An AgAlert story by Kate Campbell expands on earlier news coverage of a recent State Board of Food and Agriculture meeting, where UC Davis agricultural economist Richard Howitt offered depressing news about water allocations for the 2009 growing season.
Howitt told the board that, based on an 85 percent cut in water deliveries for the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project, "We're estimating a 50 percent increase in groundwater pumping, compared to 2005. We're also factoring in the removal of older permanent crops and the use of stress irrigation, as well as the likelihood of water trades."
The expected economic impact of water woes in the Central Valley:
- 40,000 lost jobs
- $1.15 billion lost income
"If there are further reductions in water supplies to the east side of the San Joaquin Valley, these losses can go up," Howitt was quoted. "We cannot predict prices for cross-valley water transfers because they are complicated by the role of second- and third-party water districts."
Earlier this week, the Fresno Bee reported that Westlands Water District will receive no federal water deliveries at all in the 2009 season.
"What am I supposed to do, if I have no water?" farmer Bob Diedrich was quoted in the story. "I have five guys that I employ year-round, and now I may have to tell them they don't have jobs."