News articles and links from July 31, 2014

Water Use

OPINION: Why almonds cover California From: Carolee Krieger, San Francisco Chronicle    California produces more than 80 percent of the world's almonds, accounting for an export gross of more than $2.5 billion. Almonds, in short, are a profitable crop. But there's a big problem with these new plantings in the San Joaquin Valley. Almonds are thirsty. California's almond orchards use almost 9 percent of the state's agricultural water supply, or about 3.5 million acre feet. That's enough water to supply the domestic needs of the Los Angeles Basin and metropolitan San Diego combined - about 75 percent of the state's population. Coalition response... Krieger seeks to portray farmers as a villain, but despite her efforts, the fact is California's farmers just don't fit the part. California's 80,000 farms are almost all (96%) family run businesses, & almond farmers are no different. Growing almonds in the San Joaquin Valley actually does make a lot of sense, & they have been grown there for more than 100 years. The San Joaquin Valley is one of the few places in the world where good soil & a favorable climate have come together to allow for incredibly efficient production of a crop the markets demand. Almond farmers have invested heavily in tailoring their farms to grow almonds. From the equipment they buy to the skills they practice, this focus on specialization ensures they are the best at what they do. Far from being a water-wasting crop, almonds are as efficient as the row crops once extensively criticized by environmentalists. The real villains for Krieger this time seem to be the countless professional scientists, engineers, hydrologists, policy professionals, & water managers who came together to find ways to mend what was truly a broken water system during our last major drought with the Monterey Agreement. The agreement is truly that, an understanding that brought diverse parties together. It increased flexibility in water storage, improved urban access to more secure water supplies, & reduced the red tape involved in transferring water where needed. In addition, it arranged for a trade. In exchange for precious water rights, the local, public agencies responsible for daily coordination of water deliveries took over control of the Kern Fan property owned by DWR. These local experts would later turn that property into what is now part of the successful Kern Water Bank.

Other News

Drought

How California Farmers Are Dealing With the Drought   From: Alan Bjerga, Bloomberg Television Bloomberg's Alan Bjerga reports on California's drought and how different areas of the state are dealing with it. He speaks with Mark Crumpton on "Bottom Line."

Running On Empty: Our Epic Drought From: Staff, CBS LA, KNX 1070 [Below are a series of food and agriculture related radio segments being run on KNX in Los Angeles.  Click the link above to browse the full list of segments. You can follow the conversation on twitter: #KNXDrought] Running On Empty: Ice Cream Running On Empty: Food Prices Running On Empty: California Grocers Association's Dave Heylen Running On Empty: Who's Watching The Water? Running On Empty: Two Farmers

West's drought leads to rising prices, shrinking lakes   From: Paul Vercammen, CNN With water sources drying up, farmers are looking for underground springs to support their livelihoods. Steve Arthur works in California's San Joaquin Valley, drilling for water wells on drought-ravaged farms and ranches. "It's just going crazy; people are starting to panic," said Arthur, the owner of Arthur & Orum Well Drilling Inc.

Groundwater

EDITORIAL: Stanislaus County officials finally responding to water crisis From: Staff, Modesto Bee This week, Stanislaus County's leaders and officials have shown more initiative, more compassion and more willingness to help residents than we've seen since the start of our drought and ensuing groundwater crisis.

Groundwater Depletion in Colorado River Basin Poses Big Risk to Water Security From: Sandra Postel, National Geographic Let's step back for a minute and consider the implications of the study released last week on the depletion of groundwater in the Colorado River Basin. For anyone concerned about the future of the American West, the findings of this study - which was published online in the journal Geophysical Research Letters and conducted by a team of scientists from NASA, the University of California-Irvine, and the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado-can make the heart pound.

Bay Delta Conservation Plan

Delta tunnel plan called a fish death sentence by key group   From: Carolyn Jones, San Francisco Chronicle The state's plan to build a pair of 35-mile tunnels under the delta would cause the extinction of winter-run chinook salmon, steep declines in dozens of other species and devastate water quality in San Francisco Bay, an environmental group said Wednesday.

Water Supply

California Bill May Jeopardize Water Supply From: Eric Thomas, KABC 7 A controversial bill that could impact where millions of people in the Bay Area get their water is moving its way through Sacramento. The changes are proposed along a stretch of the Mokelumne River in the Sierra foothills. That river provides millions of homes with drinking water from the mountains to the Central Valley and the East Bay. Some people are wondering if a move to save the river could leave others high and dry.

LETTER: Water picture is blurry   From: Rebecca Thompson, Fresno Bee It was with great interest I read the article and editorial on water usage in Fresno. The 20% drop in per capita water usage since the installation of water meters in Fresno is commendable. However, the current Fresno per capita water usage of 240 gallons exceeds the state average of 196 gallons and the United States Geological Survey national average of 100 gallons.

