Building Drought Resilience News Reporter With California Ag Today, I’m Tim Hammerich. Water issues continue to be the most pressing threat to many of our state’s farmers and ranchers. Here are a few updates courtesy of the California Farm Bureau Federation. With farmers plowing under crops and removing trees due to water shortages, irrigation districts are trying to find supplemental supplies. Districts on the west side of the Central Valley face the prospect of receiving no water from a federal project. A gubernatorial drought declaration intends to streamline water transfers. Water district officials say transfers could “play a key role” this summer, but won’t prevent significant agricultural losses.