The promise of more water for San Joaquin Valley Farmers: Real or more water politics?

By Victor Martino

President Donald Trump appears to be giving San Joaquin Valley farmers the big ticket item he promised them in return for their support in 2016 — more water.

But is it politics or real action?

On Friday, October 19 the Trump administration pledged to wade through the dense morass of federal environmental regulations that govern California’s water supply. The objective: To increase water deliveries to farmers in the valley, along with aiding his Republican allies in the upcoming November election.

Two weeks ago in Arizona President Trump, joined by five Republican congressmen from the Central Valley: Tom McClintock, Devin Nunes, Jeff Denham, David Valadao and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, signed a memorandum directing his various cabinet secretaries to review all current federal water regulations and “eliminate all unnecessary burdens” on farmers in the San Joaquin Valley.

President Trump said he’s insisting on strict timetables for completing this review. He says he wants to find ways to pump more water to the San Joaquin Valley’s farmers.

Those who oppose the plan say it could potentially be at the expense of endangered fish species that ply the waters of the San Joaquin Delta. Supporters say it’s vital in getting more water to farmers.

Getting more water to San Joaquin Valley farmers through the Delta vs. the potential effects doing so will have on endangered fish species has been a long and continuous battle in California, which is a state that’s made water politics the equivalent of a knife fight, in that rather than reaching a compromise over the years both sides have instead made it clear through their actions that there has to be a winner and a loser. It’s politics at its worse, frankly. And since Democrats control all three constitutional offices in California, they bare the majority of the blame for the problem.

President Trump’s signing of the memorandum, which among other things orders the administration to speed up a 2-year-old examination of the rules covering how water is pumped through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and his comments in Arizona are being received positively by farmers and farm interest groups in California.

For example, Dan Keppen of the Family Farm Alliance says, “This action from President Trump is an important and common-sense move that will benefit Western farmers and ranchers.” The Family Farm Alliance has thrown its full support behind getting more water to San Joaquin Valley farmers.

Martin Chavez, a public policy expert and advocate for California farmers who’s involved in agriculture and water issues in the San Joaquin Valley, told me he applauds the Republican Congressman and President Trump for “leading the charge on this important issue.” He says that “by allowing more water to flow into our region I’m optimistic we’ll see more land being farmed on, which will boost our local economies. Not only farmers could benefit from President Trump’s action but so might our San Joaquin Valley communities that are in dire need of safe and reliable drinking water.

Chavez, also points out an important reality in the San Joaquin Valley, which is that although coastal California is booming, the San Joaquin Valley has only seen slight economic improvement over the last few years. Many small rural farming communities in the valley have high poverty levels, high unemployment and lack proper infrastructure. For example, the small farming town of Stratford in King’s County has a dysfunctional municipal water system that’s no better than what many third world countries have. Chavez is a member of the Stratford public utilities district board of directors.

The Stratford example points up the dynamic tension that still exists in 2018 between the Central Valley, which is dependent on agriculture, and the coastal regions in California, which have a mixed economy comprised of industries like high-tech, entertainment, finance and others. California is controlled on the state level by elected officials from the northern and southern coasts. As a result, coastal issues take priority over valley issues. Silicon Valley and Hollywood trump Central Valley agriculture, plain and simple.

Chavez puts it more bluntly: “Environmental groups and many of our liberal state elected officials will oppose this action by the Trump Administration to simply not give him a victory or for their disdain of the agriculture community. What the opposition against bringing more water to the valley will always fail to understand is that rather than helping the people they represent, they are actually hurting them by not allowing water to naturally flow into the Central Valley.”

I agree in part with his assertion. But it’s also important to add that part of the problem overall is the premise that there needs to be winners and losers when it comes to vital issues like water for agriculture. It’s not a zero-sum game. Democrats and Republicans alike play this game. And so does President Trump. This behavior from both sides creates a perfect storm for failure, which is why this issue has yet to be resolved.

We should do all we can to protect endangered species of fish. Humans after all are part of the vast ecosystem that connects all living things and nature. But doing so has to be balanced with the reality on the ground in California farm country.

Bottom line: Farmers in the San Joaquin Valley need more water. We also need to make sure water is better conserved. But compromise has been and still appears elusive. Therefore it’s time to make it happen in a way that protects the endangered fish species in the best way possible but stops making the perfect the enemy of the good. There is no perfect solution to the problem.

My hope is that President Trump’s move in issuing and signing the memorandum on October 15 is the real thing rather than being simply more water politics. His timing, a few weeks before the November election, and its nature, it’s merely a directive to government officials, make it difficult to tell how much of his doing so is the former and how much it’s the latter.

As an analyst it’s my job to point this out. I also suggest that supporters might want to move from celebrating the move to focusing on making sure President Trump and the five Central Valley Congressman who appeared in the photo opportunity with him last month follow through.

The memorandum is neither public policy or law. It’s a directive only. That it happened shortly before the November election shouldn’t be discounted. But its timing also shouldn’t prevent us from being positive and hoping it’s real. That the President keeps threatening to file a lawsuit against California over it water policy but hasn’t done so yet in his two years in office should also be kept in mind. Ronald Reagan’s famous dictum, “trust but verify” might be a good way to approach it.

Elected officials on both sides of the aisle here in California have been playing politics with water for as long as the state has existed. It’s time to end this behavior as it pertains to farming and water in the Golden State. We need real solutions. Agriculture needs to be a top water priority in California.

Central Valley farmer Joe Del Bosque, who’s been fighting for more water for valley farmers for years, told me he’s cautiously optimistic regarding the move by President Trump.

“When we farmers heard about President Trump’s taking executive action on water for the valley there was plenty of excitement, as he had promised to help us with water,” Del Bosque says.

“His administrative approach seems to focus on a more active management in the delta. It will speed up consultation for updated biological options which are needed. According to the memo, these actions won’t violate the Endangered Species Act,” he says.

“These are all positive and progressive steps,” Del Bosque added.

“But what remains to be seen is how the state reacts,” he says. “We hope state officials cooperate with the feds in bringing the management of our water into the 21rst century, and give water managers the flexibility to provide more water to farms and cities when it is available and in a respinsible manner, while causing no harm to the environment.”

Hopefully the Governor and state legislature will finally do something to solve this problem now that the Trump Administration has made this move. The ball is in their court. It’s time to stop fumbling it.

By Victor Martino