California Is Now Hitting Farmers Up To $10K (water violation) Fines Per Day

[usonian]

https://franknez.com/california-is-now-hitting-farmers-up-to-10k-fines-per-day/

August 31

California lawmakers approved significant increases in fines for water violations late Friday after ranchers defied state orders by pumping water from the drought-stricken Shasta River for eight days.

Previously, state officials imposed the maximum fine of $4,000, which amounted to about $50 per rancher, causing frustration among tribes and conservationists, per Cal Matters.

The Shasta River is crucial for salmon habitat, especially during California’s driest three-year period on record.

The new legislation, awaiting Governor Gavin Newsom’s signature, would double daily fines for minor violations and impose fines of up to $10,000 per day for those violating curtailment orders, along with an additional $2,500 for every acre-foot of water taken.

[Bobstandard]

1. Dont imagine this is little family farmers

The folks we’re talking abject are the Cargil levell operations that 10, 20 or 30 years ago gobbled up all the family farms specifically for their water rights. Their holdings now extend farther than the eye can see in the Central Valley, The Salinas Valley and everywhere your vegetables are grown.

After I made a little bit of money in Silicon Valley I bought as ittle piece of Ag land. If I had any idea how much money you could make in Ag, the right kind of ag, if never have done Silicon Valley

That’s why the hedge funds and investment funds are buying up all the ag lands. And underneath it all is water. They don’t give a shit about the fair distribution of water. They want it all.

[SunSeeker]

2. Some of these big farms get water really cheap with special water rights, so they don't give a shit about wasting it.

Glad we're cracking down on them.