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Letter to the Editor: Stop ‘Blatant’ Kings River Water Grab

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Photo of a big rig crossing a bridge on Highway 99 over the Kings River
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The Kings River is the primary surface water source to Fresno, Kings, and Tulare counties – including numerous disadvantaged communities.

Semitropic Water Storage District is seeking to divert precious Kings River water toward Southern California.

If successful, this blatant water grab will devastate our agriculture industry and dozens of disadvantaged communities in Fresno County. California leaders must reject this shameless attempt to deprive some of our poorest communities of the right to safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water.

As the assessor of Fresno County, I am very familiar with the impact this attempted diversion of water will have on the county’s farm values. I strongly oppose Semitropic’s petition to revoke the Fully Appropriated Stream Status of the Kings River.

Let’s protect our communities and stop this water grab.

Paul Dictos, CPA

Fresno County Assessor-Recorder