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our team of scientists, engineers, policy experts, lawyers and computer programmers pores over government data, legal documents, scientific studies and our own laboratory tests to expose threats to your health and the environment, and to find solutions. Our research brings to light unsettling facts that you have a right to know.

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Water Subsidies

Research Content

Throwing Good Money at Bad Land

» Read more... | Published September 28, 2010

Power Drain

Big Ag's $100 Million Energy Subsidy
The electricity used in one year to move water around the CVP would power all of the homes in Chico for more than 18 months and costs customers more than $100 million.
» Read more... | Published May 29, 2007

Soaking Uncle Sam

Why Westlands Water District's New Contract is All Wet
A few hundred farms in Fresno and Kings counties get enough water to supply every household in Los Angeles, at pennies on the dollar.
» Read more... | Published September 14, 2005

Double Dippers

How Big Ag Taps Into Taxpayers' Pockets - Twice
» Read more... | Published August 3, 2005

Virtual Flood

Feds Promise Big Ag Water That Isn't There
The federal government has promised California agribusinesses it will increase the amount of taxpayer-subsidized irrigation water by 44 percent over the next 25 years, well beyond what the state's infrastructure can reliably supply.
» Read more... | Published March 17, 2005

Taking from the Taxpayers

How the Bush Administration Gave Subsidy-Rich California Farmers a $17 Million Christmas Bonus
» Read more... | Published February 10, 2005

California Water Subsidies

Large agribusiness operations - not small family farmers - are reaping a windfall from taxpayer-subsidized cheap water
At a time when California water is scarce and expensive, taxpayers guarantee Central Valley farms an abundant and cheap supply through a subsidy worth up to $416 million a year, according to an Environmental Working Group (EWG) investigation that calculated, for the first time, federal water subsidies to each of more than 6,800 farms in the Central Valley Project (CVP).
» Read more... | Published December 15, 2004