California farmers are hopeful Trump administration will deliver more water to fields
Since winning the election, President-elect Donald Trump has been talking about immigration, border security and government efficiency. But in California farm country, his comments about water are also getting top attention. The Golden State grows three-quarters of the country’s fruits and nuts and more than a third of its vegetables, largely thanks to a complex network of dams and canals that funnel water to the state’s fertile Central Valley. In recent years, farmers have faced more limits on how much water they can access from this network because of environmental concerns, as well as on how much groundwater they can pump after years of overuse and drought. Now, farmers are hoping the second Trump administration will ensure more stable water flows to their fields from the federally managed Central Valley Project and a plan for future water supplies.