California Farmers Get First Full Water Supply in More than a Decade

Farmers in a vast region of California will receive their fully contracted amount of irrigation water this year for the first time in more than a decade.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced the allocation this week following one of California’s wettest winters in years. It comes days after Gov. Jerry Brown lifted the years-long drought emergency for most of the state.

The federally run system of reservoirs and canals provides water to irrigate roughly one-third of California’s farmland.

California leads the nation in agriculture, producing nearly half the nation’s fruits, nuts and vegetables.

Pablo Arroyave, of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, says everybody should be careful not to waste water. He says the next drought could be around the corner.

Topics Trends California Agribusiness