South California Farmers Reap Millions Selling Water to Cities
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Business
The water is going to Los Angeles and other cities across Southern California, and in return, the farmers who’ve left some of their lands unplanted have been able to count on additional income.
California Farm, Source: Geograph, Labeled for reuse
Over the past 12 years, the country’s biggest urban water agency has paid farmers about $190 million not to grow crops on thousands of acres near the Colorado River in the Palo Verde Valley.
The water has gone to Los Angeles and other cities across Southern California, and in return, the farmers who’ve left some of their lands unplanted have been able to count on additional income.
Records released by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California show the agency has paid millions of dollars to the biggest landowners in the area, including several board members of the Palo Verde Irrigation District who originally voted to approve the deal in 2004.
All seven current members of the Palo Verde Irrigation District’s Board of Trustees have farmland enrolled in the land-fallowing program and have been receiving payments for the land they leave dry each year.
The top recipient has been Fisher Ranch LLC, the family company of Bart Fisher, a board member and the valley’s second-largest landowner after Metropolitan. The records show his company has received $27.6 million in annual payments since 2005 for land left fallow.
Three other Palo Verde board members also have companies that are among the top 10 recipients. They include Grant Chaffin, whose farms have received $7 million, Daniel Robinson, whose company has been paid $5.7 million, and Jack Seiler, whose farms have received $5.3 million, according to the records.
The records show payments to a total of 172 individuals and companies, including multimillion-dollar sums to more than a dozen growers over the past 12 years.
Read full article: Wisconsin State Farmer
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