But that target seems only to have angered both sides in the debate. Environmental groups say it’s too low; farmers and leaders in the valley say it would cripple their economies.

“You are the grim reaper,” Assemblyman Adam Gray, whose district includes Merced, told members of the board at one of a series of public hearings in the San Joaquin Valley this month.

“Water is life in this region, and you appear to have no other purpose than to take that life away.”

No matter the final shape of the plan, state officials acknowledge it will have major consequences for wildlife, businesses and jobs. (The state has estimated a $64 million hit to the farming economy; agricultural leaders say it would be much higher.)

“We’re dealing with this very complex puzzle,” said Felicia Marcus, chairwoman of the water resources board. “There’s no sweet spot here.”

Image Tractors lined a street in Merced after farmers held a rally in protest of the Bay-Delta plan this month. Credit... Merced County Farm Bureau

At the public hearing in Merced this month, a standing-room-only crowd showed up to hear from the board and voice their concerns. Outside, about 30 tractors paraded through the streets in protest with signs that read: “Farmers Fed-Up.”