from the Visalia Times Delta

Nunes addresses water grievances: Congressman, others blast management of water resources at rally

Some truth telling. The Westlands Water District is the largest, most powerful water district in California with over 600,000 acres of desert farmland owned by only 60 farmers, with an average holding of 10,000 acres (15 square miles). The water rights for the irrigation of this land are the most junior in the state's water hierarchy. The sixty farmers, some corporations, some individuals are, just in land wealth alone, worth about one hundred million dollars EACH!

They blame the millions of California anglers and environmentalists for the loss of their water. As their spokesman Congressman Nunes says, "There's plenty of water... The problem is taking it to where it needs to go."

"Where it needs to go" to these people means diverting the delta's remaining water to these sixty farmer's desert acreage. They don't mention that irrigating their land and further enriching their bank accounts would be at the cost of destroying the livelihoods and recreational activities for millions of California commercial fishermen, recreational anglers and boaters and the industries that support them and the wiping out of numerous species of fish for all eternity. Ed.

BY LUIS HERNANDEZ • lhernand@visalia.gannett.com • March 28, 2009

Water shortages hurting California aren't caused by drought alone, but also by environmentalist programs that cut supplies to farmers, Congressman Devin Nunes said during a water seminar Friday...(Continued on-line at the Visalia Times Delta)