Water diverted from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta irrigates an estimated 4.5 million acres of some of the most fertile and productive farmland on earth. California's Central Valley alone supplies 45 percent of the fruits and vegetables grown in the entire United States. This incredible productivity, which places the state of California among the top agricultural countries in the world, would not be possible without a reliable quantity of Delta water.

The federal Central Valley Project and the California State Water Project were constructed to access this valuable water supply. As a result, the state's economy has bloomed, with total farm receipts in 1995 of $22.1 billion.

In addition, every dollar earned on the farm generates an additional three dollars of income in farm-related industries, such as packing, food processing, trucking, tools, machinery, motor vehicles, fertilizers and chemicals, real estate, wholesaling, and retailing. Farming and its related industries provide nearly one out of ten jobs in California.

While agriculture is dependent on soil and weather conditions, it remains the state's most reliable industry. The demand for food and fiber will always be present. That is why it is important that land and water remain available for farming. The Delta plays a vital role in supplying water for California's farms, which in turn produce our food.

California's Crops