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 ...
How's that working out for you, California?
Why is there even such a thing as “Federal Water” that is like the king’s hunting grounds...
What the Hell is “Federal Water!!!????”
The Feds took over the “navigable waters,” then they took over the streams, then they took over the marshes and puddles. Now they own it all.
And who are you to question the king?
The second half of the upcoming week will feature soaking rain and mountain snow returning to drought-stricken California.
Confidence is growing for California to receive a substantial amount of rain and mountain snow from two storm systems later next week.
The first system is scheduled to move through California Wednesday through Thursday with the second to follow for Friday through the first part of the next weekend.
The second is likely to be the stronger and wetter of the two systems, bringing a much-needed soaking to many communities (with the deserts being the exception).
If the first storm bypasses or only grazes Southern California, the second will not. It is possible that Downtown Los Angeles receives at least half of the rain that fell in all of 2013 (3.60 inches) from this one storm Friday through next week.
Several inches of rain could soak the northern California coast, while feet of snow may blanket the Sierra. Snow levels could drop low enough to whiten the mountains of Southern California. . .
There’ a really TINY country in the middle east next to a body of water so small it is ONLY called a SEA. This tiny country is in an area historically badly deficient in water.
They have designed, built and are running DESALINATION plants so productive, they are actually SELLING surplus water.
I read somewhere that California is quite close to a large body of water and has a coastline hundreds of miles long.
Once there was a really LARGE country that possessed the world’s greatest “CAN DO” attitude. That country, as it existed years ago, would have been producing so much water that California would have been in peril of becoming swamp land.
Billions of gallons of nice fresh water that would solve a lot of problems. After all, California is the prime source for the food needed by millions of Americans. But we musn’t spoil the view.
How much of the water was taken away form the farmers in the first place to save the fish?
Will the golf courses get water?
How's that working out for you, California?
Isn't this Jim Robinson's part of California that is being denied water. IOW the Republican part.Hmmmm?
Screw the farmers. I can get everything I need at the grocery store./s
To get your answer you’ll need to ask people who do not
frequent FR. There are millions of Californians who aren’t
among the 61.1% who voted for Obama but we are still in
the minority these days.
Federal Blood.
Time to shut the water off in DC....and the power
LOL @ “Federal Water”
I sure hope none of that federal water evaporates and then precipitates on my land. I’d be in heap big trouble.
Reminiscent of when Lenin starved the Ukraine to force compliance with Moscow
Ha! I’ll believe it when I see it. Forecasts for Pacific storms are notoriously unreliable. Any forecast 4 - 5 days out is highly suspect.
Screw the farmers. I can get everything I need at the grocery store./s
Lol! Seriously, I think that’s about how most people think!
I’ve already had discussions with my neighbor, he’s got some land and last year I got him and his wife into gardening.
I pointed out this exact problem to him and he agrees... we are going to go to the wall with the veggies that are gonna cost an arm and a leg later this year.
I’m not a lunatic about lettuce, but it’s damn easy to grow, you just put the seeds in and let it go.
For me it’s more the tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, peppers, taters
For him it’s kale. He planted some kale starts I gave him and has kale comin out of his ears now! Funny that it didn’t flower last year, it will go absolutely crazy later this year.
I planted a boatload of peas over there last year and didn’t see anything. Rabbit casualties!
That middle eastern country can pump very cheap oil and gas out of the ground to power desalination. Desalination is energy intensive. And you know what the energy climate is like in the U.S. Even if you got your desalination plant approved, you’d never find reliable, cheap energy to power it.
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