An Open Letter to State and Federal Water Managers

Another interesting week on the farm. We got over an inch and a half of rain last night. [The forecast called for a tenth to a quarter inch. If these guys can't get the forecast for one day correct can you understand why we question their forecasts for the next century? But, I digress.

It's hard to remember it was 90 degrees three days ago isn't it? How about trying to decide when to plant cotton? There are only two things I know for sure about growing cotton- if you plant it dry it will not sprout and if you plant it cold it will get sick. So, we planted a little and stopped until Monday to see if things are going to clear up. Can you see why going to Vegas holds no real interest for me? That's not gambling. It's over in a few moments. Try laying a million bucks out in the dirt for six months in the wind and weather. Now that's gambling.

An Open Letter to Felicia Marcus

And all the other state and federal water managers.

By Paul H. Betancourt

April 2016

I have a question for you-

You all don’t seem to take water conservation very seriously- why should we?

After two years of lecturing us about water conservation.

Two years of brown lawns and buckets in our showers state and federal regulators have sent over 872,975 acre feet out to sea!!! That is enough water for over 1.6 million California families for a whole year!!!

Since last summer you have telegraphed the drought wouldn’t be over even if we had an El Nino winter. Actually, that is what it means. Actually, that is what it means. Droughts are when it doesn’t rain. Droughts are over when it starts raining again.

You all favor Australian drought management methods. I think I know why- it uses centralized government command and control. The problem is you guys are not very good at this. Why not take a lesson from the Israelis. Two years ago Prime Minister Netanyahu was in California and suggested Israel had learned some lessons about water management that could help California. From the Governor on down you gave him the cold shoulder. I have visited Israel. They have will about water. They don’t dither and do studies- they get the job done.

J’accuse-You all have mismanaged our water system and we must pay for your politically correct failures.

Do you want a way out? Stop thinking one dimensionally. There are wet years and there are dry years in California. We need to save the water from the wet years like this for the dry years. This isn’t going to happen if you all keep blowing water out to sea.

We need a healthy economy AND a healthy environment. Please try and work on solutions with that in mind. We are at the end of our ropes here. We can’t live with too many more of your mistakes.