California's Proposed Water Plan Could Devastate Farms, Local Officials Say

A water war is brewing in California's Central Valley, pitting residents, farmers and even conservation groups against the state.  The proposed plan would take even more water away from the region's residents and crops; new plans call for40 percent of the San Joaquin River's water to be sent out to the ocean so threatened species of fish, like salmon and steelhead, can have a chance to thrive again.  But that plan would double the amount of water used to save these fish, and local officials are disgusted to think that this much water could be sent out to the sea, flowing right past a parched state.  In addition to losing important water, the new plan would also prevent groundwater reserves from being refilled as frequently, and some parts of Central California are already sinking as a result of the depleted supply.