Growers group awash in water while neighbors' crops die

San Francisco Chronicle (August 8, 2014) - As cities brace for rationing and many California farmers yank out trees and fallow land for crops, growers and dairy farmers on 240,000 acres along the San Joaquin River near Los Banos are comparatively awash in water. Despite the inequities, experts say, the state's water rights system will likely remain unchanged, and the exchange contractors will continue to reap the rewards, selling their cheap water to other districts for hefty prices. "There has always been talk about changing the water rights system, but I haven't seen anyone offer up an alternative that's likely to work better," said Jay Lund, director of the Center for Watershed Sciences at UC Davis. "It would be worse if nobody had secure water rights, because then nobody would be willing to sell. Like any system, it has its imperfections and its unfairness, but just like in real estate, if you got there early you got it cheap, and just like when you own a house, you are glad that that property line is defined."

Media Resources

Primary Category