“If you eat a green salad between Thanksgiving and April, whether in Minnesota, Montreal or Modesto, odds are good some of it was grown in or around Yuma [Arizona],” says the Los Angeles Times in a story about the competing demands for water that drain the Colorado River. “Nearly 40 million people in seven states depend on the river, a population some forecasts say could nearly double in the next 50 years.” Growers in the Yuma region have senior rights to water from the river and are well aware of forecasts that there will not be enough water for everyone during a multi-year drought, or in the decades ahead.
Some researchers say it’s only a matter of time before agriculture is forced to yield some of its supply to the cities – and that growers could benefit financially. “That kind of talk is rattling farmers in Yuma. They know they have water priority but not necessarily political priority,” writes William Yardley.
Under a 1922 compact, California would not face cutbacks if a water shortage is declared. Arizona would face steep cuts, except for the Yuma area, where farming was established long ago, says the Los Angeles Times. The 150,000 acres of irrigated cropland around Yuma are entitled to 1 million acre-feet of water, or 7 percent of annual allocations. Growers say they have become more efficient water users over the years and play an important role in providing winter produce for Americans.