• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Valley Citizen

Pursuing truth toward justice

The Valley Citizen

Pursuing truth toward justice
  • Arts
  • Education
  • Environment
  • History
  • Nature
  • Politics
  • Wit
  • About

Valley Water: The Big Lie

February 9, 2018 By Eric Caine 9 Comments

Going South.

Of all the mythologies that dominate San Joaquin Valley politics, the mythology of water may be the most powerful and enduring. The basis of the myth consists of a simple fiction that states, unequivocally, that all valley water is, “our water.”

Grammarians, of whom there are fewer and fewer, might ask who is meant by “our,” but such a question would be grossly out of order in a region where the residents virtually uniformly believe “our” means “my.”  If there were such things as careful consideration and critical thinking involved in the discussion (not to mention grammar), the errors in this confusion of pronouns wouldn’t just reveal trivial concerns, but instead a really big lie.

Thus, when California state government attempts to have a say in the allocation of water from valley rivers, valley citizens rise as one, screaming in unison, “Water Grab!” The trick here, as in many tricks, lies in a simple act of misdirection.

Yes, there is a water grab, but it’s not the state that’s grabbing the water, it’s valley farmers—and who better to promote an enduring myth than those same farmers, whose long history of storytelling includes the tale of the struggling family whose daily toil with tractor, hoe, and shovel keeps food on our tables?

Even with the evidence of our eyes, we’re still prone to overlook the hundreds of miles of nut trees everywhere in favor of believing most valley farmers are hard at work growing the foods people actually eat—the tomatoes, leafy greens, beans, peas, carrots, and other vegetables. These crops have in fact most recently been tossed aside in favor of almonds and pistachios, the vast bulk of which are exported. The inevitable result is a rise in prices of foods most of us really do put on our tables.

Here are a couple of facts about farmers and water:  (1) Farmers use by far the most water of any business in California (here’s where to look for the clearest explanation of water use in California), and (2) agriculture produces only about 2% of California’s gross domestic product. Anyone who looks at the San Joaquin or Tuolumne Rivers in an average year will see they almost always run low, especially in summer. In fact, for decades, the San Joaquin River ran dry every year for a length of sixty miles, strictly because of water diversions by farmers.

Los Angeles’ Stuart Resnick is by far the nation’s most successful nut farmer. He owns at least 180,000 acres of farmland, most of it in the southern San Joaquin Valley, and virtually monopolizes the domestic pistachio business. Resnick alone uses over 400,000 acre feet of water a year; compare that figure to the 587,000 acre feet per year consumed by the entire city of Los Angeles.

Some might wonder how Resnick manages to acquire so much water every year in a region as arid and desert-like as the southern San Joaquin Valley. The answer is propaganda and politics. In fact, politics is the magic act by which “our water” becomes “their water.”

Once farmers had used up virtually all the available water in the southern San Joaquin Valley—that is, once they had drained the largest lake west of the Mississippi and diverted almost all the water from valley rivers, and once they had pumped all the groundwater from one of the last of the nation’s great aquifers—they looked north for so-called “surplus water.” Ever since, at great public expense and to the detriment of fisheries, recreational values, and the ecology of the San Joaquin Delta and San Francisco Bay, farmers in the south have been buying water from the north at bargain rates. “Our water” became their water, and they’ve made enormous fortunes with it.

Gimme that Water! San Joaquin River photo by Josh Uecker

But even here in the northern San Joaquin Valley the big lie about water gets spread with virtually no opposition. Consider Stanislaus County Supervisor Jim DeMartini’s recent “State of the County” speech last Tuesday.

During his speech, DeMartini made the bizarre claim that water stored behind dams belongs to the entities that built the dams:

“No state or federal money went into the construction of the Don Pedro and Exchequer dams,” he proclaimed. “These dams are owned by the ratepayers of the irrigation districts. Yet the State Water Resources Control Board wants to take the water stored behind those facilities that we own, and use it for their purpose.”

DeMartini conveniently left out the historical fact that O’Shaughnessy Dam, completed in 1923, lies above Don Pedro Dam and was paid for by the city of San Francisco. By DeMartini’s logic, the Tuolumne River water stored behind O’Shaughnessy Dam should all belong to the city of San Francisco. In fact, San Francisco diverts about 14 percent of the Tuolumne River’s total flow.

