Home>Articles>California’s Water Crisis Lingers as Gov. Newsom Vacations in Costa Rica

Lake Oroville, Butte County in Northern California, holding 53% of average precipitation. (Photo: California Department of Water Resources)

California’s Water Crisis Lingers as Gov. Newsom Vacations in Costa Rica

Restricting water for human basic needs such as food makes no sense

By Katy Grimes, April 2, 2022 2:45 am

How can California have a water crisis when the state borders the Pacific Ocean, and the Sierra Nevada mountain range, 400 miles north-south and 50 miles to 80 miles east–west, drains into more than 15 rivers, 6 lakes, and numerous creeks? The Sierra Nevada snowpack is the major source of water and a significant source of electric power generation in California.

Only government mismanagement could screw up this natural abundance so badly. But think about where California is right now – we have many crises going on concurrently.

California Governor Gavin Newsom’s California, which is still under his COVID State of Emergency from March 2020, can be summed up this way: Water rationing, grocery unions striking, homeless denied housing vouchers in Los Angeles, reparations for descendants of slaves, $7.00-per-gallon-gas, porn K-12 curriculum, COVID vaccine bills, Single Payer health coverage, public school teachers strike, energy shortage and the crime… There’s more, but this is a decent summary, all of which link to articles explaining.

California is a state in crisis and decline. California has the highest taxes in the country and seriously declining public services, which were among the best in the nation at one time.

As the Globe reported in November, California was once the land of opportunity and innovation. There was a time when nearly anyone with a good idea and solid work ethic could open a business. California led the nation in manufacturing – today there isn’t much manufacturing left in the state. California’s schools were once envied by the nation – today they rank at the bottom of the entire country. California agriculture has always provided for more than just our state, but even that is under attack. What made California great is systematically being destroyed.

And right now, California is facing a severe water shortage that is government-made. People forget the winter of 2019 brought 200 percent of average rains and snow pack. Yet the state still held back on water to farmers, and residents faced rationing, the Globe reported May 2019. That abundance was not stored for the next drought.

“If we don’t grow it, American consumers won’t get it,” California Rep. Doug LaMalfa says.

Rep. Doug LaMalfa (https://lamalfa.house.gov/)

“California sends 50 million acre feet flowing to the sea annually in an attempt to meet water quality standards, and this week California has taken another giant step forward towards grabbing another 825,000 acre feet of fresh water from reservoir storage, and sending that flow straight out to the ocean,” Central Valley water expert Kristi Diener posted Thursday on the California Water for Food and People Movement Facebook page. Why? “Because pollution needs dilution, and fish can’t survive in cesspools.”

“What’s different this time, is there is no more water available for this purpose. So then how will the ‘40% Unimpaired Flows Plan’ work? California shall pay farmers not to grow food, and use taxpayer dollars to buy their water for sewage flushing. Farmers are being forced to ‘voluntarily’ sign on, or face worse and more catastrophic regulations.”

Without enough water, California’s massive agriculture industry can’t grow the fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy and wine grapes people need. If the evil plan is to to destroy California’s amazing agriculture then it’s working.

The state has been letting water out of reservoirs across California for months now in 2022, knowing a drought was on the horizon. And it’s not going to farmers, growers, ranchers or urban users.

Governor Newsom recently issued a proclamation extending the statewide drought emergency and requested that the California Water Board pressure cities and urban water districts move to a Tier 2 drought, mandating 10-20% reduction in water use and eliminate water usage of certain ornamental uses.

However, as the Globe has repeatedly reported, California environmental policy says the water “flows” from reservoirs are necessary to produce a rebound of endangered Delta smelt and Chinook salmon. The State of California directs about 50 percent of its developed water supply for the environment, including wild river flows, managed wetlands and wildlife preserves, habitat and water quality control for fish, and required Delta outflows, according to the Department of Water Resource, agriculture gets 40% and urban and manufacturing receive 10%. This is why we say California cannot conserve its way out of a drought.

Congressman Doug LaMalfa representing California’s 1st Congressional District, addressed Gov. Newsom’s proclamation this week:

“Limiting urban water use makes sense in this major drought, but a reduction of at most 20% of urban use yields only 2% net total, i.e. 20% of 10%. To date, neither the state nor federal government has announced major curtailments of the largest user of water, the ridiculous pie in the sky environmental water mandates. We are facing a major drought and everyone, the “environment” included, needs to share in the pain.”

