Photo: AFP
Farmers could see cuts as regulators rush to protect the supply of drinking water.
On August 3rd, the State Water Resources Control Board will vote on an "emergency curtailment" order prohibiting farmers from using resources from the Sacramento and San Joaquin River watersheds. Eileen Sobeck, the board’s executive director, said the proposed order shows the dire conditions of California’s water supply. There “is just not enough to meet all of the legitimate demands,” she said.
“We don’t take this action lightly; we know that it’s going to impose hardships on folks,” she said. Exceptions will be made for drinking water and other human needs. “We’re trying to protect drinking water supplies; we’re trying to protect endangered fishin the system,” she said. State officials have warned that most winter-run Chinook salmon could die in the Sacramento River this year according to the Sacramento Bee.