracked


22 posted on 02/22/2014 1:51:25 PM PST by bert ((K.E. N.P. N.C. +12 ..... History is a process, not an event)
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To: Robwin

Why is 0bama trying to bankrupt California? Because once the agriculture goes, the state goes belly up.


23 posted on 02/22/2014 1:52:46 PM PST by Zuben Elgenubi (NOPe to GOPe)
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To: Robwin

At this point it doesn’t look like there is any “Federal” water. Didn’t they wash all of it into the ocean?


24 posted on 02/22/2014 1:54:54 PM PST by Cyber Liberty (H.L. Mencken: "The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule.")
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To: bert

No need to bother with the shale. The whole state is fracked. And I live there, too.


25 posted on 02/22/2014 1:55:16 PM PST by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: Robwin

Love that Delta Smelt


26 posted on 02/22/2014 2:00:51 PM PST by autumnraine
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To: djf

Ironically it was our greens (mostly ) okra a few years back that was deet casualties.


27 posted on 02/22/2014 2:03:33 PM PST by autumnraine
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To: Robwin

Plenty of Mexicans -Hispanics will be impacted. Laborers. owners, illegal aliens. No compassion for these minorities from Imperial DC 3000 miles away. Even though they voted for Jug Ears


28 posted on 02/22/2014 2:04:41 PM PST by dennisw (The first principle is to find out who you are then you can achieve anything -- Buddhist monk)
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To: CaptainAmiigaf

If we had any sense at all we would have desalination plants all along So Calif.


29 posted on 02/22/2014 2:05:16 PM PST by TheDon (Californians are losing their right to keep and bear firearms one firearm at a time.)
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To: Robwin

We want to drive up food prices.

We want to destroy family farms.

We want to get people out of the rural areas and compact them all into dense living cities controlled by liberals so you have to pay welfare for others.

Sincerely, Obama and his Marxist Democrats Destroying America


30 posted on 02/22/2014 2:05:50 PM PST by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: TheDon

As there are a lot of other kinds of plants, or all various kinds, already there, even in an earthquake prone area, there’s no reason there shouldn’t be desalination plants there too.


31 posted on 02/22/2014 2:06:58 PM PST by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: dennisw
Plenty of Mexicans -Hispanics will be impacted. Laborers. owners, illegal aliens. No compassion for these minorities from Imperial DC 3000 miles away. Even though they voted for Jug Ears

From thearticle: Gov. Jerry Brown last month declared California's drought emergency, and both state and federal officials have pledged millions of dollars to help with water conservation and food banks for those put out of work by the drought.

32 posted on 02/22/2014 2:14:33 PM PST by Teacher317 (We have now sunk to a depth at which restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men)
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To: Robwin
Am I the only one who wonders if the gummit is taking this opportunity to put farmers in this conservative area out of business and seize the land? Like the godfather said, never let a crisis go to waste.
33 posted on 02/22/2014 2:17:28 PM PST by beef (Who Killed Kennewick Man?)
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To: Teacher317

both state and federal officials have pledged millions of dollars to help with water conservation and food banks for those put out of work by the drought.

Translation: take a nice vacation while we seize your bosses land.


34 posted on 02/22/2014 2:19:18 PM PST by beef (Who Killed Kennewick Man?)
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To: Teacher317

Why should there be such a thing as “federal water”


35 posted on 02/22/2014 2:23:28 PM PST by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans!)
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To: djf

It doesn’t take much space, time or effort to plant and tend a garden. It’s rewarding too.


36 posted on 02/22/2014 2:39:12 PM PST by umgud (2A can't survive dem majorities)
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To: driftdiver; GraceG
And who are you to question the king?

Ask the guy with the hammer that question:


37 posted on 02/22/2014 2:39:51 PM PST by Rodamala
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To: umgud

Well, between me and my neighbor we must have grown 150 lbs of potatoes last year.

And I would be happy if we can at least double that this year.

It’s the ground prep that takes most of the work. He, fortunately, has a backhoe.

I have a spade or three!


38 posted on 02/22/2014 2:44:27 PM PST by djf (OK. Well, now, lemme try to make this clear: If you LIKE your lasagna, you can KEEP your lasagna!)
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To: djf

ever use the tire method?


39 posted on 02/22/2014 2:45:23 PM PST by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans!)
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To: Robwin

It took 80 years, but the dust bowl has followed them to the promised land.


40 posted on 02/22/2014 2:46:44 PM PST by Dalberg-Acton
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