California Water Wars Spotlight: San Joaquin Valley

image
Author: Bob Morris
Published: 21 Mar, 2012
Updated: 13 Oct, 2022
2 min read

One of the most contentious areas in the California water wars is the San Joaquin Valley, which is in the middle of the state.  It is home to massive agricultural operations and produces fruit, vegetables, grains, cotton, and even crops like Sorghum Sudan grass for biofuel. The San Joaquin Valley (also known as the Central Valley) doesn't just feed California. It feeds the nation too and is an important source of revenue and jobs for California. Agriculture, of course, uses prodigious amounts of water. California doesn't have enough water to go around. That’s why the water wars are so contentious in the Central Valley.

This is the first in a series of articles focusing on water issues in various parts of California, the politics involved, who the players are, and who opposes them. And there will always be someone in opposition to whatever a water plan might be. The water wars are bedrock to California politics.

The photo here was taken near Bakersfield. It clearly states the view of Central Valley agriculture. They say they pay for water they don’t receive. Allocations have been severely cut. Other signs in the area say the valley is experiencing a man made drought. Hundreds of thousands of acres have been fallowed. Unemployment is some areas in 40%. All of this is done, they say, to protect the delta smelt, a three inch fish that lives in the Sacramento Delta. This may be a bit of hyperbole. Their real point is that too much water goes into the Sacramento Delta and then to the ocean and too little comes to them.

San Joaquin Valley farmers do indeed receive just a fraction of their allocation. In fact, it’s getting worse for them. The federal Bureau of Reclamation just announced that farmers in the valley will receive a paltry 30% of their allocated amount in 2012.

HR 1837 has passed a House committee. If it becomes law, it would allocate substantially more water to the Central Valley and is sponsored by Devin Nunes from the 21st District there.  It faces an uncertain future and President Obama has said he may veto it. It does however demonstrate the magnitude of water problems in the Central Valley.

How can agriculture make plans and decide what to grow if it has no clear idea how much water it will receive and the amount fluctuates from year to year?

Latest articles

CA capitol building dome with flags.
Why is CA Senator Mike McGuire Trying to Kill the Legal Cannabis Industry?
California’s legal cannabis industry is under mounting pressure, and in early June, state lawmakers and the governor appeared poised to help. A bill to freeze the state’s cannabis excise tax at 15% sailed through the State Assembly with a unanimous 74-0 vote. The governor’s office backed the plan. And legal cannabis businesses, still struggling to compete with unregulated sellers and mounting operating costs, saw a glimmer of hope....
03 Jul, 2025
-
7 min read
I voted buttons
After First RCV Election, Charlottesville Voters Back the Reform: 'They Get It, They Like It, They Want to Do It Again'
A new survey out of Charlottesville, Virginia, shows overwhelming support for ranked choice voting (RCV) following the city’s first use of the system in its June Democratic primary for City Council. Conducted one week after the election, the results found that nearly 90% of respondents support continued use of RCV....
03 Jul, 2025
-
3 min read
Crowd in Time Square.
NYC Exit Survey: 96% of Voters Understood Their Ranked Choice Ballots
An exit poll conducted by SurveyUSA on behalf of the nonprofit better elections group FairVote finds that ranked choice voting (RCV) continues to be supported by a vast majority of voters who find it simple, fair, and easy to use. The findings come in the wake of the city’s third use of RCV in its June 2025 primary elections....
01 Jul, 2025
-
6 min read