Friday’s top of the scroll: Westlands Water District suing feds for $1 billion
Posted by: Maven on February 3, 2012 at 8:55 amFrom the Fresno Bee:
“Westlands Water District is suing the federal government for $1 billion, claiming the Interior Department failed to deliver a court-ordered cleanup of salty irrigation drainage.
About a dozen years after an appellate court upheld the cleanup order, bad water trapped below the ground surface still slowly poisons west Valley farmland. The swath of compromised land is two-thirds the size of Los Angeles.
“We’re tired of waiting,” said Westlands general manager Thomas Birmingham. “We’ve been paying for drainage service for decades. The land is sustaining irreparable harm.”
The suit was filed last month in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C. Interior officials declined comment on pending litigation. … “
Continue reading from the Fresno Bee by clicking here.
Central Coast: Ag runoff center of water quality debate
Posted by: Maven on February 3, 2012 at 7:20 amFrom the Salinas Californian:
“Everyone on the Central Coast seems to want cleaner water but can’t agree on how to get it.
That message was clear at a public debate on water quality Wednesday night at Salinas City Hall. The Central Coast Water Quality Control Board forum came in advance of a March 15 hearing in San Luis Obispo, where the board will consider controversial agricultural runoff rules, known as the agricultural order. The board heard comments and asked questions, but did comment as they will at next month’s hearing. … “
Continue reading from the Salinas Californian by clicking here.
California citrus growers grapple with water issues
Posted by: Maven on January 31, 2012 at 8:12 amFrom The Packer:
“California citrus growers are not dealing with the drought conditions that have hit South Texas, but they have been dealing ever-tightening restrictions on water use.
“It’s becoming more onerous, in terms of water availability,” said Andrew Brown, a grower and director with the Exeter-based California Citrus Mutual. “We’ve been more fortunate here on the east side of the valley, where most of the citrus belt is served by the Central Valley Project.”
Brown said a lot of regulatory involvement is unnecessary.
“There’s some groundwater regulations on the horizon that are going to be very onerous for all growers,” Brown said. … “
Continue reading from The Packer by clicking here.
Southern California: Winter shaping up to be a dry one; causing problems for area’s dryland farmers
Posted by: Maven on January 30, 2012 at 7:15 amFrom the Riverside Press-Enterprise:
“The consequences of this winter’s lack of rain are plain to see on Dennis Blehm’s family-owned farm in Hemet, where the wheat crop has sprouted, turned brown and withered over the crusted soil.
“I’d say in 10 days, we’ll lose our seed. It’s sprouted, it’s grown, it’s going to die,” said Blehm, whose harvest is sold to mills for flour, bread, dog food and other products. “There’s only about 2 inches of moisture in the ground and we need 6 to 10 inches.”
Blehm is a dry-land farmer, relying strictly on rainfall instead of irrigation. This year has so far been a low spot in an up-and-down business, one of many that rely on the weather for their profit. … “
Continue reading from the Riverside Press-Enterprise by clicking here.
California Farm Bureau Federation seeks more political clout
Posted by: Maven on January 28, 2012 at 8:12 amFrom the Capital Press:
“The Golden State’s largest farm organization wants to boost political fundraising this year to increase agriculture’s clout in Sacramento.
California Farm Bureau Federation president Paul Wenger sent a letter to the group’s 30,000 members urging more donations.
The organization now spends between $300,000 and $500,000 a year on political activity, Wenger said. He’d like to see it gather as much as $30 million annually to keep pace with teachers’ unions, prison guards, environmental groups and other powerful interests. … “
Continue reading from the Capital Press by clicking here.
San Joaquin Valley: After giving crops a midwinter drink, canals to empty once more
Posted by: Maven on January 25, 2012 at 7:19 amFrom the Modesto Bee:
“Irrigation canals will start to shut down this week after temporarily providing critical relief because of this winter’s late-arriving rain.
Water deliveries will end Thursday in the South San Joaquin Irrigation District, which had started them Jan. 15.
