The absurdity of wasted water in California

Seth Hoyt
Author of The Hoyt Report, providing hay market analysis and insight.

A press release on March 11, 2016, from U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) shows how the federal government is mismanaging the water runoff in California.

Senator Feinstein states “between January 1 and March 6 of last year, 1.3 million acre feet of water flowed through the (Stockton) Delta and 651,000 acre feet were pumped out. During the same period this year, 2.8 million acre feet of water flowed through the Delta, but only 627,000 acre feet were pumped out. Pumping less water even though river flows more than doubled means 180,000 to 200,000 acre feet of water was allowed to flow out to sea instead of being captured and stored – enough water to supply 360,000 homes for a year. It’s inexcusable that pumping levels have been reduced without sufficient evidence of fish mortality, even while biological opinions would allow more pumping.”

She also talked to a young farmer from Firebaugh, Calif., who said he and his father lost their farms because of drought; farms that employed 450 workers who harvested 4,800 acres of cantaloupes and honeydew melons.