Fisheries

Salmon will only get more water if die-off starts   From: Jeff Barnard, Associated Press A federal agency said Wednesday it will release extra water into Northern California's Klamath and Trinity rivers once salmon start dying from drought-related disease, but not before. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation spokesman Louis Moore said from Sacramento, California, that the decision came under terms of a 2012 emergency water plan, and after consulting with tribes, irrigators and other agencies.

News, Articles, and Links from June 17, 2014

Water Supply Stealing the Sacramento River- California agro-barons' last huge water grab From: Will Parrish, The Ecologist  California's watersheds have been altered more than any other place in the world. The state first achieved this dubious distinction in the early-mid-20th century. The Hoover Dam (on the Colorado River), which began operation in 1936, was the largest dam in the world at the time of its completion. With regard to the world's biggest concrete river plugs, Shasta Dam (upper Sacramento River) rated second only behind Hoover when finished in 1945. Water Storage OPINION: Don't expand water storage without direction From: Jim Brobeck, Chico Enterprise-Record  The majority of developed water in California goes to irrigate agriculture acres. Expanding surface storage creates unrealistic expectations of reliable annual supplies by private property managers and encourages expansion of irrigated acres into previously unirrigated grazing/wildland acres. Inevitable dry periods force investors to exploit groundwater to keep permanent crops hydrated when reservoirs fail to fill.

Drought

OPINION: California's water woes can't be solved by conservation alone From: Paul Wenger, Modesto Bee  The severe drought of 2014 has unleashed a flood of responses, including calls for draconian legislative action to prevent things from "getting worse" and wide-ranging discussions about a water bond intended to address some of our water infrastructure shortfalls, accompanied by the predictable studies from environmental organizations purporting to show that California can meet all its water needs through conservation alone.

Dried up: poverty in America's drought lands   From: Amy McDonald, Imperial Valley Press In more than two decades working at a Central California food bank, Sandy Beals has never seen anything like this spring. Last month alone, FoodLink of Tulare County served 22,000 people who came in for food - 5,000 more than it usually serves each month and a 12 percent increase from the same month last year. For Beals, who runs the food bank, the spike in hunger traces back to one thing: drought.

Thirsty West: The No-Water Way From: Eric Holthouse, Slate   In a year with (practically) no water, here's something that was inevitable: farming without any water at all. Small farms around the Bay Area are reviving an ancient technique that is just what it sounds like. Add "dry farming" to the list of ideas that could get this dry state through the worst dry spell in half a millennium.

Water Transfers

Redding proposes water transfer to Bella Vista From: Jenny Espino, Redding Record-Searchlight A proposal to provide up to 1,200 acre-feet over the summer makes its way to the Redding City Council Tuesday night. The tentative agreement between the city and water district has been in the works for about a month and a half. That means the two sides got to work only two weeks after the city took a public-opinion beating over its April 15 decision to broker a water sale between the McConnell Foundation and the Kanawha and Glide water districts in Glenn County, while doing little to help neighboring Bella Vista, of whom a third of its customers are Redding residents. Fisheries  Fish evacuated from American River hatcheries due to drought From: Matt Weiser, Sacramento Bee The drought is forcing state officials to evacuate rainbow trout and steelhead fish from two hatcheries on the American River amid concern the water will become warm enough to kill the fish in coming weeks. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife on Tuesday will use tanker trucks to remove about 1 million trout from the American River Hatchery. From there, they will be planted throughout the state as usual - mostly in Sierra Nevada lakes - but at a much younger age and smaller size.

News articles and links from June 6, 2014

Drought

Time to take the big picture in dealing with California's droughts 

From: Diana Diamond, Chico Enterprise-Record

Let's not keep telling people to conserve more water, take fewer showers or recycle their washing machine with gray water. We need to do something much more dramatic to handle what, most likely, will be continuing droughts in our arid state. A horrible idea? Consider that California's usable water is divided into three categories -- agriculture, which takes about 80 percent of it a year; industry and commerce, which use 10 percent; and the 38 million of us who together consume 10 percent. So percentage-wise, people don't use as much water.  

Coalition response...  Diana's claim that farms use 80%, Industry uses 10% an Cities use 10% of California's usable water is, regrettably, wrong. California's Department of Water Resources, in their report on water use (Bulletin 160) reports that the use of California's available water is: Agricultural Water uses 41%, Municipal and Industrial uses roughly 10%, and we dedicate 49% of available water to the Environment.  

