The state has confirmed a $73 million water sale from a San Joaquin Valley farm water district to a Southern California water district -- which might eventually eliminate 2,500 acres of almond trees near Kettleman City.

The sale is bound to cause some anxiety in farm country. Many fear that farmers will sell their water to Southern California for millions of dollars and leave huge tracts of land barren.

The Dudley Ridge Water District in the southwest corner of Kings County sold 14,000 acre-feet of water to the Mojave Water Agency in San Bernardino County, according to the California Department of Water Resources.

The $5,250 per acre-foot is many times more than farm water usually costs. An acre-foot is about 326,000 gallons, or a 12- to 18-month supply for an average Valley family.

The allotment is part of the State Water Project, which is separate from the federal Central Valley Project. Like the federal water for west-side farmers, the state's river water comes from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

Who are the players?

The landowners are the Sandridge Partners, based in the Bay Area. The Sandrige Partners would continue to farm the 2,500 acres as water becomes available, but the group could also fallow the acreage.