But it’s worse than that. LaMalfa is a rice farmer in Butte County. He knows the water rationing pain first hand. California’s anti-human water policies are acutely impacting every farmer and rancher in the state – from the smallest local strawberry grower, to the medium and large family farms and ranches, to the corporate farms and ranches – they all grow food consumed by each of us.

LaMalfa continued:

“It is insane in a year even the President of the United States is warning of food shortages, that the state and federal government continue to prioritize unchecked amounts of water for fish. Restricting water for human basic needs such as food makes no sense, at a time when agriculture, which produces the food we need to survive, already has been cut an estimated 70% between the state and federal government. The state plan is to not deliver agriculture water in order to save deep water in the lakes for fall run salmon.

California is the largest agricultural producing state in the nation, and with many crops, if we don’t grow it, American consumers won’t get it. Inflation is hitting the low-income earners the hardest, how much worse will that be when basic food commodities prices skyrocket over the next 18 months because the government chose fish over people? There is a very limited window of time to get this policy right. Right now, farmers are planting during 2022 what U.S. consumers will use in 2023. Once the planting window is over there aren’t do-overs for another year; the crop year is lost, once the water is wasted meeting unattainable temperature or salinity goals for fish, we won’t have it. “

“Government policy is pricing the people out of the supermarket to satisfy their environmentalist masters.”

California is at a precipice, and a very dangerous one. But Rep. LaMalfa has been working on solutions.

“In October 2019, the Trump Administration completed a Memorandum of Understanding between EPA and Reclamation to create a WIFIA process for Reclamation projects. In July 2021, California Congressmen Doug LaMalfa and John Garamendi led a bipartisan letter with other members of the California delegation asking the EPA to allow the Sites Project Authority to apply for a Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act program loan.”

The Globe contacted LaMalfa’s office for clarification and to inquire if and how this factors into the over $30 billion in water bonds approved by CA voters? Here’s their reply:

“This funding is separate from the bonds. The authority would need to apply directly for the loans with the EPA. This release is about changing the rules to make them eligible for the loans.  Previously these loans were only for waste water or drinking water programs. We started the rule change in 2018 (Wiin act), then got Trump to move on it. Now it’s finally enacted and available for use.”

“We need Sites more than ever; our state is facing another historic drought,” LaMalfa said. “I’ve been a strong supporter of this project for years, it will provide water for over 24 million Californians and 500,000 acres of farmland. This loan will drastically reduce the costs for consumers and make it more affordable for taxpayers to get the water they need, even in dry years.”

Families and urban water users did not waste their way into a water shortage and cannot conserve their way out. “Saving 25% of a 10% urban use equals 2.5%,” Diener points out. “Ongoing water releases continue to put fish over people, and both are suffering. More water rights holders than ever before are about to receive stop-using-water notices.”

California’s largest reservoirs were full less than two years ago and held enough water for everyone who relies on them for their water supply, for 7 years, Diener said. “WHERE DID IT GO?”

And why?

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15 thoughts on “California’s Water Crisis Lingers as Gov. Newsom Vacations in Costa Rica

  1. Environmentalism has become a religion. A movement like so many “isms” We are still suffering from the creation of the California EPA. Saving the owls in the 70’s cost many people their lives and their homes in the ’20s.
    The idealistic religion of the environmentalist must be re-written to include common sense, until that happens we will continue to suffer the decisions of a bloated bureaucracy. A bureaucracy run by the over educated without any real life experience. Change this ‘save the world” think and maybe you’ll have a chance to end the ruination of the Golden State.

  2. And yet “no information” California voters will continue to vote for the same politicians responsible for our water shortages. What is it going to take? Maybe LA has to run completely out of water. That will make for an interesting apocalyptical movie.

  3. Hey , just in case there are any low information voters reading this, I have 2 words for you:
    FAILED GOVERNOR

    1. When you think about it, he’s a complete success.

      His goal is to destroy California and he hopes to assist his comrades in destroying America. He is wildly successful in achieving these goals.

