Imperial Valley Farmers Have Plentiful Water

Even though California is mired in a record-setting drought, Imperial Valley farmers find themselves with plenty of water, unlike farmers in the Central Valley. Why? Senior water rights:

While other areas — including the farm belt of the Central Valley — face immediate supply cutbacks, the Imperial Valley continues to have all the water it can use.
The valley is not connected to the State Water Project, which delivers water from Northern California. Its water comes directly from the Colorado River, which has continued allocations.
The valley's share is ensured by agreements among the seven states that depend on the river, starting with the 1922 Colorado River Compact.
In water law, one rule is supreme: "First in time, first in right."
As a result, Imperial County, with a population of 175,000, gets 3.1 million acre-feet of water a year. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, serving 19 million people, gets about 1.1 million acre-feet.
More than a century ago, the pioneer farmers of the Imperial Valley — many of them immigrants from Asia and Europe attracted by cheap land — braved blistering summer temperatures and barren ground. Through grit and ingenuity, they pulled water from the Colorado River years before the thirsty communities of coastal California looked eastward.
The drought is largely a rumor here, but one with ominous overtones: that outside forces with political clout might try to force the valley to sell some of its water, as was done a decade ago, or even try to take a portion.

It is often said that war is God's way of teaching Americans geography. I sort of feel like a drought or flood is God's way of teaching us about our water infrastructure. I've learned more in the last two mounths about agricultural regions of California, and the irrigation systems that supply them, then I had in my entire life before now. It would be nice to learn more about it without the drought pressing down on people out there.