Bad news from California (like we didn’t already know) in the Wall Street Journal: Shrinking Water Supplies Imperil Farmers.
Dwindling water supplies are compounding economic woes in California’s Central Valley, causing farmers to leave fields fallow and confront the prospect of going under.
The state’s water supply has dropped precipitously of late. California is locked in the third year of one of its worst droughts on record, with reservoirs holding as little as 22% of capacity. On top of that, a federal judge in Fresno last year issued a ruling in an environmental lawsuit that could restrict diversions to farmers by as much as one-third, as part of an effort to save an endangered minnow, the Delta Smelt.
Keep in mind that at least half of the fresh produce in the United States comes from California! (Or so the gov’t is telling immigrants . . .)
Well, it’s finally raining! We’ve had wet weekends for the last three weeks and my reservoirs might actually fill this season (!). In fact, I’ve got one full already (hooray!).
But, it’s still going to have to rain A LOT for it to make up the deficit from the dry winters from this and the last two years.
Keep up the rain dances everyone!!