Some are labeling the battle in California's Central Valley over farm water as "fish vs. human." But this is really much more complicated than that bumper sticker explanation. The federal Endangered Species Act plays a huge role but there's also the third year of a drought to consider, as well as other competing interests, such as Southern California cities that want more water from state and federal sources.
On this hottest Sunday of the summer so far, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar came to the heart of California's farm country to defend the Obama Administration's role in diverting farm water to environmental uses. He tried to take the pressure off the administration with a water action plan.
It includes assigning a high-ranking aide to help find solutions to the state's water problems, and saying he wants to direct $160 million in Recovery Act funds for the federal Central Valley Project, which manages the dams and canals that move water around the state.
We'll see if that satisfies the farmers in the San Joaquin Valley. But don't count on it. Complaining about conditions is part of a farmer's DNA.
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