Over 400,000 acres of farm land in the Central Valley will go fallow this year due to lack of water. How is the water being used? (Remember, we have a drought, but do not have a lack of water) It is being used for environmentalists, refuges and fish.
“Unbelievably, at the same time, the Bureau increased supplies to refuges and environmental interests instead of delivering water to Friant growers. Until recently, the agencies representing Friant growers have been quiet. They should have been screaming as loud as the west side growers.
To top it all off, the Friant water was going down the San Joaquin River for the bogus restoration, and Friant still did nothing. Friant agencies appear to be the only signees to an agreement who think they have to abide by it.”
Why the massive increase in food prices? Government water policies is the direct answer.
| Friant Is the Last to Know!
Families Protecting the Valley, 5/20/14 |
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When farmers can save this year’s water for next year it’s called rescheduled or carryover water. This year Valley westside contractors had over 300,000 acre feet of carryover water that was paid for. The Bureau of Reclamation initially said it would not deliver the water, but instead would ‘appropriate’ it to satisfy other demands.After the understandable outrage by the growers who paid for the water, the Bureau decided to deliver the water. A big stink should have been raised by everyone concerned about water in the Valley, but there was no outcry from others. No one apparently wanted to create the big stink. So, the Bureau escaped the scrutiny it should have had. Meanwhile the flexible pumping rules didn’t allow what could have been several hundred thousand acre feet of water into San Luis because the rules just aren’t flexible enough. The Bureau claimed that the Exchange Contractors could not be supplied out of the Delta, and, therefore, for the first time in history gave Friant growers a zero allocation so they could supply the Exchange Contractors out of Friant Dam. Unbelievably, at the same time, the Bureau increased supplies to refuges and environmental interests instead of delivering water to Friant growers. Until recently, the agencies representing Friant growers have been quiet. They should have been screaming as loud as the west side growers. To top it all off, the Friant water was going down the San Joaquin River for the bogus restoration, and Friant still did nothing. Friant agencies appear to be the only signees to an agreement who think they have to abide by it. So, water was flowing right by the pumps, right down the river, and other interests were not only receiving their water but in some cases even more. Now, all the water is gone, and Friant growers are beginning to see there will be no water. |
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