waterwars: The new dust bowl

BNET Food Insights
Is California the New Dust Bowl?
Bryan Corliss | February 26th, 2009 @ 6:47 pm



A three-year drought is taking its toll on California agriculture, and that could end up affecting what Americans eat — and how much we pay for it.

Reservoirs in the Sierra Nevada mountains are at about a third of their capacity, even with recent rains. Last week, the federal Bureau of Reclamation — which supplies about a quarter of all water used in Californias Central Valley — announced that it will not give California farmers any water this year, in an effort to save what it has for municipal, industrial and environmental purposes.

Cities too are feeling the pinch, with local governments rationing water to residential users and threatening fines for those who use more than their share.

The shortage of water for farming will have wide-ranging repercussions. As The Christian Science Monitor notes, California grows one-sixth of all the produce — those healthy fruits and vegetables — eaten in the United States. Agriculture experts say the water cutbacks announced so far will reduce farm acreage by 18 percent this year, enough have wide-ranging economic impacts.

Already, water shortfalls are leading to lost jobs for farm workers in places like Fresno. Losses could total some $2 billion for Californias $32 billion farming industry, and could cause long-term production losses, if the lack of water forces growers to cut down fruit or nut trees they cannot irrigate this year.

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[KAOSKTRL]

As I suggest ,seek confirmation from the grey lady to verify ,they are towing the fox line.

[KAOSKTRL]

And if water cant be used by farmers from the CVP because of the smelt ?

It leaves your argument out of the water.

Which you just did.

[Boomer1949]

Ok, this is being reported on Fox and worse yet by Hannity. Do not..I repeat..do not take this information at face value. The valley is not fed water from one source. Rain fall and snow melt all effect the water received in the valley as well as that water that is contracted from other states close by. Drought plays a big part in the situation in the valley.

[KAOSKTRL]

google "delta smelt" to get confirmation from the grey lady and other sources of truth.

[smhutson]

This is GENOCIDE once the food dries up people will starve. It is not about the fish, it is 100% population control!

[KARStarla]

manmade recessions, manmade flu's, manmade droughts... they must be doing this on purpose and seek to put farmers out of business, someone wants that land and they are using the smelts as the "good cause" to cloak itself

[vmedia2]

the wales eat those fish...

[trllns]

@KARStarla Its all about big agribusiness wanting water surplus to sell for a huge profit no matter who or what it hurts.

[1tamtom]

folks wake up big shots do not take up for the small guy! in this valley most produce is imported while the bigshots export . too bad the media will never point out this truth. as for rodrigues does anyone think he or his family are small farmers,the name hispanic water comission says alot about why.

[zakaslam1]

my little fishy friends say thank you ! my fishy friends say shut all the water of to california

[allturnit]

Wahahahahahaha...does Paul Rodriguez actually think that Hannity and friends actually give a flying fuck about the way this is affecting the farmworkers? hahahahaha. considering the fact that the majority of farmworkers in California are Mexican immigrants(what Hannity and friends call illegal "aliens")....Hell no! lmao.

[sophia071]

This is a ridiculous travesty! See what happens when the gov. owns ALL water? Who wants Chinese milk tainted with melamine? This is more elimination of the middle class. Raising food cost. Taking waters and land in the name of "wildlife preservation".......landowners and farmers beware, they've only just begun! They want us to all live in cramped boxes in the city. How you like your "change" now? Enjoy!

[ne0nsurf]

well that's not my problem. i live in cali. you should work on fixing your state or growing a gardern or indoor garden. it can be done!

[Boomer1949]

thank you!! In fact, living on the east coast, local produce and fruit is more expensive than what is imported.

[ne0nsurf]

in california, safeway, raleys, bel aire, vons, ralphs, etc etc get most of the veggies from mexico. this video is a lie.

fuck the govt farmers and the illegal aliens. grow your own in your yard or buy from the small acres farmer.

stop govt subsidized farming.

[ne0nsurf]

roqriguez is a racist mexican bozo.