Kings County will likely lose $44.8 million in agricultural production because of a lack of water this year, according to preliminary estimates from the agricultural commissioner's office. The ripple effect on the county's economy is estimated to be $134.4 million because of the multiplier effect of lost wages and businesses indirectly tied to agriculture.

Even $134.4 million is understated, because it doesn't include cropland that is receiving limited water supplies.

The agricultural commissioners office says it will likely ask for a disaster declaration this summer. Such a declaration would make financial assistance available to affected farmers.

Preliminary numbers show 45,000 acres being taken out of production, most of it on the county's dry western side.

The Westside is largely dependent on surface water from the federal Central Valley Project and the State Water Project, both of which have dried up to a fraction of their normal allocation.

Central Valley Project users, which include dozens of Kings County farmers in the Westlands Water District, are getting about 10 percent of normal deliveries this year.

State Water Project users, which include a few irrigation districts in southwestern Kings County, are getting 30 percent of their allocation.

The reason for the cutbacks is a third consecutive year of drought combined with endangered species-related pumping restrictions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, where the massive pumps that send project water south are located.

Kings River water users, which include farmers in the central and northeastern parts of the county, are expected to receive about 75 percent of their normal supply.

The crisis in delta deliveries has led Kern County to seek a disaster declaration for an estimated $600 million in damages to the local economy.

Forty thousand acres are expected to go out of production there, with another 48,000 acres stressed by limited water supply, said Loron Hodges, Kern County Water Association manager.

Kern is worse off because it uses far more Central Valley Project and State Water Project water than Kings does.

Still, supervisors here have been worried enough about the water issue to continuously declare a drought emergency since June 2007.

KIngs continues to seek help at the state and federal level to ease its water crunch, said Larry Spikes, county administrative officer.

The reporter can be reached at 583-2432.

(May 7, 2009)