Finding solutions for our growing state is important, and some balance of improved water management, new supply, and conservation will help ensure we have the flexibility and resources to prepare for the future.

Water Bond 

Poll finds little support for drought spending despite broad awareness 

From: Bettina Boxall, Los Angeles Times

Most Californians surveyed say the statewide drought has had little or no impact on their daily lives, and a majority oppose the suspension of environmental protections or large-scale public spending to boost water supplies, a new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll has found.

Although 89% characterize the drought as a major problem or crisis, only 16% say it has personally affected them to a major degree.Despite widespread news coverage of the drought - one of the worst in recent decades - the state's major population centers have largely escaped severe mandatory rationing. Even agriculture, which as California's thirstiest sector is inevitably hit the hardest by drought, has partially compensated for reduced water delivery by pumping more groundwater. That has softened the drought's effect on many, apparently blunting the desire for drastic remedies and big spending on water projects.

Beyond bonds: Funding the governor's Water Action Plan

From: Ellen Hanak, Brian Gray, Jay Lund, et al. California WaterBlog

In late January, Gov. Jerry Brown released the California Water Action Plan, which outlines 10 strategic priorities for putting the state on a more sustainable water management path. The plan - intended to guide state water policy for the next five years - places the current drought emergency in a broader context, acknowledging the need for a comprehensive approach to improving water supply reliability, restoring damaged ecosystems, and making our water infrastructure more resilient to droughts, floods and other hazards.

Infrastructure Sticker Shock: Financing Costs More Than Construction 

From: Ellen Brown, Huffington Post

Funding infrastructure through bonds doubles the price or worse. Costs can be cut in half by funding through the state's own bank.

"The numbers are big. There is sticker shock," said Jason Peltier, deputy manager of the Westlands Water District, describing California Gov. Jerry Brown's plan to build two massive water tunnels through the California Delta. "But consider your other scenarios. How much more groundwater can we pump?"

Water Transfers 

Clever water trade saves citrus trees in Terra Bella area

From: Mark Grossi, Fresno Bee

A drought-inspired water swap will likely save hundreds of citrus orchards in the rolling hills of Tulare County, but it won't come cheap for desperate farmers.

Terra Bella growers were facing the summer without San Joaquin River water in a region with almost no well water. Terra Bella Irrigation District leaders feared thousands of acres of trees would be lost, amounting to a $59 million hit.

Water district approves Merced County groundwater sale

From: Ramona Giwargis, Merced Sun-Star

A scaled-back version of a controversial project to sell groundwater out of Merced County was unanimously approved by Del Puerto Water District board members this week - one of the two Stanislaus County water districts benefiting from the multimillion-dollar sale.

Meanwhile, state officials issued a violation letter to one of the two property owners behind the groundwater sale - Los Banos resident Steve Sloan - for failing to obtain an encroachment permit before making alterations to a levee on his proper

News articles and links from May 29, 2014

Water Supply

S.J. protests wild, scenic proposal for Mokelumne

From: Alex Breitler, Stockton Record

Long thirsty for Mokelumne River water, San Joaquin County appears poised to oppose legislation that would designate 37 miles of the upper stream as wild and scenic.

The county fears such a designation could block future dams upstream of Pardee Lake and could undermine recent efforts by diverse interest groups to work together to cooperatively manage the stream.

Economic Review Backs AFBF Position on Waters Rule

From: Janell Baum, Farm Futures

The U.S. EPA's proposed Waters of the U.S. language does not provide a realistic overview of its scope or costs, a new analysis prepared by the Brattle Group for the Waters Advocacy Coalition shows.

The report, authored by University of California-Berkley faculty member Dr. David Sunding and dated May 15, finds EPA's proposed rule, contrary to the agency's indications, would expand the definition of waters of the U.S. to include small, isolated wetlands, ephemeral drains and many ditches.

San Joaquin River

California water release opponents suffer setback

From: Staff, Associated Press

Water will continue flowing from a reservoir east of Fresno for now after a judge rejected an attempt to turn off the spigots.

A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation can supply water from Millerton Lake to wildlife refuges and farmers on the San Joaquin Valley's west side while a lawsuit challenging the decision is pending.

Water Transfers

City loses round in water lawsuit

From: Lois Henry, Bakersfield Californian  

The city of Bakersfield lost on all counts in the first round of a lawsuit brought against it by an agricultural water district over whether the city must continue selling water to the district per a 1976 agreement.

The May 23 tentative decision by Ventura County Superior Court Judge Tari Cody could hamper the city's plans to run more water down the dry Kern River bed.