The Modesto Irrigation District plans to supply water through Friday, ending a 2½-week run. The Turlock Irrigation District plans to go through Saturday, a total of 10 days.
The Oakdale Irrigation District will continue to make its large wells available to farmers until the regular irrigation season starts, if needed. … “
Continue reading from the Modesto Bee by clicking here.
Water debate renewed after Fresno State report
Posted by: Maven on January 24, 2012 at 8:58 amFrom the Modesto Bee:
“Some would argue that the work of farmers is about done when it comes to saving water in California.
They point to a recent report estimating that new conservation efforts would trim a mere 1.3 percent from total water use.
Others still see plenty of wasted water — as much as a sixth of the farmers’ supply — that would be better used to restore rivers.
Farmers and environmentalists have renewed the debate over water conservation in light of a new report from the Center for Irrigation Technology at California State University, Fresno. … “
Continue reading from the Modesto Bee by clicking here.
It takes alfalfa to make ice cream
Posted by: Maven on January 22, 2012 at 7:59 amFrom the Imperial Valley Press:
“When Khaled Bali looks at ice cream he thinks about alfalfa.
The connection is not quite clear for some people, said Bali, irrigation adviser and director of the Imperial County Cooperative Extension. Alfalfa feeds cows, which produce the milk used to make ice cream people consume, he said with a grin.
The agency Bali leads works in conjunction with the University of California Desert Research and Extension Center, which this year is celebrating its centennial. … “
Continue reading from the Imperial Valley Press by clicking here.
RELATED:
- 100 years of desert research, from the Imperial Valley Press
- 100 years of agriculture research, from the Imperial Valley Press in the e-edition; requires a subscription :(
Journal article: Modifying agricultural water management to adapt to climate change in California’s Central Valley
Posted by: Maven on January 21, 2012 at 7:42 amFrom the Stockholm Environmental Institute:
“Climate change impacts and potential adaptation strategies were assessed using an application of the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) system developed for the Sacramento River basin and Delta export region of the San Joaquin Valley. The authors applied the model to evaluate the hydrologic implications of 12 climate change scenarios as well as the water management ramifications of the implied hydrologic changes.
In addition to evaluating the impacts of climate change with current operations, the model also assessed the impacts of changing agricultural management strategies in response to a changing climate. Model simulations suggested that increasing agricultural demand under climate change brought on by increasing temperature will place additional stress on the water system, such that some water users will experience a decrease in water supply reliability.
To adequately address the impacts of climate change, adaptation strategies will have to include fundamental changes in the ways in which the water management system is operated.”
Click here for the link to the journal article.
Don Curlee: Water transfers are nothing new
Posted by: Maven on January 20, 2012 at 7:55 amFrom Don Curlee at the Hanford Sentinel:
“Borrowing and lending irrigation water between farmers is a historic practice in California that has spilled over to include urban and industrial water users as well.
When radical environmentalists and other water watchdogs get wind of water being transferred out of agricultural use, they tend to hit the panic button. In other words, they look long and hard for somebody to sue, preferably somebody with deep pockets.
But in the agricultural community, transferring water from one user to another is really little more than neighborliness. Nobody seems sure when the practice began, but those who have tried to trace it have found evidence as far back as the early 1900s. … “
Continue reading Don Curlee’s column at the Hanford Sentinel by clicking here.
New tool for cleaning up soils and waterways in the San Joaquin Valley: Prickly Pear
Posted by: Maven on January 18, 2012 at 6:23 amFrom the USDA Agricultural Research Service:
“A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientist has discovered what may be an effective tool for cleaning up soils and waterways in parts of California’s San Joaquin Valley: a drought-tolerant cactus.
Ancient seas once covered the west side of the valley, and those seas left behind marine sediments, shale formations and deposits of selenium and other minerals in the soil. Crops grown there need to be irrigated, but the resulting runoff, when it contains high levels of selenium, can be toxic to fish, migratory birds, and other wildlife that drink from waterways and drainage ditches. Selenium runoff is subject to monitoring by regional water quality officials.
