Late this afternoon, Gov. Schwarzenegger issued a statement touting the release of 100,000 acre-feet of water to "aid Central Valley farms."

The water, the statement notes, is a loan from the state water system to the federal system, which is used by West side farmers

"We are taking quick action to deliver water to those who need it most," the governor said.

Turns out the release won't boost the amount of water already allocated to farmers, Valley water officials said.

"This is a very common occurrence that the state loans water, typically in the heat of the summer," said Sarah Woolf, a spokeswoman for the Westlands Water District. "We've never had a press release on this issue before, so this was highly unusual."

Incidentally, the statement was released the same day the governor made an appearance in Fresno. In previous trips the governor has taken heat from farmers seeking more water.

Lisa Page, a spokeswoman for the governor, said "it's a total coincidence" that the statement was released the same day as the Fresno trip. She said the governor's office just wanted to share the information as soon as they got it.

"It is important because they do need the water now," she said.