In the southwest corner of California lies one of the most crucial areas for the state in terms of water. Thousands of farmers use this area known as the Imperial Valley in order to support healthy agriculture to part of the country. The Valley has had the right to millions of gallons of water from the Colorado River every year, most of the water used by the farmers for irrigation. However, as a result of major population growth, cities in Nevada and Arizona that did not usually fully use their share of water (allowing California to use the surplus,) are now much bigger in population and are demanding their legal share from the Colorado River. In July, the Bush administration restricted California to its legal water share of 4.4 million acre-feet per year, and among the 3.85 million acre-feet used for agriculture, the Imperial Valley uses the largest amount. Since California is now restricted to only their share of the Colorado River water, the metropolitan areas of Southern California have had to frantically negotiate for enough water the supply the cities. This has sent the state of California and other states among the lower basin into a massive war over the very substance that brought millions of Americans to settle in the dry land in the first place. .
Recently, San Diego and the Imperial Valley have proposed a deal to transfer part of the Imperial Valley's share of water (around 3.1 million acre-feet per year, more than the entire state of Arizona) to San Diego. The Imperial Valley would receive $2.5 billion in exchange for transferring seven percent of its water to the ever thirsty city of San Diego. The Imperial Valley has been criticized numerous times about its poor water management and wasting of water. Through water conservation methods, the same amount of water given to San Diego could be saved, thus remaining an equal balance for both the Imperial Valley and the city of San Diego.
