Confusion Reigns Over California Water Rights As Farmers Go Without Water For The First Time In A Century

TRACY (CBS13) — As confusion reigns among California's oldest water rights holders, some farmers are now without water for the first time in a century.

Some senior water rights holders claim the State Water Resources Control Board's cutbacks aren't mandatory at all, while the state says that's not the case.

Farmer Mario Arnaudo took CBS13 cameras past his fields that are green for now to something that seems surreal.

"This is the last of the water right here," he said.

For the first time in more than a century of family farming, this Tracy ranch has no water.

"For 101 years there's been water flowing through that canal," he said.

The Byron-Bethany Irrigation District turned off the pumps on Wednesday, abruptly stopping the flow of water to dozens of farms like Arnaudo's. The district is one of more than 100 senior water rights holders cut off by the state.

Arnaudo fears layoffs and crop losses are next.

"Pretty soon, it's all gonna turn brown and die," he said.

From his muddy, drying canal, he can see the aqueduct that supplied his water just a day before. The supply is tantalizingly close, but frustratingly out of reach.

"All that water right there goes through, all goes to LA and we can't take any of it," he said.

The last few days have been chaos.

On Tuesday, water districts seized on a document written by state lawmakers describing curtailments as "merely an advisory notice." They argue it contradicts what the state originally said.

Jeff Shields with the South San Joaquin Irrigation District describes the situation as mass confusion.

"The attorney general in their court filing that these were not compulsory filings that they were voluntary, that they were simply courtesy notices and not orders," he said.

However, the state water board came out on Wednesday with a statement reaffirming that curtailments must be followed, warning that violators could face $1,000 daily fines.

Farmers like Arnaudo are caught in the middle of what is shaping up to be a lengthy legal battle.

"It just all depends on Mother Nature," he said.

Some farmers with cash crops like almonds will be able to buy water, but Mario says water's 30 times more expensive than normal, and he can't afford it.