Irrigation, Drainage Were Costly, Report Says
Poor drainage and other problems connected to irrigation practices and water supply on farmland west of the San Joaquin River have led to a sharp shrinking of the local economy, according to a report by Fresno County economic development agencies.
The study, Jobless After a Man-Made Drought, found that about 750 farm jobs -- and $6 million in related annual wages -- were lost in the Westlands Water District between 2001 and 2003.
Farmers had to abandon tens of thousands of acres after long-term irrigation with poor drainage resulted in lands too tainted with minerals to be farmed.
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