  4. Obviously I’m not the only one who is sick about all of the dysfunction and chaos in this state. Have long observed that those who are virulently against sensible water solutions such as building more infrastructure or stopping the release of 50% of our water hoping for salmon proliferation in dry beds, are as ruthless and nasty and determined online as the LGBTQIA+ set to get what they want. This tells me they are REALLY wrong, not just misguided, and feeling guilty, and there must be money involved. I’m more than suspicious that water money has often been used for projects barely or not-at-all related to water, like those pricey solar belly trash cans in county and city parks, for instance. One thing I AM certain about is that my locals used water money to build, at great expense, a trout pond like a hillbilly’s swimming hole for pretend fisherman to show up and pretend to fish, which quickly began to leak after it was stocked with fish. Then they spent more money fixing it. Sure, THAT helps with our water supply. Not! So are the people with their hands out afraid of losing their gravy train if we get serious about fixing the water mess and use water money the way voters intended for it to be used?
    P.S. No offense to hillbillies. 🙂

    1. By the way, check out Michael Shellenberger (author of San Fransicko and candidate for CA Governor) soon if you haven’t already. Interesting guy, knows the issues, seems tough. He also seems to be catching fire out there lately. He used to be a progressive but got red-pilled on homeless/vagrancy, crime, water, energy (he backs nuclear power), etc. I’m ready to back him with a vengeance from being sickened at the thought of four more years of Gruesome. I know, maybe it’s a lost cause, but Michael Shellenberger doesn’t seem to think so, and if you check him out you’ll see why for yourself. He might be the ideal candidate for this particular time in California.

  5. The Chinese need the farmland to feed their populace, and Newsom needs their money…
    He and his policies are purposefully working to destroy the California agriculture business, so the Chinese can buy up the land on the cheap…
    No other explanation makes sense any longer…
    The “delta smelt” is akin to the PCR test that was used to justify the Covid scamdemic, an illusory excuse to placate the uninformed masses…
    Newsom, most Democrats and ANYONE associated with Klaus Schwab’s “Young Global Leaders” needs to be stopped from any influence on us….period.

  6. “California’s Water Crisis Lingers as Gov. Newsom Vacations in Costa Rica”
    Sorry, Katy. You lose points for that ridiculous headline, inferring the Gov could/would do something about it, if only he wasn’t in Costa Rica.

    1. That’s exactly what I am implying, and that the Gov is not doing anything about California’s most serious issues. As I state in the article, he continues to hold tightly to his emergency powers, yet takes another out-of-the-country vacation, while threatening to ration water to the 40 million humans in the state. Something is very wrong with this picture.

      1. For what it’s worth I personally am mad as hell on a daily basis because of this narcissistic dictator Gavin Newsom. I’m infuriated that my vote and my voice have been taken away by this guy, for starters. Of COURSE all of the pressing issues mentioned above are well under his control, especially because he retains the ill-gotten power of executive order under his ill-gotten and completely unnecessary emergency powers.

        As lowly CA citizens we must constantly monitor this guy and his actions which, along with the circus freak Dem/Marxist legislature, bombard us daily. We do it not knowing if our voice against them is even worth a tinker’s dam at this point. And then to add insult to injury Newsom gives Californians the finger by taking off without a care in the world for luxury parts unknown while we are left to wade through his waist-high mess. The chutzpah of this guy.

        Obviously none of us would begrudge a decent governor or leader his time off, by the way. But oh, how Newsom’s vanishing acts under such circumstances remind me that I would LOVE to have a vacation, or even take a week off, as if we could while this Newsom-created disaster dogs us. I would even be okay with sticking close to home and simply having my life back, the one I used to have before these mediocre monsters came into power, the one I long for where I could pursue life’s pleasures and even pains without having to constantly battle the burdens placed upon Californians by power-mad people like Newsom et al who, by the way, we are PAYING to do this to us.

      2. Great read Katy.The snow pack broke records for mammoth mountain which blew my mind.The mental midget did not conserve any water and take advantage of that miracle.The same guy who closed all the beaches during covid.His stupidity is breathtaking and the press gives him a free ride.Keep dropping the hammer of truth on this guy.Nov 8

  7. Weird Newsom hasn’t posted any ‘Family fun’ or ‘Costa Rica culture’ photos on Instagram. Maybe he’s just getting his family situated in the sister school and insuring their safety, and all’s well with the offshore bank account… lol.
    Probably knows he’ll be indicted for Treason, Sedition, and Crimes Against Humanity. Again, with the ‘shooting drama’, when all he has to do is revoke their license, right? What, not a legal registered gun owner?… I’m shocked! Like the other church shooting… illegal alien shooting his children and carer. Oh, did he fail to mention that? Read about Rosa Koire (Santa Rosa), everything is by WEF design, and Newsom has violated his oath and betrayed the state.

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