Food News
From: Russ Parsons, Los
Angeles Times
You know how the rest of the
country likes to make fun of California, but how much would they miss us if we
were gone? You can certainly bet the weeping and wailing would be off the charts
at dinner time.
According to the latest
statistics compiled by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the
state produces almost half of all the fruits, nuts and vegetables grown in the
country, as well as a whopping share of the livestock and dairy.
Coalition response...Russ Parsons does an excellent job explaining the importance of
California food production. Both he and The Times should be commended for this
more realistic look at the work farmers do to use water efficiently and grow
the fresh stuff we all love to eat.
Drought
From: Joe Mathews, San Diego
Union-Tribune
Yes, we're in a drought, but
there's still good reason to break out the sand bags: to protect ourselves
against a flood of conventional media wisdom about California water.
As legislators and voters debate
proposals for water infrastructure and bonds, TV stations have already declared
that we're in a "Water War." And you are probably reading, again and
again that water, as much as anything, divides California.
That is entirely backward. Water,
more than anything, unites California.
Coalition response... While encouraging efforts to develop local water supply and improve
management is important, so too is planning for the future. Preparing for
California's future may not be easy, or even conflict-free, but it's a process
we must undertake, and soon. Our state-wide water system has done more than the
engineers who designed it could have hoped for. Their foresight, coupled with
our ongoing innovation has provided us with the ability for twice the
population to call California home; to grow our industry; and to provide fresh,
locally grown and raised produce, fruit, nuts, grains, and dairy that are the
envy of the world - at a lower cost than in any other developed nation.
The Governor's water action plan
includes conservation, recycling, new storage, local projects, ecosystem
restoration and improved methods for moving water from areas of abundance to
areas of need. No single strategy will meet all of our future needs.
The generations ahead deserve a
California prepared for tomorrow's challenges. If that means conflict -
some conflicts are worth having.
Water Storage
From: J. Paul Hendrix, Visalia
Times-Delta
Tulare Irrigation District has
proposed a new reservoir at McKay Point, near Lemon Cove and Woodlake, to
provide new water storage, flood control and more efficient distribution of
water for agriculture.
The McKay Point project, proposed
to be located north of the separation of the Kaweah and St. Johns rivers, is a
joint venture of property owners Tulare Irrigation District, the Consolidated
Peoples Ditch Company and the Visalia & Kaweah Water Company. The reservoir
is expected to take about 120 acres of the jointly owned 500 acres.
Regulations
From: Dennis Pollock, Western
Farm Press
Water - or actually the lack
thereof - came close to saturating the agenda at an educational tailgate
meeting presented by the San Joaquin Valley Winegrowers Association in Madera.
The meeting opened with reminders
that the clock is ticking for growers to join coalitions to comply with state
regulations on surface and ground water. It quickly evolved into talk of how to
manage vineyards and water delivery systems in a year when water is in short
supply.
From: Alex Breitler, Stockton
Record
State water cops approved rules
Wednesday that will result in higher costs for thousands of San Joaquin County
farmers, with the goal of reducing polluted runoff draining into already
degraded streams.
The unanimous vote by the Central
Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board formalizes what have been described
as the most significant new rules many farmers will have ever seen. The rules
allow farmers to join coalitions instead of being individually regulated - an
alternative that would likely have been more expensive.
Groundwater
From: Staff, California Farm
Water Coalition
The California Farm Water
Coalition is hosting a regional meeting on groundwater. Presentations
include:
Future of Groundwater Management
in the Sacramento Valley - What changes are ahead for groundwater use in
California?
David Guy, Executive Director,
Northern California Water Association
What to Expect from Coming
Groundwater Regulations
Bob Reeb, Reeb Governmental
Affairs
When: Thursday March 20, 2014 from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM PDT
Where: Fresno Irrigation District
2907 S. Maple Avenue
Fresno, CA 93725
Register to attend by clicking here.
Meetings
From: Staff, PPIC
California's latest drought
highlights the need to improve how we manage and pay for our precious water
resources. At this half-day event, participants will discuss where California's
water finance system is failing, how we might fill the gaps, and whether
significant reforms are needed to enable our water resources to support a
healthy economy, society, and environment. This event follows the release of a
new PPIC report, Paying for Water in California.
[Download the New PPIC report:
Paying for Water in California by clicking here.]
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