KMPH Fox 26 Central San Joaquin Valley News Source in Fresno, California Entertainment, News, Sports and Weather | Farm Water Outlook

Farm Water Outlook

By: Rich Rodriguez

Valley farmers aren't ready for the rain to stop.  Four storms in four days has added to the rain gauge but growers say it's not a cure to a three year drought.

Four days of rain has given grapevines, almonds and other farming ground a good soaking.  Paul Betancourt farms almonds, cotton and wheat on the westside.  He says, "this whole series of storms is very encouraging.   The snow pack that's starting to pick up.   The rainfall we've gotten we need this.   I love rainy days right now but we need a lot more of this."

For years Betancourt has relied on water deliveries to grow his crops... Now he's investing in plan b.  He says, "we just went out and borrowed 200–thousand dollars to put a new hole in the ground so I can have a well because I can't count on the water supply.   That's what it means for us."

The Westlands Water District represents the largest growing region on the westside of the valley. Its growers are happy to see rain in the valley and snow in the mountains but when it comes to the water outlook nothing has changed. 

Sarah Woolf says, "even with the snow pack they will start the year its anticipated with a zero water supply because we are unable to pump right now.   And because the turbidity the movement of water that's caused by the storms is something the smelt enjoy."  

The Delta Smelt is an endangered species and the pumps have to be cut back for fear it will be sucked into its huge propellers. Sarah woolf says now is the optimum time to capture runoff but it's not likely to happen.  She says, "there's flexibility in biological opinions allowing Fish and Wildlife Service to increase pumping slightly.   If they went to higher flexibility allowed under the law farmers could gain a million acre feet of water in a short window of January to June."

Westlands believes under the best case scenario westside growers will receive 30 percent of its federal water allocation.