Valley farmers are losing their water rights

As the valley drought continues, water rights dating back more than 100 years are getting cut.

One hundred and fourteen senior rights holders are on notice from the state. Those farmers can no longer divert water. They also can’t release any from their storage. If they don’t follow the rules, they could face fines of up to  $ 1,000 a day. Many farmers fear they could lose everything.

With California’s rivers running low, the new restrictions are forcing farmers in the state’s central valley to make difficult choices.

"It’s going to be a devastating thing. We got 125 employees who work for us, they’re all going to be out of work. We’ve got crops that are in the ground growing right now, if they cut off the water, they’re all going to die," Paul Simone said. 

Simone is a vegetable farmer who gets his water from an irrigation district that is one of California’s senior rights holders, with legal claims on water dating back more than a century. Now those senior rights holders are being told to stop diverting river water immediately.

"This is a day from hell!," he said.

And it’s not just farmers. With sprinklers running and new homes still under construction, the Mountain House Community, just south of Stockton California, gets its water from the same irrigation district and could soon see its main water source cut off.

Faraz Haider is one of 12,000 people who live here.

"I honestly am at a loss of words, I cannot comprehend what to do," he said.

"This is like using a bulldozer when you need a scalpel," Steve Knell said. 

Knell manages another irrigation district which is being forced to find a new way to supply 2,900 farms without using river water. This year alone California’s agriculture industry is expected to lose $ 1.8 billion and more than 18,000 jobs because of the drought.

Lawsuits are already in the works.

Carter Evans, reporting.