Fresno, Kings counties face job risks due to drought-related water supply, report says

Westlands Water District officials Wednesday highlighted a study stressing 35,000 jobs in the central San Joaquin Valley could be at risk due to “inadequate and unreliable” water sources.

Westlands is the supplier to major farming operations on the Valley’s west side.

The study was issued as the snowpack in the central portion of the Sierra Nevada was reported to be only 59 percent of normal for mid-March.

In an online news conference, Michael A. Shires, an associate professor of public policy at Pepperdine University, cited far-reaching consequences for Valley communities due to uncertain water supplies for farmers. He noted the risk compounds other factors including climate change, inflation, and the COVID-19 pandemic to “seriously threaten the food supply chain to the U.S.”

Food supply is a national security issue, as well, he stressed.

His study argues that agricultural production within Westlands is responsible for $4.7 billion to the regional economy.

“These jobs produce the wages, tax revenue, and consumer spending that drive economic activity throughout the state,” wrote Shires.

Commenting on the report, Tom Bimingham, general manager of the giant Westlands district, said “west-side farms are at risk because everything is dependent on water availability. ”

Without adequate water, farmers are forced to make difficult decisions and fallow highly productive land with widespread impacts, added Bimingham. He cited a correlation between poverty levels in Fresno and Kings counties he said were directly related to water deliveries to Westlands.

Said Shires in the report:

“If water supplies continue to be uncertain and volatile, there will be irreparable harm to already disadvantaged communities in the region, and the acreage available to continue growing this produce will be significantly constrained.”

The report called for planning to store more water in good years, smarter water management, and shared responsibility for water use between agricultural and urban users.

This story was originally published March 16, 2022 at 11:52 AM.