Farmers in California’s federal water districts - such as the West Side’s Del Puerto District along the I-5 corridor - face another summer of trying to grow crops with barely a trickle of irrigation water.

The federal government’s initial water forecast for the year, released Friday, allocates 5 percent of normal water deliveries for the federal districts - with the caveat that, given some conditions, the allocation could be increased to 30 percent.

That’s far from certain, though, for farmers and entire communities in the agriculturally-rich San Joaquin Valley who rely on federal water as their lifeblood.

Local growers, who received only 10 percent of their normal allocation last year, said the water forecast shows that fish are still being favored over farmers as pumping restrictions through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta continue to restrict the flow of water from northern reservoirs to growers south of the delta.

“It’s pretty bleak,” said Gustine farmer Steve Bell. “It is really discouraging right now.”

Not everybody will be suffering from sharply reduced water allocations.

The massive Central California Irrigation District, covering 150,000 acres from Mendota to Crows Landing, will receive a full water allocation because of its favorable exchange contract, said General Manager Chris White.

Those with land in neighboring federal districts have no such protections.

“It did not surprise me that they came out with the 5 percent, but I am extremely disappointed,” said Jim Jasper, president of Stewart & Jasper and a member of the Del Puerto Water District Board of Directors. “The caveat is that they are dangling a carrot of what could happen in the next two or three months with the rains and the snowpack. They are saying it could get up to 30 percent, but we’re not assured of that. I think there will be some increases, but what that will be is hard to determine.”

Even 30 percent of a normal allocation translates into less than one acre-foot of water per acre, Jasper noted. He said almonds require up to four feet of water each year.

“Thirty percent would be helpful, but for the long term is not going to keep the West Side of the San Joaquin Valley productive,” he stated.

The timing of increases in allocation is also crucial to growers, Jasper told Mattos Newspapers, because farmers must plan and obtain financing on known factors - not water that they might possibly receive.

“You have to plant your crops and have your contracts for what you are growing,” he commented. “People are trying to get financing, and banks don’t like to be on the 11th hour.”

Bell and Jasper agreed that the water allocations reflect both the strength of environmental concerns and the politics involved in the complex issue.

“A 5 percent allocation is a sad situation in light of the rains that we have gotten and the snowpack in the Sierras, which is well over 100 percent of average. The Endangered Species Act is raising havoc with water districts south of the delta,” Jasper commented. “In my opinion, this is the political arena at its finest. Our water situation is so political. In an election year, all the politicians are trying to remain in office or get elected, and they’re trying to appease every voter there is.”

White said he understands the frustration of federal district growers whose livelihood is jeopardized.

Shasta Reservoir, White said, could possibly “fill and spill” within the next 10 days - but the delta pumping restrictions effectively bottleneck the delivery of water south through the delta.

“It is a conveyance issue,” he stated.

Bell said he is not counting on the 5 percent allocation increasing.

“We’ll just farm fewer acres using whatever water we have available,” he commented. “Being row crop farmers we can fallow ground. It’s not like the guys with permanent crops such as almonds can do that.”

Last year, some West Side orchards in federal districts were left to wither as growers concentrated their precious water to save more productive trees.

It is not a cycle which agriculture can long endure.

“It is very difficult to grow a crop without water,” Jasper reflected. “We need something that lets us know there is going to be a future for West Side agriculture.”