California IN BRIEF : SACRAMENTO : U.S. May Cut Water to Farms by 50%

In one of the bleakest official forecasts since the drought of 1977, federal officials announced that water deliveries will likely be cut by half to agencies serving more than 20,000 farms from Redding to Bakersfield. The potential cuts, mostly agricultural, include water destined for two densely populated counties in the Bay Area--Santa Clara and Contra Costa--where about 3 million people live. The annual forecast of water availability was made by the Bureau of Reclamation, which provides water to farms through more than 300 local water districts and contractors. Last year, federal officials made similar predictions, but heavy rainfall and replenishment of the mountain snowpack in March eliminated the need for cuts.