VISALIA, Calif. — As Washington was abuzz Friday over the release of a classified memo, Democrats and Republicans were up in arms over its allegations. And right in the middle was Devin Nunes, a Republican representative in California and the memo’s chief architect.

Here in his home district, a conservative farming region in California’s Central Valley, Mr. Nunes remains wildly popular and his constituents, by and large, greeted the memo, and their congressman’s role at the center of it, with a collective shrug. The memo, which has incited a political firestorm, accused the F.B.I. and Justice Department of abusing their surveillance powers at the start of the investigation into possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Instead, everyone wanted to talk about water, or more precisely, the lack of it.

“He listens, and he really took on the water issue, which is a big fight here,” said Tom Pinkham, 47, a plum farmer.

And speaking of water, Mr. Pinkham, a Republican, said of Mr. Nunes: “No one thinks for one second that he’s carrying water for Trump. He’s for less government. A no B.S. guy. That’s it.”