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Emergency water transfer deals may help Central Valley farmers

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 2, 2008 at 6:14 am

From the Fresno Bee:

Pumping of groundwater into the California Aqueduct in the Westlands Water District has already begun, and the state’s Department of Water Resources today announced there will be additional sources of water for the State Water Project.

The additional water “will help alleviate pressure on permanent crops,” said Sarah Woolf, a spokeswoman for the Westlands Water District, where rationing is under way. “But it’s not going to change the situation in which crops were walked away from.”

DWR is lending 37,000 acre-feet from the San Luis Reservoir, Metropolitan Water District is making 25,000 acre-feet available by deferring deliveries until later in the year, and 50,000 acre-feet will be groundwater put in the aqueduct to be transferred to areas without adequate groundwater.

DWR is also providing funds to step up conservation efforts statewide (from the Central Valley Business Times):

In addition to the water transfers and exchanges, DWR says it will expedite $12 million in grants to water agencies and non-profit organizations to be used for water conservation activities including rebate programs, public education and outreach, leak detection, and retrofit of systems for greater water efficiency.

Of the $12 million, $2 million is earmarked for disadvantaged communities and $10 million for other agencies and organizations.

To help communities finance new investments in water management funding DWR has awarded $6.4 million in grants to 31 public agencies. The money will help pay for development of groundwater management plans and programs, installation of groundwater monitoring wells, studies of groundwater basins, development of groundwater models and data storage systems, and other actions to enhance groundwater management and usage throughout California.

DWR and the State Water Resources Control Board will also award up to $58 million to four Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) efforts, including $6 million to the Kings River Conservation District in the Central Valley.

Read coverage from the Fresno Bee by clicking here; you can find the full text of the Central Valley Business Times by clicking here.

July 2, 2008 · Filed Under Agriculture, Drought, Weather & Snowpack, Water Transfers