The Bureau of Reclamation has opted again to not send any water from its Central Valley Project to farmers in the central and southern valley.

Beatris Sanders with the Kern County Farm Bureau said the decision will impact local farmers that have contracts with the federal agency.

“A lot of our farmers will have to consider fallowing land again,” she said. “I know this is the second year in a row that they will not be allocating any water.”

Sanders says most county farmers have contracts with the State Water Project and will not be affected by the decision. Those farmers are receiving only 15 percent of the water they’re paying for, however.

Sen. Jean Fuller of Bakersfield said she was disappointed by the decision by the BOR. In a statement, she said the federal government is negatively impacting the lives of Californians by keeping the allocation at zero. She also said regulators need to do more to get water to people that need it.

Sen. Andy Vidak of Hanford voiced concerned about the allocation in a press release as well. He called it  “outrageous,” and also said state and federal bureaucrats are putting fish before suffering California families.

– Anthony Pollreisz