The Modesto Bee ran a story on July 7, 2008 about the economic and social changes in the towns of Mendota and Firebaugh which have been brought on by a lack of irrigation water ~~
http://www.modbee.com/local/story/352161.html
However, Mendota and Firebaugh are towns that border the Westlands Water District. Their water issues are deeper than this year's drought.
On the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, a hard layer of subsurface clay keeps irrigation water from draining efficiently. In the 1980's, naturally-occurring salts began to build up in the soils of the Westlands Water District. Tiles were installed beneath the soil to collect the water and the San Luis Drain was built to transfer the salty irrigation water away from areas served by the Westlands Water District and deposit the water in Kesterson Reservoir near Gustine. Unfortunately, the water contained large amounts of selenium which caused deformities in birds and livestock there. Consequently, farmland in western Fresno County was taken out of production, the water ceased to flow into the Grasslands and a 100-year flood cleaned up the area.
Well, this project is back. The Bureau of Reclamation wants to treat the water and resume pumping treated irrigation water into the Kesterson area. The link to the feasibility study issued this month follows.
http://www.usbr.gov/mp/sccao/sld/docs/sldfr_report/index.html
Click on the map to enlarge. Click on the title of this post for more information.
