Should the state be able to take a farmer's nuts? Environmentalist think so even if a farmer owns a right to the water.
no one has taken anyone's water rights. no one has even talked about it.
Yeah, heard a Science Friday podcast on this last week. They said that none of this is really about anything other than ground water and how farms are just pumping like crazy and the drought is making this all a bid deal. A day or so after hearing the pod cast, I saw something on Bill Mahr(I know, I know. I hate the guy but found this topic when flipping through) where a local proff showed a ground water map from three yrs ago vs now and crap is looking bad.
The science friday podcast said that part of the problem is that investment groups are buying large plantation crops, pumping/watering like rough ridin' mad to make it as profitable as possible, and planning for to sell in the next few yrs, and how that is making it bad for family farmers who actually have to have a long term plan.

Seems like ground water rights needs to be addressed if the system is going to remain stable. Wasn't there a bid best practices type change in Ag right after the great depression to help prevent dust bowl type crap from happening again? Seems like that level of best practices should be being discussed right now. I am not saying they need to impose upon everyone right now, but it would be a good idea to have had the discussion and the beginning of a plan for if it is ever needed.