Soil scientist Gary Bañuelos with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) thinks he has found a promising way to rid the soil of selenium: planting prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica). … “
Continue reading from the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service by clicking here.
Conservation tillage jumps in Central Valley
Posted by: Maven on January 18, 2012 at 6:21 amFrom the Central Valley Business Times:
“Central Valley farmers, especially those in the San Joaquin portion of the Valley, are switching to conservation tillage at a furious pace an annual survey of farmers finds.
The increase is good news for the Central Valley, as the region continues to struggle with a sluggish economy and some of the dirtiest air in the countrym says the organization Sustainable Conservation.
Between 2008-2010, Central Valley farmers switched to conservation tillage on nearly 1 million acres used to grow row crops like corn and wheat silage according to a new study published Tuesday by an alliance of university, farming and environmental leaders. … “
Continue reading from the Central Valley Business Times by clicking here.
SEE ALSO: Low-till agriculture gets its day in California, from the Merced Sun-Star
Monday’s top of the scroll: El Dorado joins Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino in fish-friendly farm effort
Posted by: Maven on January 16, 2012 at 7:02 amIt’s a rather light news day today, given the holiday. Since many readers have the day off, I’ll be posting the wrap-up tomorrow. From the Sacramento Bee:
“El Dorado County is adopting Fish Friendly Farming.
The concept has nothing to do with trout farms or other aquaculture.
It’s about growing farm crops and raising cattle in ways that keep surrounding streams and rivers clean.
El Dorado County farmers, the local resource conservation districts and a Napa-based nonprofit have banded together to establish a program in the foothills that – until now – had mostly been used near the wine-growing areas of Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino. … “
Continue reading from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.
Column: Report confirms water efficiency
Posted by: Maven on January 13, 2012 at 6:46 amFrom the Hanford Sentinel, this column by Don Curlee:
“It took 80 pages to do it, but the Center for Irrigation Technology has shown that California farmers are using irrigation water with extreme care and efficiency.
The scientific objectivity and indisputable evidence of its careful analysis are causing some of agriculture’s perennial detractors to lash out in bitter response. Much of the reaction is coming from those who have contended, apparently mistakenly, that the state’s farmers are water wasters.
In California, water is a precious commodity and becoming more valuable every day as population increases and demands for water accelerate. California agriculture is irrigated agriculture, dependent on surface and groundwater for sustenance. … “
Continue reading Don Curlee’s column at the Hanford Sentinel by clicking here.
Dry start to winter means early start for crop irrigation
Posted by: Maven on January 11, 2012 at 8:33 am
From the California Farm Bureau Federation:
“Calling it rare but necessary, olive grower Jeff Aguiar is applying a winter irrigation to his 350-acre grove. Dry weather has prompted Aguiar and other California farmers with trees and vines, as well as winter crops like wheat, to call on local irrigation districts for water deliveries.
“I’ve been irrigating the past couple of days,” Aguiar said last week. “The way January is starting out, it looks like this month will be dry, also. It’s pretty rare to have to irrigate this early in the year.”
Aguiar called last year’s olive crop a near disaster and said he’s hoping for a good crop this year. Given the dry weather, he said he can’t leave soil moisture to chance. … “
Continue reading from the California Farm Bureau Federation by clicking here.
Commentary: Farmers can convert a water crisis into an opportunity
Posted by: Maven on January 11, 2012 at 7:43 amFrom the California Farm Bureau Federation, this commentary by Futurist Richard Worzel:
“The looming shortage of fresh water is not unique to California—it’s rapidly going global. This will be seen by many as a major problem, but California farmers have the opportunity to turn it into a significant advantage if they play it properly.
There are seven major factors contributing to coming water shortages, and they will have differing levels of effects on California farmers … “
Continue reading this commentary at the California Farm Bureau Federation by clicking here.
