Water, Government - Drought Over For California Farms

For the first time in a decade, farmers in California's important Central Valley will get a full allotment of water for their crops.  But the timing of the announcement left a few growers in a less-than-celebratory mood.

"You don't want to bite the hand that feeds you, but it's a reality of farming that the decisions for the growing season are made months ago," said Johnny Amaral, deputy general manager of the sprawling Westlands Water District in Fresno to the Sacramento Bee newspaper.  "There's reason to celebrate, (but) my only hope is that we could have had this announcement earlier."

The Central Valley provides the US with more than half of its vegetables, fruits, and nuts, as well as a fifth of its dairy products.  Things were already much drier than normal before a six-year drought set in.  The impact on growers drove up produce prices throughout the US.  Just one year ago, growers were given just five percent of their normal water allotments, and earlier this year they were told to expect only 65 percent.

But a series of storm fronts rolled in off the Pacific Ocean, topping off a string of replenishing weather systems that began last October.  Governor Jerry Brown (the same guy who was governor during the 1970s and dated Linda Ronstadt, no really) lifted the drought emergency for some of the hardest-hit counties.  Californian households managed to reduce their water consumption by 22 percent prior to the end, habits people will be apt to keep.

"This drought emergency is over, but the next drought could be around the corner," said Governor Brown.  "Conservation must remain a way of life."

California goes through arid and wet periods, and so water is managed through two systems:  The federal Central Valley Project (CVP), a depression-era engineering marvel consisting of hundreds of miles of concrete "rivers" that irrigate 1.2 million hectares and generate 2,254 megawatts of hydroelectric power; and the State Water Project (SWP) run by California that provides drinking water for more than 23 million people and generates an average of 6500 GWh of hydroelectricity.  The SWP has told its contractors to expect a 60 percent allocation this year, although that could be increased.