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Water allocations making some rich in midst of drought

Posted by: Maven on May 13, 2009 at 7:59 am

From KTVU TV:

While millions of Californians are being told to turn off the spigot because of drought, a KTVU Channel 2 News report reveals a handful of major landowners have so much water they are flooding farm fields and even selling water they get for free back to Californians for a profit.

The federal Bureau of Reclamation, which supplies water to a vast swath of California farms, has cut back agricultural allocations to 10 and 15 percent of normal this year because of the official drought status.

However, the government is giving 100 percent of the entitlements to 135 water districts — the vast majority farming alliances — the same amount they would get even in the wettest years. “The federal government made a sweetheart deal with some of the farming districts years ago,” said Peter Vorster, a Bay Area hydrologist and environmental activist.

Read more and watch the broadcast from KTVU by clicking here.

May 13, 2009 · Filed Under Drought, Weather & Snowpack

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