YouTube: Working with farmers to decrease Nitrogen pollution
Posted by: Maven on January 7, 2012 at 8:42 amFrom the Environmental Defense Fund, posted at YouTube:
“Farm policy expert Suzy Friedman partners with farmers to solve an age-old dilemma and protect water quality.”
Merced-area’s farmers not panicking yet over dry winter
Posted by: Maven on January 5, 2012 at 7:43 amFrom the Merced Sun-Star:
“A dry start to the winter season has many California growers concerned, but Merced County farmers may have reason to remain optimistic. Fear of another drought remains real, but many think it’s not quite time to panic.
“The one thing that makes our situation better than, say, Fresno County, is our irrigation districts,” said University of California Cooperative Extension adviser Scott Stoddard. “Potentially (a dry year) could be detrimental to us, but because we had a wet winter last year and because of our superior irrigation on the west side, this year it looks like the county will be OK for water.” … “
Continue reading from the Merced Sun-Star by clicking here.
Central Valley farmers to get early water delivery
Posted by: Maven on January 5, 2012 at 7:40 amFrom the Modesto Bee:
“Farmers starved for rain this winter soon will get water from canals that usually shut down for the season.
The Modesto and Turlock irrigation districts are preparing to refill their canals with Tuolumne River water and deliver it to farmers for perhaps two weeks. The water will help dairy farmers grow winter feed crops, and fruit and nut growers get their trees ready for bloom in late winter and spring.
“It’s been dry for so long, and they need to get a good start,” said Ron Macedo, a Turlock-area almond grower and TID board member. … “
Continue reading from the Modesto Bee by clicking here.
After dry months, farmers hope for a rainy January
Posted by: Maven on January 4, 2012 at 8:31 amFrom the California Farm Bureau Federation:
“Except for some early autumn rains, the lack of precipitation so far this season has disappointed California farmers and ranchers looking for a repeat of the healthy 2011 water year that officially ended the state’s drought.
Farms and fields have not received much of a soaking in the last two months, and while California’s rainy season isn’t over until it’s over, farmers agree the late fall/early winter dry spell makes them nervous.
“It’s not good, but it’s not a train wreck yet,” said Lawrence Dwight, a cattle rancher in Humboldt County.
He noted that in a more typical year, his region would have gotten about 6 inches of rain by the end of December but had received only about half an inch. He said how the season shapes up from here on out will determine his hay production in the spring. A bigger concern at the moment is the scarcity of water in stock ponds, which should be overflowing right now, he said. … “
Continue reading from the California Farm Bureau Federation by clicking here.
Water crisis growing on California’s Central Coast
Posted by: Maven on January 4, 2012 at 7:48 amFrom the Western Farm Press:
“When Californians talk about living or working “on the water,” it’s likely referring to the state’s 840-mile coastline.
However, the infinite blue Pacific Ocean might as well be a desert to those who call the Central Coast home where fresh water is becoming as scarce as a flock of snow geese in the Sahara.
A trio of water purveyors from three areas of the coast: Monterey County, the Santa Maria Groundwater Basin and the city of Paso Robles, detailed legal and environmental issues resembling an octopus’s tentacles challenging their respective areas to at least maintain rapidly depleting water supplies. … “
Continue reading from the Western Farm Press by clicking here.
Water works: Monticello Dam key to agricultural success
Posted by: Maven on January 2, 2012 at 8:05 amFrom the Davis Enterprise:
“To look at Lake Berryessa, it’s not obvious. But a little research reveals that Yolo County actually has its own Atlantis.
Today, the Monticello Dam provides approximately tens of billions of gallons of water yearly, distributed by the Solano Irrigation District, to areas in and around Napa and Solano counties.
Lake Berryessa is a popular recreational destination, providing opportunities for hiking, water sports, weekend picnicking and more.
Sometimes, though, when the water levels in the lake drop, the foundations of an old city are visible. … “
Continue reading from the Davis Enterprise by clicking here.
Irrigation water concerns cloud prosperous almond industry
Posted by: Maven on December 30, 2011 at 7:57 amFrom the Western Farm Press:
“Mark Turmon was raised on his family’s Thompson seedless raisin vineyard in Fresno County near Caruthers, Calif., and like many of his peers moved down a different farming path in adulthood to California almonds.