DeMartini also manages to leave out what is likely the most overlooked fact about water in the valley and that is the reality that much of “our” river  and reservoir water is pumped into farmers’ fields and orchards via groundwater. Hydrologists tell us that groundwater is for the most part produced by flows from rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. Thus, when you see a body of water such as Modesto Reservoir surrounded by almond orchards, you can be assured that much of the water for those orchards comes from the reservoir itself, which supposedly belongs to the City of Modesto.

The obvious reason valley farmers and most residents fear any reduction in water for agriculture is economics. Agriculture is by far the valley’s most powerful economic engine, and so dominant that few valley citizens ever think about how few ag dollars actually trickle down to the broader populace.

Known as the Appalachia of the West, the San Joaquin Valley is one of the poorest regions in the United States. Many believe that much of the poverty is due to what they call a “Plantation Economy,” an economy that disproportionately concentrates wealth into a small percentage of the population.

Farmers have long realized the source of wealth in the Valley is water and have thus virtually monopolized the use of a public resource. This appropriation of a public resource for private gain is almost never questioned, mostly because farmers and their friends are superb propagandists. Yes, it’s “our” water, but why is it so few of us share in its bounty?

Filed Under: Environment, Featured

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Damon Woods says

    February 9, 2018 at 2:01 pm

    very well written. Nice to have a somewhat unbiased approach to news, taking in the history of the issue as well. I do wonder if these big farm folks spread a little of their wealth around- by employing some folks (even immigrants) and are any of them more focused on community vs. themselves? And, there are still many small farms in this area too- that struggle- I know of a few of the owners of the small farms- that make a meager profit that is ‘just above the poverty level’…are they worthy of ‘saving our water’?

    Reply
  2. R. Terrence Losh says

    February 9, 2018 at 7:03 pm

    Agreed; Very well written but devoid of constructive alternatives. There is plenty of water for everyone if it is conserved and utilized rationally. Billions of acre feet flow needlessly into SF Bay through the Carquinez Strait instead of being utilized by a strategically located dam allowing the Central Valley aquifer to be recharged as a direct result.
    For some strange reason, the people of California waste the storm water that comes annually instead of capturing and storing it for the inevitable dry season each year as do other areas of the world with similar conditions. For some strange reason, it is preferable to fix blame than to address the problem, itself.

    Reply
    • Eric Caine says

      February 9, 2018 at 7:14 pm

      Water flowing into the San Francisco Bay from the San Joaquin Delta is critical to the ecology of both the bay and the delta. Dams have been show to be destructive to fisheries, among other negative consequences. It would be interesting to see the evidence showing how a “strategically located dam” would recharge the San Joaquin aquifer. Kind of hard to picture that image.

      Reply
  3. John Harris says

    February 10, 2018 at 2:48 am

    Great article! This is why counties dominated by agriculture look like third world countries compared to those with more diversified economies

    Reply
  4. mike tozzi says

    February 10, 2018 at 4:59 pm

    Excellent. More needs to be revealed re. who buys land for Resnick, the truth about Trinitas and some informed prognosis about the future of water in our area.
    DeMartini and the troops did their damage by approving more than 480 Ag well permits during the drought which resulted in “hurt” to families and our aquifer. So many more “lies”.

    Reply
  5. West sider says

    February 12, 2018 at 9:29 pm

    I would need a week to dispel have the nonsense written here. Eric Caine obviously knows little about farming

    Reply
  6. West sider says

    February 12, 2018 at 9:31 pm

    I wasnt aware that the County Board of Supervisors approved wells. Did DeMartini vote to alprove 480 wells?

    Reply
  7. Verna Jigour says

    February 15, 2018 at 7:29 pm

    I offer some constructive alternatives, but you likely need to change some perspectives to get it. Please see my initial blog post, Water Storage & Water Available for Replenishment/ Recharge: A Promising Marriage
    http://rainfalltogroundwater.net/2018/01/26/water-storage-water-available-for-replenishment/ and the new website itself for more info.

