California Water Regulators Implement Unprecedented Water Cuts for Farmers Amid Severe Drought
California state water regulators have enacted a drastic emergency order that will prohibit thousands of Californians, primarily farmers, from using surface water from streams and rivers. This decision, made by the State Water Resources Control Board, is described by officials as unprecedented in its scope, affecting approximately 5,700 Northern California and Central Valley water rights holders who collectively possess about 12,500 water rights. The curtailments are largely aimed at agricultural irrigation, though some municipal, industrial, and commercial entities will also be impacted. An exemption is in place for water used for health and human safety purposes, such as drinking and bathing. The emergency regulation follows a rapid worsening of drought conditions, with an almost 800,000 acre-feet decrease in expected snowpack runoff between April and May, an amount nearly equivalent to the capacity of Folsom Reservoir. Governor Gavin Newsom declared a drought emergency in 41 of California’s 58 counties ...
