Better plant a bigger garden this year. Recently, President Donald Trump ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to release water from two reservoirs in northern and central California so he could proclaim that he “turned on the water” after the Los Angeles fires.
All of us who grew up in the West have been taught from childhood, “don’t ever waste water.” But this is exactly what happened. Will that water reach southern California for firefighting? No. Is it even geographically possible for water from those dams to reach areas where firefighters can use it? No. It’s 500 miles away, on the other side of a mountain range.
Water in these reservoirs is held for agricultural use in California’s Central Valley. The Central Valley produces one quarter of the nation’s food. Half of the nation’s fruits, vegetables and nuts are grown in the Central Valley. Now that the water released is going to waste because crops are dormant in winter, water managers predict there will be a shortage in hot summer months, when farmers need that water for irrigation. Will farmland for 25% of the nation’s food production be short on irrigation water? What does this wasteful release of water mean for you? For U.S. consumers? Expect higher prices on groceries and expect shortages and empty shelves.
Stephanie Brancati
Big Arm