(From the Sacramento Bee) The Obama administration is expected today to unveil an ambitious-sounding package of irrigation deliveries, water transfers, farm loan guarantees and other programs targeting the parched San Joaquin Valley. Crafted amid intense political pressure, the package is supposed to alleviate farmers’ distress while still protecting fish. Some key California lawmakers said late Thursday they were pleased by the effort, though others still want more detail.

“I’m heartened by this,” Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Thursday night.

The comprehensive package is expected to accompany what is normally a routine water allocation announcement, where the federal Bureau of Reclamation declares how much water farms and cities can expect. Last February, the bureau announced farmers south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta would receive nothing. That later increased to 10 percent of historic deliveries.

Read more here: Water package for parched San Joaquin Valley set to be unveiled