Dealing with the deluge: There's so much water, some agencies are giving it away. Rice and tomato farmers, however, wait for a dry spell.

Byline: Jim Downing

Apr. 22--Sometimes California's water gods give, and sometimes they take away. This spring, they're doing both, as far as Central Valley farmers are concerned. The state's network of reservoirs and aqueducts are overflowing with a bonanza, always a good sign for irrigation-dependent farms. On the flip side, heavy spring rains have caused delays and damage, particularly in the Sacramento Valley, and yields for some crops are already suffering. In Yolo County, a state of disaster was announced Friday afternoon, citing an estimated $14 million loss to the county's third-largest crop, alfalfa. But first, happier news.

There's so…