Turmon today grows 1,600 acres of almonds on the West Side of the San Joaquin Valley and hulls, shells and markets almonds worldwide from growers throughout the central San Joaquin Valley.
Such vertical integration means that he and his partners can control the quality of the almonds and improve efficiencies along each step of the way, from planting the trees to getting paid for delivering the final product. What he like best about this business, though, is the farming. … “
Continue reading from the Western Farm Press by clicking here.
Water, water everywhere: Harvesting winter’s rain to keep summer’s soil moist
Posted by: Maven on December 22, 2011 at 7:37 amFrom the Chico News & Review:
“In the heat of mid-July, Brian Ladwig-Cooper of Gaia Creations Ecological Landscaping scooped away some packed-down mulch that filled an earth basin that he had dug in his yard. He then stuck his hand into the ground.
“It was still moist, and the water hadn’t been on at all,” Ladwig-Cooper recalled. The basin—a large hole dug out of the ground and stuffed tightly with twigs, sticks and leaves—was the dead end of a trench (also stuffed with mulch) that connected the basin to the downspout of the house’s gutters. Fruit trees, five feet away from the basin and more than 50 feet away from the house, received enough gutter water from the winter rains to stay irrigated into the middle of summer.
The trench and basin are flush with the landscape. This is Gaia Creations’ permaculture version of rainwater harvesting: no barrels, no pipes, no expensive equipment—just slight alterations of the landscape that anyone can do with a shovel. … “
Continue reading from the Chico News & Review by clicking here.
Impact of climate change on agriculture: UC Riverside scholar co-edits timely handbook on the subject
Posted by: Maven on December 20, 2011 at 7:32 amFrom the University of California Riverside newsroom:
“When climatic patterns shift, the spatial distribution of croplands, habitats and fish populations soon follows, significantly impacting agriculture and food production. For example, droughts, floods and storms frequently kill livestock and damage crops, and impact world market prices and food availability.
Ariel Dinar, the director of the Water Science and Policy Center at the University of California, Riverside, and Robert Mendelsohn at Yale University have co-edited a “Handbook on Climate Change and Agriculture” (Edward Elgar Publishing Inc., December 2011) that explores, as its title suggests, the interaction between climate change and agriculture.
With contributions from international scholars, the handbook analyzes a variety of topics, including direct agronomic effects, economic impacts on agriculture, agricultural impacts on the economy, agricultural mitigation, and farmer adaptation. The authors argue that climate change is likely to have a large impact on agriculture around the world; this impact would be manifest through changes in temperature, precipitation, concentrations of carbon dioxide, and available water flows. … “
Continue reading from the University of California Riverside newsroom by clicking here.
California agriculture gets good news in water poll
Posted by: Maven on December 20, 2011 at 7:31 amFrom the Western Farm Press:
“A recent poll that indicates California voters favor spending public tax monies to upgrade and modernize the state’s water supply system is good news for farmers, according to the state’s largest farm water organization.
“Even after two years of normal rainfall that followed several years of drought and water delivery cutbacks to farmers and urban water users alike, California voters recognize the need to improve our water supply system,” said Mike Wade, executive director of the California Farm Water Coalition. The organization represents more than 5 million of the 8 million irrigated acres in California. … “
Continue reading from the Western Farm Press by clicking here.
Modesto-area water coalition notes progress: Clean groundwater next for group of farmers in area
Posted by: Maven on December 17, 2011 at 7:25 amFrom the Modesto Bee:
“Modesto-area farmers noted success in reducing stream pollution this year while girding for a tougher effort on groundwater.
The East San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition reported on monitoring this year of 14 waterways. The monitoring is funded by the farmers who make up the group.
The report, released Wednesday, shows continued progress on keeping pesticides, fertilizers and sediment out of creeks, rivers and man-made channels, coalition leaders said.
