KHOKHA: Well, some farms south of the Delta won’t get any water from federal reservoirs, according to these projections. And for some of them, it’s not the first year that they’ve heard this kind of projection from the feds. But for other farmers, this is unprecedented. Some of them with water rights dating clear back to the 1870s have never had these kinds of cuts, and they’re being told they’re going to get less than half of the water they were expecting this year.
MYROW: So what are farmers going to do about it?
KHOKHA: Put in more wells, pump deeper. But we know groundwater is a finite resource, too, so they may try to buy water from other farmers at a steep price. They are facing some really hard choices. I mean, they may be leaving acres unplanted or pulling out trees. I talked to Fresno County Agricultural Commissioner Les Wright about the announcement, and he said it’s taking not only a financial but an emotional toll on farmers.
WRIGHT: A lot of times you can see the end, you can struggle a few more months and hang on to the cowherd or whatever. Right now they’re not seeing an end to this and that’s the biggest fear out there.
KHOKHA: So, there is some hope if we get some more rain and snow, that farmers could get a little bit of water from federal projects this year. But we won’t know that until April, that’s when the feds are expected to make their final projections.
MYROW: Central Valley Bureau Chief Sasha Khokha, watching the skies above Fresno looking for rain. Thank you for talking with us.
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