Skip to main content

Water Restrictions Divide California Residents

Mandatory water restrictions enacted by California Gov. Jerry Brown have caused tension between growers who are exempt from cutbacks and homeowners who feel they are being asked to bear too much of the burden.

Republish
Gerald Cole, owner of Organicare Farms in Taylor, checks his kale plants. The vegetables are grown using aquaponics, a system in which waste matter from fish in tanks is broken down and used as nutrients for the plants.
Credit: Leslie Boorhem-Stephenson

Mandatory water restrictions enacted by California Gov. Jerry Brown have caused tension between the state's growers who are exempt from cutbacks and homeowners who feel that they are being asked to bear a disproportionate share of the burden. The state's farms and ranches, which consume 80 percent of the water used in the state, are the leading source of produce in the U.S., but agricultural losses are increasing as the drought continues. (Bloomberg)

Texans need truth. Help us report it.

Independent Texas reporting needs your support. The Texas Tribune delivers fact-based journalism for Texans, by Texans — and our community of members, the readers who donate, make our work possible. Help us bring you and millions of others in-depth news and information. Will you support our nonprofit newsroom with a donation of any amount?

Yes, I'll donate today

Information about the authors

Learn about The Texas Tribune’s policies, including our partnership with The Trust Project to increase transparency in news.

Explore related story topics