“You guys are really stepping up,” said Mike Johnson, the Davis-based consultant who manages the testing. “The water is getting a lot cleaner.” … “
Continue reading from the Modesto Bee by clicking here.
Work of Kings Basin Water Authority praised by Pacific Institute as example of good management
Posted by: Maven on December 15, 2011 at 8:41 amFrom the Hanford Sentinel:
“The Kings Basin Water Authority doesn’t usually grab the spotlight.
But this week it was singled out by the Pacific Institute, a Bay Area water-use think tank, for doing what might be the most important work at all: bringing water interests to the table that are normally at each others’ throats.
The water authority, which covers a good chunk of Fresno, Tulare and Kings counties, has developed something called an “Integrated Regional Water Management Plan.” … “
Continue reading from the Hanford Sentinel by clicking here.
Putting farmland on a fertilizer diet
Posted by: Maven on December 15, 2011 at 8:35 amFrom National Public Radio:
“The U.S. Department of Agriculture released a document yesterday that got no attention on the nightly news, or almost anywhere, really. Its title, I’m sure you’ll agree, is a snooze: National Nutrient Management Standard.
Yet this document represents the agency’s best attempt to solve one of the country’s — and the world’s — really huge environmental problems: The nitrogen and phosphorus that pollute waterways.
There’s a simple reason why this problem is so big, and so hard to solve. Farmers have to feed their fields, before those fields can feed us. Without fertilizer, harvests would dwindle. But lakes, estuaries, and coastal waters lie downstream from highly fertilized farmland, and now they are choking to death on too much nutrition. … “
Continue reading from National Public Radio by clicking here.
Ranchers say proposed EPA water safety rule poses threat
Posted by: Maven on December 14, 2011 at 8:54 amFrom the Fresno Business Journal:
“Area cattle and poultry ranchers, dairy owners and other large factory farm owners worry that a proposed Environmental Protection Agency water safety rule goes too far and actually poses a security threat.
The new rule would require more information to be supplied to the EPA including the location of each large factory farm, also known as a concentrated animal feeding operation. Ranchers insist that for security reasons, locations of concentrated animal feeding operations must be kept confidential. … “
Continue reading from the Fresno Business Journal by clicking here.
Valley Economy blog: Westlands has lowest fallowing in a decade in 2011 while Mendota sets unemployment record (according to CA EDD)
Posted by: Maven on December 13, 2011 at 7:54 amFrom the Valley Economy blog:
“Thanks to this year’s abundant precipitation, Westlands’ 2011 crop report shows harvested acres increased by 139,000 acres compared to 2009 (and about 70,000 acres higher than 2010). This is the highest level of harvested acres reported by Westlands Water District since 2000. Cotton increased by more than 70,000 acres with lower increases in wheat, onions, garlic, lettuce, almonds, and pistachios. The increased production undoubtedly provided an economic boost to the area.
Despite the increased farm production, according to California EDD, Mendota’s unemployment rate averaged a record 42.3% in the first 10 months of 2011, but don’t expect any news reports on this shocking statistic despite the fact that unemployment is 4.5 percentage points higher than the 38.7% recorded during the 1st 10 months of 2009 in the peak of the water/unemployment media frenzy. … “
Continue reading from the Valley Economy blog by clicking here.
As global population grows, water matters more
Posted by: Maven on December 13, 2011 at 7:29 amFrom NPR:
“Clean, fresh water is an essential element to life — not only do people and animals depend on it, but it also sustains many businesses and agriculture. The majority of the fresh water used worldwide goes to irrigation, and the need is expected to rise with the growing global population.
…
NEAL CONAN, HOST:
This is TALK OF THE NATION. I’m Neal Conan. We’re broadcasting today from the Grosvenor Auditorium at National Geographic in Washington, D.C. Clean, fresh water is essential to life. People, animals depend on it. So do businesses and industry and agriculture.
Some parts of the world already suffer from scarcity, and as we continue to drink and wash and utilize it and eat – especially eat – reserves are dwindling. Do we have enough to feed seven billion and counting? … “
Continue reading from NPR by clicking here.
