WATER CRISIS NEWS CONFERENCE IN FRESNO
Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin addresses a Fresno City Hall news conference May 15, objecting to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s decision to supply the San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors with water released from Friant Dam rather than alternative sources where supplies are available. “We can’t stand by and let this precedent be set that will place our water in jeopardy in future years,” the Mayor said. Fresno is the Friant Division’s largest urban user but, like other Friant contractors, will receive no Central Valley Project water this year. Among those joining Swearengin were (FROM LEFT) Friant Water Authority Chairman and Orange Cove Irrigation District President Harvey Bailey, City of Orange Cove Mayor Gabriel Jimenez, FWA General Manager Ronald D. Jacobsma and Orange Cove Irrigation District Engineer-Manager Fergus Morrissey. Jacobsma told reporters that Friant is without water because of the growing regulatory environment. He pointed out in a worse water year — 1977 — Friant users had a 25% Class 1 supply. Now, Reclamation is releasing Friant water for downstream senior water rights holders and Friant users are receiving no project water at all. “That’s not the Exchange Contractors’ fault; it’s the broken system that we have.”