Yerington farmers get half the water they were expecting

The drought has already had a dramatic impact on farmers in the Smith and Mason Valleys, but this year it is going to be even harder to make a living. The state agency that controls ground water in the area decided Tuesday to cut each farmers allocation in half.

On wet year most farmers rely on water from the Walker River, but with little to no snow in the mountains this year there will likely be no water in the river. Ground water is the back-up water supply, but this year even that is being reduced.

At Peri & Sons Farms in Yerington, their livelihood depends on growing crops and growing crops depends on water.

"It's the blood in the farmers veins, if you do not have water, you can not grow crops," said David Peri, President of Peri & Sons Farms.

During the last three years of drought, Peri and other farmers in the Mason Valley have been relying on ground water to water their crops. Sadly, relying too much on ground water has caused a problem.

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