A Battle for Survival |
Farmers Vs. Fish |
INTRODUCTION:
For the past 5 years, California has experienced a major crisis that affects the survival of both animal and human alike. There has been very little rain. Therefore, California is in a major drought. As the battle for water grew so did the clash between farmers in need water for their dying crops and the environmentalists, trying to save a dying fish specie. It wasn't until a recent event which brought the California drought problem to the limelight. On Friday, February 14, 2014, the California drought became a national media spotlight when Air Force One swooped into the parched dry farms in the Central Valley. After arriving at FAT (Fresno Air Terminal), President Obama quickly boarded a helicopter headed for Firebaugh, a small town 40 miles west of Fresno. As he toured the dusty farmland, he spoke to the farmers and media in the backdrop of a tractor and the brown parched dirt. Before he returned aboard his helicopter for FAT, President Obama proposed a $180 million in Federal Aid to help relief the farmers and workers affected by the drought. Even with Obama's Federal Aid proposal, California water problem is yet to be solved.
TASK:
You are going to read and research many sides of the water issue in order to have a better understanding of the severity and the challenges California is experiencing. You will need to understand California water system, the farmers' water rights, and the federal law that protected the endangered specie -mainly the Delta Smelts. At the end of the discovery, you will write a blog post taking a stand on the California farmer or the endangered Delta Smelts. PROCESS:
Here's your prompt: Should we let the water continue to flow into the Delta for the survival of the Delta Smelts or diverge it to the farmers for their thirsty crops? Write a minimum of three paragraphs stating your position and providing evidence to support that position. |
California Water StorySacramento/San Joaquin River DeltaEndangered Species Act 101Helpful articles: |