From News Line, a daily compilation of farm water news distributed to CFWC members and others upon request. To receive News Line, click here.

Farmers’ federal water supply cut by 75 percent 

Coalition response…This reporter does a good job in explaining the causes for the low allocation number for CVP water users. We’ve had dry years before that have resulted in low allocations but the loss of nearly 800,000 acre-feet of water because of dubious efforts to protect fish is unbelievable.

Water stored in federal reservoirs (Trinity, Shasta, Folsom and San Luis) totaled 7.3 million acre-feet on Feb. 26, 2013. In 1977, the driest year on record, that total was only 3.3 maf. The initial water allocation in 1977 was 25%, the same as this year; yet the amount of water in storage this year is more than double the 1977 number.

Federal regulations that have taken nearly 800,000 acre-feet of water away from farms, families and businesses need to be changed if California is to avoid a disaster in future years.