California drought, worst in 1,200 years
California's drought, the worst ever in 1,200 years, has caused water to become so valuable that some farmers are forced to sell it rather than irrigate their crops. For example, some farmers are choosing to sell water at $700 per acre-foot, which is more than they could earn from their crops.
The drought now covers over 98 percent of California. This week Gov. Jerry Brown issued a statewide executive order to reduce water usage by one-fourth.
While giving the order Brown stood in the arid Sierra Nevada mountains, which usually have over 66 inches (168 cm) of snowpack at this time. The snowpack levels are at the lowest levels in recorded history, according to NPR.
Charlie Matthews, a rice farmer in northern California, worries that water districts will alter his rights to the precious liquid. He predicts that if he does not sell the water, they will determine how to "take it."
Some water from Matthews' district might be transported to Southern California's Metropolitan Water District (MWD), which includes Los Angeles. It imports about 66 percent of its water from Central and Northern California.
Jeffrey Kightlinger, a manger for the MWD, notes that in the past water was bought from farmers at $250 to $300 per acre-foot. So now they are earning 250 percent more than the standard market rate.
Kightlinger explains that asking northern reservoirs to sell water to southern regions will make the distribution more even. It will balance the respective "water-rich" area and the "people-rich" area, according to NBC News.
However, Barbara Vlamis, director of Northern California's AquAlliance, opposes this approach. She observes that draining a northern reservoir could "possibly destroy" it.
In fact, water districts in Northern California might be forced to sell their water anyhow. If the drought continues then farmers will be unable to get the water they require for their crops.
Matthews explains that there are 2,000 rice farmers among the 38 million residents in California. He hopes the farmers can "get along" with the other Californians.
