Unprecedented Water War In San Joaquin

Westlands deal cites untested 57-year-old statutes to seek a third of San Joaquin's flow.

1 minute read

August 20, 2000, 10:30 AM PDT

By Laura Kraft


A new Mason-Dixon line runs down the middle of the San Joaquin Valley where a historic civil war erupted this month between east and west agricultural titans over water for crops worth more than $4 billion annually. It's unprecedented warfare for the San Joaquin River, and the loser could wind up with large chunks of farmland supporting tumbleweeds instead of cotton or grapes.

Thanks to Laura Krafft

Sunday, August 20, 2000 in The Fresno Bee

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