California Citrus Mutual estimates nearly 50,000 acres of citrus trees will receive no federal or state water allocation this year. State Sens. Andy Vidak and Jean Fuller are here with me watching trees get bulldozed,” said Citrus Mutual's Steve Nelsen. “This is not just an issue for the citrus industry, or even agriculture. It is far greater. The federal government will be the cause of lost jobs and economic recession in the Central Valley if water is not made available.”
The federal Bureau of Reclamation and National Marine Fisheries Service are challenging agriculture’s ability to produce fresh fruits and vegetables, as Nelsen sees it. “There is water available that could by law be delivered to agricultural users,” according to his statement. “But these agencies have mandated that available water remain in storage. Their calculations come after the March storms, which we know added 1.2 million acre feet to storage.”
Millet