More water talks in the Valley as the Governor's Drought Task Force came to town. State officials met with Valley farmers during a 'Q and A' session at UC Merced, to discuss the ongoing impacts of the drought, and to take ideas back to Sacramento.
It was standing room only inside the Governor's Drought Task Force meeting at UC Merced Tuesday. One by one, farmers and local leaders took the podium, while state officials sat back and listened.
California Department of Food and Agriculture Karen Ross says, "It's heartbreaking to think about the harsh decisions they have to make."
For many, those decisions come down to shutting down, closing up shop; putting their farms out of business.
Long time Merced farmer Laurian Bettencourt says, "I feel so bad for some of my friends who are going to lose everything."
Several state departments were on hand to hear the stories of desperation and to work toward solutions. One of those is a five year water plan that would address storage issues. But Dan Nelson, executive director of the San Luis and Delta/Mendota Water Authority, says if storage was really a priority, officials would have made sure to capture the rain we had just this past week.
Nelson says, "We had this opportunity and once that water's gone, we can never get it back, so it was oversight definitely."
The discussion also turned to the endangered species act and other environmental laws. Farmers say the restrictive laws should be reconsidered, but the state water resources board says it isn't just about protecting fish, but our very own drinking water.
Felicia Marcus, California State Water Resources Board says, "If we're not able to repel salt from the delta than the water will be unusable for health and public safety and for agriculture in the delta and south of the delta, so it's a complex issue."