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Letters to the Editor

Westlands’ water-grown profits don’t trickle down to communities

Irrigated fields in the Westlands Water District border Interstate 5 and the parched Diablo Range beyond, west of Tranquillity on the Valley’s west side. Westlands is a formidable political force bent on keeping water flowing to agriculture.
Irrigated fields in the Westlands Water District border Interstate 5 and the parched Diablo Range beyond, west of Tranquillity on the Valley’s west side. Westlands is a formidable political force bent on keeping water flowing to agriculture. DAMON WINTER New York Times File/2015

The commentary “When feds dilly-dally on water, ag economy suffers,” complains about the uneven supply of water to the rich Westlands Water District.

The owners of the giant agribusinesses on the west side grow about $1 billion worth of crops each year. One of their biggest crops is almonds. It takes about one gallon of water to grow one almond. Seventy percent of the almond crop is exported overseas.

Unfortunately, profits are concentrated in a few land owners and do not trickle down to the surrounding countryside, which is one of the poorest in the nation.

Donald Tayloe, Fresno

This story was originally published May 13, 2017 at 12:54 PM with the headline "Westlands’ water-grown profits don’t trickle down to communities."

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