water woes

Produce in California may see a price increase related to water issues in the state, according to the Associate Press.  In fact, farmer’s in Central California are abandoning their fields, leaving them to turn to dust, because of the plight caused by water shortages.

The most interesting finding in the report is that the limits in produce will not all be caused by the drought, but subsequent legislation that was put in place in anticipation of the drought.  Most prominently, the decision that ordered state water managers to expedite requests to move water so high-value crops like wine grapes, almonds and pistachio trees would stand a chance of surviving.

Federal water reserves are at their lowest since 1992, and unless California gets more rain, reserves will get slashed to nothing.

Obviously, in an already suffering economy, this is not good news.  It means that Californians will have to spend more money to get healthful food and their will be less jobs up and down the coast and central valley.