California’s Water Supply Should Keep Valley Farmers Afloat This Summer

Farmers in California’s Central Valley are confident that there will be enough water for this summer’s crops, thanks to two years of robust rainfall and a plentiful Sierra snowpack. It’s welcome news for Californians working in agriculture, especially after the state has survived several years of on-and-off drought. For the Sierra snowpack, which helps supply water to the valley through sources like the Kings River and Pine Flat Dam, the 2024 rainy season brought a “surprisingly average” year, as one University of Utah expert put it. More than 250 crops are grown in the 400-mile stretch of valley floor in California, including 40 percent of the nation’s fruits and nuts, according to the California Water Science Center....