"Agency's Decision Could Expand Farmland In The Desert"

"Water from the Colorado River could transform several thousand acres of desert into farmland under a change in policy adopted by the Coachella Valley’s largest water district.

The Coachella Valley Water District’s board made the change in a contentious 3-2 vote Tuesday, approving new guidelines that allow for water from the Colorado River to be supplied in a larger zone than in the past. The decision has the potential to open up new areas to agriculture, pushing farmland farther outward along the dry fringes of the eastern Coachella Valley.

The policy shift reflects the valley’s unusual position as an area that is set to receive increasing volumes of water from the Colorado River in the coming years under a 2003 water transfer deal."

Ian James reports for the Palm Springs Desert Sun July 13, 2016.