Delta National Park blog: The multiple functioning bypass
Posted by: Maven on December 9, 2011 at 8:19 amThe Delta National Park blog follows up the previous post with this:
“I began the blog with the intention of staying focused on the Delta. But in my discipline, understanding the limits of a problem depends on knowing its extents. Staying focused requires good peripheral vision.
This is the only way to begin to understand interrelationships in a complex natural and cultural ecology. And to imagine possible solutions. That is why the Grasslands Bypass Project was so intriguing, since it seemed a promising hybrid of remediation and production, at least it did in my imagination.
Legal issues and facts are part of this ecology. Mike Wade provided a record that pretty convincingly answers the legal question of whose responsibility it is to “provide drainage services” to the owners of the salt-laden land he represents. It seems that responsibility falls to the alternately despised and depended upon government. … “
Continue reading from the Delta National Park blog by clicking here.
Pacific Institute: New success stories and interviews on agricultural water stewardship show sustainable water management
Posted by: Maven on December 8, 2011 at 8:25 amFrom the Pacific Institute:
“Farmers throughout California are adopting more sustainable water management practices. The Pacific Institute has released five new case studies and four new video interviews, adding to their California Farm Water Success Stories series showing how agricultural water stewardship practices are at work on-the-ground, at the farm and irrigation-district level. Now all twelve case studies and eight interviews are available online at www.pacinst.org/reports/success_stories.
In addition, the Pacific Institute and other members of the California Roundtable on Water and Food Supply have launched a new interactive database and map, featuring innovative and effective efforts around California to improve on-farm and regional water management. The interactive database and map is available on the California Agricultural Water Stewardship Initiative site at www.agwaterstewards.org and contains more than 30 case studies – including the Pacific Institute’s success stories – and is searchable by location, production type, irrigation method, and stewardship practice.
“Farmers, irrigation districts, and local organizations are finding innovative ways to protect water quantity and quality, saving energy and saving money, augmenting stream flows, and storing water for inevitable dry periods,” said the Pacific Institute’s Dr. Juliet Christian-Smith, a member of the Roundtable. “To claim it can’t be done, or that there isn’t more we can do, just doesn’t make sense. These case studies show how, and are a great practical resource for growers and water managers.”
Peer-to-peer education, a cornerstone of the case study database, is one of the main ways farmers get the information to inform their decision-making. Dave Cavanaugh, owner of a nursery in the Pajaro Valley foothills, says: “If farmers look at the questions, there are things that might make sense to them that wouldn’t to engineers and hydrologists.”
The new Pacific Institute case studies illustrate:
- effective water management through regional efforts (Groundwater Management in the Pajaro Valley and Integrated Regional Water Management Planning in the Kings Basin);
- the advantages of volumetric water pricing (Alta Irrigation District);
- how strong collaborations can lead to water quality improvements (Oakdale Ranch); and
- how a range of rainwater capture, re-use, land management, and drip irrigation can transform urban agriculture (Sustainable Water Management for Urban Agriculture).
“With diminishing water supply and future uncertainty from climate change, figuring out the best ways to manage our scarce water resources will be increasingly critical,” said Christian-Smith. Presenting these new case studies is part of the Pacific Institute’s ongoing analysis of successful examples of sustainable water policies and practices, demonstrating how innovative growers and irrigation districts are already beginning to move California toward more equitable and efficient water management and use. Such viable alternatives to traditional approaches can help California meet current and future water management challenges.
Based in Oakland, California, the Pacific Institute is a nonpartisan research institute that works to create a healthier planet and sustainable communities. Through interdisciplinary research and partnering with stakeholders, the Institute produces solutions that advance environmental protection, economic development, and social equity – in California, nationally, and internationally. www.pacinst.org
Farmer-funded water research criticized
Posted by: Maven on December 7, 2011 at 8:15 amFrom the Central Valley Business Times:
“A paper released in November by Fresno State University’s Center for Irrigation Technology and paid for at least in part by Central Valley farmers and the Bureau of Reclamation, is being criticized by scientists on the other side of the water allocation question.
