Some lawmakers in the U.S. state of California want to use taxpayer money to buy out farmers. A proposal in the state Senate would spend up to $1.5 billion for their “senior water rights.” That would permit farmers to take as much water as needed from the state’s rivers and streams to grow their crops. If state officials owned those rights, they could leave the water in the rivers to aid endangered salmon and other fish. California has faced severe lack of water for most of the last 20 years. Lawmakers want to more closely examine the state’s complex water system to see how it might be changed to ensure continual supplies during especially dry periods. A separate state proposal would pay farmers to grow fewer crops to save water. Currently, about 98 percent of the state has severe drought conditions. Summer months in California rarely produce any major rainfall. Many areas have begun restricting water use for homeowners. And farmers have had their water supply from the two major state-owned water systems reduced or, in some cases, completely shut off. Legally, all the water in California is the property of the government. But farmers have “water rights” that let them take water for agriculture. Farmers have used those rights to turn California’s Central Valley into a major agricultural center. The area provides much of the nation’s fruits, nuts and vegetables. California now has a record budget surplus of nearly $100 billion. The $1.5 billion proposal to buy senior water rights would involve either buying the land connected with the rights or buying just the right itself. Lawmakers could also require that the water be used for fish and other animals and plants.
Title: California Wants to Buy out Farmers to Save Water
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5554/A15.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='California Wants to Buy out Farmers to Save Water' data-article-id='6153'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='9750'>Some lawmakers in the U.S. state of California want to use taxpayer money to buy out farmers.</span> <span data-start-time='9750' data-end-time='20125'>A proposal in the state Senate would spend up to $1.5 billion for their “senior water rights.”</span> <span data-start-time='20125' data-end-time='30667'>That would permit farmers to take as much water as needed from the state’s rivers and streams to grow their crops. </span> <span data-start-time='30667' data-end-time='41313'>If state officials owned those rights, they could leave the water in the rivers to aid endangered salmon and other fish.</span> <span data-start-time='41313' data-end-time='48604'>California has faced severe lack of water for most of the last 20 years. </span> <span data-start-time='48604' data-end-time='64167'>Lawmakers want to more closely examine the state’s complex water system to see how it might be changed to ensure continual supplies during especially dry periods. </span> <span data-start-time='64167' data-end-time='71292'>A separate state proposal would pay farmers to grow fewer crops to save water.</span> <span data-start-time='71292' data-end-time='78250'>Currently, about 98 percent of the state has severe drought conditions. </span> <span data-start-time='78250' data-end-time='83688'>Summer months in California rarely produce any major rainfall. </span> <span data-start-time='83688' data-end-time='89229'>Many areas have begun restricting water use for homeowners. </span> <span data-start-time='89229' data-end-time='101271'>And farmers have had their water supply from the two major state-owned water systems reduced or, in some cases, completely shut off.</span> <span data-start-time='101271' data-end-time='107875'>Legally, all the water in California is the property of the government. </span> <span data-start-time='107875' data-end-time='114646'>But farmers have “water rights” that let them take water for agriculture. </span> <span data-start-time='114646' data-end-time='123792'>Farmers have used those rights to turn California’s Central Valley into a major agricultural center. </span> <span data-start-time='123792' data-end-time='130646'>The area provides much of the nation’s fruits, nuts and vegetables.</span> <span data-start-time='130646' data-end-time='137854'>California now has a record budget surplus of nearly $100 billion. </span> <span data-start-time='137854' data-end-time='150521'>The $1.5 billion proposal to buy senior water rights would involve either buying the land connected with the rights or buying just the right itself. </span> <span data-start-time='150521' data-end-time='158688'>Lawmakers could also require that the water be used for fish and other animals and plants.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5554/A15.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=18695 data-hint-location='0' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5554/which_of_the_following_is_a_definition_of_the_word_farmer.wav'>Which of the following is a definition of the word farmer?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5554/a_person_engaged_in_agriculture_raising_living_organisms_for_food_or_raw_materials.wav'><span>a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5554/a_man_in_relation_to_his_child_or_children.wav'><span>a man in relation to his child or children</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5554/a_small_human_statue.wav'><span>a small human statue</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5554/a_type_of_low_wooden_sofa_that_can_be_unfolded_for_use_as_a_bed.wav'><span>a type of low wooden sofa that can be unfolded for use as a bed</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=18696 data-hint-location='130646' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5554/roughly_how_large_is_californias_budget_surplus.wav'>Roughly how large is California's budget surplus?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='$100 billion'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5554/100_billion.wav'><span>$100 billion</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5554/100_trillion.wav'><span>$100 trillion</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5554/100000.wav'><span>$100,000</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5554/10000.wav'><span>$10,000</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=18697 data-hint-location='123792' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5554/the_area_provides_much_of_the_nations_fruits_nuts_and__blank_.wav'>The area provides much of the nations fruits, nuts and <span class='blank'>vegetables</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='vegetables'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5554/vegetables.wav'><span>vegetables</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5554/veterinarian.wav'><span>veterinarian</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5554/volumes.wav'><span>volumes</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5554/gestures.wav'><span>gestures</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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