Despite recent rain the state of California is still in the third year of a drought. The state recently announced water allocation for the upcoming year. This water is meant to provide for the 29 public water agencies across the state that altogether serves 24 million Californians.
In the Central Valley, water fuels the crop production Kern County depends on. The county has been allocated 5 percent of the state's water for 2023, and entities like the California Farm Bureau and the Kern County Water Agency expressed their concerns over the lower projected water allocation according to www.turnto23.com
The allocation can change depending on snowpack and runoff water amounts, but if it does not, the Farm Bureau says it leaves farmers with another year of uncertainty and economic hardship.
In addition to that, water policy expert Bruce Babcock with the University of California at Riverside says the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which limits how much groundwater agencies can use, is also expected to reduce water availability in the coming year.
"I think it is pretty clear that agriculture is going to be smaller," said Babcock. "There is going to be fewer acres in production simply because we don't have enough water."
Babcock added that with fewer acres in production, farm income may drop, as well have a trickle-down effect on food processing, farm labor, and farm machinery, all tied to the economic impact of the agriculture industry.