The earlier report concluded that farmers have nearly exhausted conservation methods of agricultural use of irrigation water in the Central Valley and only new supplies of water will stave off economic disaster. … “
Continue reading from the Central Valley Business Times by clicking here.
Peter Gleick: Transcending old thinking about California agricultural water use
Posted by: Maven on December 5, 2011 at 8:10 amFrom Peter Gleick at the City Brights blog:
“The debate about water use in California agriculture is stuck in a 30-year-old rut; relying on outdated and technically-flawed thinking that is slowing statewide efforts to meet 21st century challenges. This is exemplified by the recent release of a study authored by researchers at the Center for Irrigation Technology (CIT) and funded by a Sacramento-based farm lobby group (the California Farm Water Coalition) and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The CIT study uses old theories of water-use efficiency to argue that the potential to improve efficiency of water use in California agriculture is tiny. If the authors of the study are right, the only options for saving water in California agriculture would be to dramatically change crops or to take a considerable amount of agricultural land out of production – which would be bad news for our farming communities, our economy, and our environment. The good news is that they are wrong.
A newly published peer-reviewed article in the journal Water International examines the flaws in these old arguments and comes to exactly the opposite conclusion – there is great untapped potential to increase the productivity of California agriculture while reducing water and energy use, reducing serious water-quality contamination in the Central Valley, and increasing the reliability of water supplies during droughts and other water shortages. … “
Continue reading from Peter Gleick at the City Brights blog by clicking here.
Central Coast water quality compliance costly: Study shows impact to ag worth millions locally
Posted by: Maven on December 2, 2011 at 7:33 amFrom the Monterey County Herald:
“Implementation of proposed water quality rules for farms would mean a $60million to $87 million hit on the local economy, said a study commissioned by farmers.
The money would be lost from factors including decreased tax revenue, vanished jobs and income from agriculture-related industries, said the study by J. Bradley Barbeau, an assistant professor of economics and entrepreneurship at CSU Monterey Bay, and Kay Mercer, an agriculture consultant from San Luis Obispo County.
The study was paid for by the Grower Shipper Association of Central California.
Farmers have organized in opposition to rules proposed by the state Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board. … “
Continue reading from the Monterey County Herald by clicking here.
Here’s a few more stories on salmon eggs and ag water conservation ….
Posted by: Maven on November 29, 2011 at 8:00 amIn a story that continues to reverberate around the internet, the AP picks up the salmon eggs story as does MyMotherLode.com. Also in boomerang mode, here is another story on the latest report on agricultural water conservation.
California farms are looking greener than ever: With prices for many crops near all-time highs, farm income is expected to post strong gains this year
Posted by: Maven on November 29, 2011 at 7:37 amFrom the Los Angeles Times:
“As Californians savor their Thanksgiving feasts, the states’ farmers are especially thankful. California’s agriculture sector is on track for a record year, a rare bright spot in the state’s economy.
Prices for cotton, grapes and other crops are near all-time highs. Foreign buyers are gobbling California almonds, grapes, citrus and dairy products. Agricultural exports through September are up 16% over the same period last year. Net farm income is projected to post strong gains in 2011 after nearly doubling over the previous decade.
At a time when other Golden State industries are struggling, times are good down on the farm. Just ask Steve Moore. … “
Continue reading from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.
Ag conservation not the key to solving California’s water woes
Posted by: Maven on November 28, 2011 at 7:47 amFrom Dairy Herd Management:
“California has been spared from drought this year, but the state’s water problems are far from over.
As rural and urban interests compete for a finite water supply, agricultural interests could find themselves on the short end of the stick, especially if it is perceived that farms aren’t using water as efficiently as possible.
But a new report refutes the notion that if farmers would just conserve more water, large new supplies would open up for the rest of the population. … “
Continue reading from Dairy Herd Management by clicking here.
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