Trump Visits Bakersfield to Sign New Water Rules

Trump Visits Bakersfield to Sign New Water Rules

Tim Hammerich
Tim Hammerich
News Reporter
With California Ag Today, I’m Tim Hammerich.

President Trump visited Bakersfield to sign his administration’s new rules altering how federal authorities decide who gets water and how much. He shared the stage with several farmers and leaders including Kern County Farmer Jenny Holtermann.

Holtermann… “I'm proud to be a fourth generation California farmer, married to a fellow fourth generation California farmer. I was raised by strong parents who showed me the farming lifestyle, taught me the importance of conserving our resources and the necessity of water to grow our food. Today, it is not uncommon to find three generations on our family farm daily. However, because of the uncertainty of water deliveries, I'm worried that we may not have a family farm to pass down to my children or my niece or nephew. As an almond farmer, we can't just follow acres in years with less water. Orchards require consistent irrigation and without a reliable water supply, hundreds of thousands of acres of farm land could be taken out of production of California's central valley. Families like mine could be forced to abandon orchards or sell a family farm. I want to thank our president for cutting regulations and supporting the American farmer.”

Holtermann said almond producers have used science and technology to be 33% more water efficient and she would like to see the states water infrastructure handled the same way.

Despite opposition from California leaders like Governor Newsom, the plan will give water agencies more authority to pump water out of the state’s rivers.

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