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'Reality check' details water woes
Congress
is helping to
destroy farms, Nunes
charges
April 2, 2009
More than 100 farmers attending a 'reality check' meeting on March 27 were urged to form coalitions, intensify lobbying efforts and spend money to end the man-made water shortages in the Central Valley. U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes, representing growers who stand to lose water to the San Joaquin River restoration, called the meeting to bring attention to the problems and rally growers to hold their lawmakers accountable. Nunes' efforts to add water storage at Temperance Flat ended with the passage of the omnibus lands bill last month. The Visalia Republican charged that the water crisis is man-made, and Congress, which built Friant Dam to hold water to irrigate valley farms, now is helping destroy those farms as pumping in the delta is being restricted because of the Endangered Species Act. Central Valley water woes have led to the idling of thousands of acres of farmland and the loss of thousands of farm jobs. "We don't have many options, and none of them are good." Nunes said. The restoration of the river is the result of the settlement of a lawsuit filed by environmentalists. Kole Upton was formerly chair of the Friant Water Users and helped craft the historic 2006 settlement with the environmental group Natural Resources Defense Council. He now vehemently opposes the plan. The Chowchilla Irrigation District where Upton farms, will lose 33 percent of its Friant water when the river restoration begins this year, he said. The project was funded in the omnibus bill that Congress passed last month, but Valley water districts will pay $250 million of the cost. Beside the added cost of water, growers will have less water delivered and will make that up by pumping groundwater. Westland Water District general manager Tom Birmingham told growers and business owners at the meeting to take some action to preserve the agriculture industry. Building a peripheral canal to divert Sacramento River water south around the Delta is the solution most ag leaders propose, but Birmingham said growers need to deliver a unified message to state and federal lawmakers. He also urged members of the Latino Water Coalition to lean on Hispanic leader and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. "If he expects support from the people of the valley he will have to listen to our issues," said Birmingham. Tulare County Supervisor Allen Ishida promoted formation of a political action committee. Ishida, who is also a citrus grower, said agriculture has been stingy with funding for their causes. The industry needs to invest in lobbying efforts in Sacramento or Los Angeles, he said. According to the University of California Agricultural and Resource Economic update, the projected drought impacts in 2009 are the result of a biological and hydrological crisis in the Central Valley. Central Valley income losses are estimated to be as high as $2.2 billion. Revenue losses to farmers range from $1.2 to $1.6 billion depending on ground water use. Continued ground water pumping and deficit irrigation schedules for permanent crops are not sustainable, the report said. Cecilia Parsons is a staff writer based in Ducor. E-mail: cparsons@capitalpress.com. |
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