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Dry year fuels early water war; Delta farmers, coalition spar over water diversion

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 29, 2008 at 6:20 am

From Stockton’s Record:

A coalition of water users claims that farmers in the south Delta are illegally diverting water and asks state regulators to step in and protect water supplies during this dry year.

The San Joaquin River Group, representing mostly irrigation districts south of the Delta, said in a letter to the state earlier this month that it is “well known” that farmers in the south Delta take water to which they are not entitled. At times, not enough water flows down the San Joaquin River to irrigate all those farms, the May 12 letter says.

Delta farmers responded with a letter of their own earlier this week, calling the accusations “unsupported and false.” “It’s just rubbish,” Manteca farmer and water engineer Alex Hildebrand said Wednesday.

Tides ensure that there is always at least some water in the south Delta that can legally be diverted for crops, the Delta farmers say. The effect of these diversions is far less than the nearby state and federal pumps that send water as far south as San Diego, Hildebrand said.

Both letters were sent to the State Water Resources Control Board for review; the board has some authority over water right disputes.

Read more on this story from Stockton’s Record by clicking here.

May 29, 2008 · Filed Under Other Delta Issues

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