As Marine One reached the fertile soil of Firebaugh in Fresno County's west side, President Obama had folks like farmer Doug Britton waiting to deliver a message.
"We want water, not water welfare. It's that simple," said Doug Britton, a farmer.
San Luis Reservoir, a lifeline for growers, is just 30% full right now. But environmental activists with Restore the Delta don't seem to care, saying it would be devastating to alter the ecosystem.
"Our fisheries are in very bad shape and we want him to understand that building tunnels under the delta to take more water from northern California is not the answer," said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla of Restore the Delta.
Security was extremely tight along Poleline Road. A motorcade whisked the president down Eagle Field Road to a ranch in Los Banos.
"We know we can innovate and meet this challenge, but we've got to start now, we can't wait," said President Obama.
President Obama emphasized that a team effort is needed to work through this drought. He says our entire country can not afford to have any more arguing.
"California is our biggest economy, California is our biggest agriculture producer, so what happens here matters to every working american. Right down to the cost of food you put on your table," said President Obama.
In a perfect world, farmers would like the president to use his executive power to turn on at least half the pumps in the Delta for the next few months to build up water supplies in our dams. But they realize that's a stretch, so for the time being, they take comfort knowing they are now on the top of his mind.