Rich Kreps, pistachio grower and chairman of the American Pistachio Growers Board, is calling attention to California’s mismanagement of water resources, especially on the west side of Fresno. Speaking with AgNetWest, Kreps criticized decades of unfulfilled promises and failed infrastructure projects meant to bolster water storage.
“It’s awful,” Kreps said. “We keep paying for water storage—like we did back in 2018—but the money keeps getting diverted to projects that never materialize.”
Kreps highlighted the state’s push to tunnel under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta as a misguided effort, arguing that without actual water storage, such a project is meaningless. He also pointed to environmental mismanagement, including issues with Delta smelt and sewage flushing, as signs of a deeply flawed narrative around California’s water crisis.
“Water storage would mean more water for farms, homes, recreation—and it would even support clean energy and air conditioning demands as we move toward electrification,” Kreps said. “It’s a win-win-win.”
As climate pressures mount, Kreps’ comments underscore the urgency of real, actionable solutions—not just talk and tunnel projects.
Rich Kreps’ full interview with Nick Papagni, “the Ag Meter”, can be heard here.