    Reply
  8. Dana says

    October 15, 2018 at 9:26 am

    Netflix has an intriguing documentary on this subject: Water & Power: A California Heist.
    Resnick’s activities with farming and water is featured. I highly recommend watching but do so with some chamomile tea; it’ll increase your blood pressure!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Note: Some comments may be held for moderation.

Primary Sidebar

Off The Wire

Biden restores roadless protection to the Tongass, North America's largest rainforest
Biden restores roadless protection to the Tongass, North America’s largest rainforest
The Tongass National Forest in Alaska, a focus of political battles over old-growth logging and road-building in forests for decades, has received new protection from the Biden administration.
theconversation.com
As California?s climate heats up, Valley fever spikes ? especially on Central Coast
As California’s climate heats up, Valley fever spikes, especially on Central Coast
Because the fungus that causes the disease spreads easily in hot, arid conditions, the number of cases will grow, UC Berkeley study says
www.mercurynews.com
Activists sue to block Newsom's homeless mental illness treatment program
Activists sue to block Newsom’s homeless mental illness treatment program
Gov. Gavin Newsom championed compelled mental health treatment for homeless Californians. Now, activists are trying to stop it before it gets off the ground.
sjvsun.com
The Rise of Spirit Warriors on the Christian Right
The Rise of Spirit Warriors on the Christian Right
How an extreme transformation in American religion poses an existential threat to our democracy
newrepublic.com
Gimme Shelter: Mayor Karen Bass on homelessness and the California housing crisis
Gimme Shelter: Mayor Karen Bass on homelessness and the California housing crisis
Liam Dillon and Ben Oreskes of the L.A. Times interview Mayor Karen Bass about homelessness and housing problems in California.
calmatters.org
A Water War Is Brewing Over the Dwindling Colorado River
A Water War Is Brewing Over the Dwindling Colorado River
This story first appeared at ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative…
talkingpointsmemo.com
At Last, a Real Possibility to Avoid Catastrophic Climate Change
At Last, a Real Possibility to Avoid Catastrophic Climate Change
After decades of minimal action, Congress passed the largest and most comprehensive piece of climate legislation in U.S. history. Will we make the most of this opportunity?
www.audubon.org
ACLU sues Phoenix over homeless sweeps, citations
ACLU sues Phoenix over homeless sweeps, citations
The ACLU of Arizona has filed a lawsuit against the city of Phoenix over cleanup sweeps of homeless encampments.
www.azcentral.com
'Full-on crisis': Groundwater in California's Central Valley disappearing at alarming rate
‘Full-on crisis’: Groundwater in California’s Central Valley disappearing at alarming rate
Excessive groundwater pumping has long been depleting aquifers in California’s Central Valley. Now, scientists say the depletion is accelerating.
www.latimes.com
San Francisco?s homeless sweeps are unlawful ? and the city will pay for it
San Francisco’s homeless sweeps are unlawful and the city will pay for it
San Francisco’s campaign to remove homeless people from the streets clearly violates…
www.sfchronicle.com
A year after opening 600 rooms to L.A.'s unhoused, the Cecil Hotel is still mostly empty. Here's why
A year after opening 600 rooms to L.A.’s unhoused, the Cecil Hotel is still mostly empty. Here’s why
The Cecil Hotel was supposed to be an innovative new model for permanent supportive housing in L.A. Why is it struggling to fill rooms?
news.yahoo.com
Fentanyl on campus: One Bay Area school saved a student?s life. Another missed the signs of an overdose. Is your school ready?
Fentanyl on campus: One Bay Area school saved a student’s life. Another missed the signs of an overdose. Is your school ready?
Suddenly, Bay Area schools are playing a critical role in combating the alarming rise of fentanyl that is spilling onto high school campuses. But a Bay Area News Group survey found most may not be….
www.mercurynews.com

Find us on Facebook

The Valley Citizen
PO Box 156
Downtown Bear Postal
1509 K Street
Modesto, CA 95354

Email us at:
thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Footer

The Valley Citizen
PO Box 156
Downtown Bear Postal
1509 K Street
Modesto, CA 95354

Email us at:
thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Subscribe for Free

* indicates required

Search

• Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 The Valley Citizen

Dedicated to the memory of John Michael Flint. Contact us at thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Editor and publisher: Eric Caine

Website customization and maintenance by Susan Henley Design