Groundwater

Well Drilling Spikes In Drought-Stricken Central Valley

From: Pauline Bartolone, Capital Public Radio    

Many people who live in the Fresno area say water isn't flowing from their taps like it used to. Households using private groundwater wells are finding the water table is falling below their pump during the drought.  CapRadio's Pauline Bartolone visited the people in Fresno they call when the water runs out.

Valley Drought 2014: Ground Water To Be Managed Locally?

From: Justin Willis, KMPH 26

A new law that will help to manage groundwater throughout California, is now headed to the state senate for approval. The groundwater supply mostly goes unregulated.

Opponents of the bill say the "well police" will always find faults in the state's groundwater system. But the author of the bill says the intent is to allow local agencies to manage their own water.

Stanislaus water committee suggests well data be voluntary

From: Garth Stapley, Modesto Bee

Hoping not to alienate farmers, a water committee on Wednesday softened well-data recommendations going before Stanislaus County supervisors in two weeks.

Rather than requiring that well owners provide groundwater pumping information, the Water Advisory Committee is suggesting that people volunteer key data. Also, the information must be obscured before sharing it publicly, the committee agreed.

News articles and links from May 28, 2014

Water Rights

Experts Call State Water System 'Archaic'

From: Dale Yurong, ABC30

The Friant Water Authority filed suit against the US Bureau of Reclamation to halt the flow of water out of Friant Dam to some growers on the Valley's west side. But its bid for a temporary restraining order was rejected in US District Court in Fresno.

Many Valley farmers face zero allocation but thousands of people with historic water rights don't have to cut back at all. Water users staked their claim on the water flowing through the San Joaquin and other rivers generations ago.

San Joaquin River

Federal court rejects bid to stop flow from Friant Dam

From: Mark Grossi, Fresno Bee

The U.S. District Court in Fresno Tuesday refused to stop Millerton Lake water from being sent to wildlife refuges and farmers with historic rights on the Valley's west side.

East San Joaquin Valley farmers, facing a zero allocation of Millerton water, asked the court last week to stop the flow. Federal officials this month began releasing water, and about 200,000 acre-feet is expected to be released to the west side by late August.

Court won't stop water deliveries

From: Staff, Porterville Recorder

Water that could have saved East Side growers will continue flowing west down the San Joaquin River. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Lawrence O'Neill denied a request for a temporary restraining order requested by the Friant Water User Authority and its member districts to halt the delivery of water from Friant to West Side growers.

"The Friant Water Authority (FWA) is disappointed by the federal court's denial of FWA's request for a temporary restraining order. However, this is an interim ruling by the court and not a final decision on the merits, so FWA will still have a chance to prove its case when it gets its day in court," said the Friant Water User Authority.

Water Management

California drought: Water-payment rules largely ignored

From: Katharine Mieszkowski, San Francisco Chronicle   

The last time California endured a drought, legislators set their sights on the state's biggest water users: farmers.

The state designed laws to push agricultural water districts to track their water flow and make the largest districts charge farmers based on how much they use. The economic theory was simple: If you aren't paying for how much you actually use, you have little incentive to consume less.

Groundwater

OPINION: Groundwater belongs to us all

From: Peter Sugia, Modesto Bee

In the context of our current drought and efforts to address decreasing groundwater levels, I am disappointed that some landowners are reluctant to embrace a crucial paradigm shift. In the interest of maintaining current usage, some don't want their pumps monitored. From a short-term perspective, based on minimizing cost and maximizing withdrawal, that is understandable. However, research suggests water levels are dropping; public records indicate a significant number of new well permits have been issued, and it is clear the current policy is not sustainable.

Overdrafting increases pumping costs to others when wells go dry. Subsidence decreases the future capacity of aquifers; surface water is depleted when there is a shortage of groundwater, and the cost of treating groundwater near the bottom of an aquifer is expensive. We need comprehensive groundwater reform that is based on long-term costs, benefits and sustainability.

BLOG: Why California's agriculture needs groundwater management

From: Jay Lund, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences Blog

Without access to groundwater, this year's drought would be truly devastating to farms and cities throughout California. Groundwater is California's largest source of water storage for drought. However, reduced recharge and growing groundwater use in wetter years threatens to diminish its availability in droughts. This can become a serious threat to California's agriculture and rural residents. The current drought highlights how much California's agricultural prosperity depends on groundwater - and agriculture's growing need for managing it.

Bill would allow local groundwater management

From: Juliet Williams, San Francisco Chronicle

The state Senate approved legislation Tuesday asking local agencies to develop plans to manage groundwater, a supply that is largely unregulated throughout the state even amid a statewide drought. "We shouldn't waste the opportunity to act this year," said the bill's author, Sen. Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills.

Careful reporting and monitoring of groundwater levels is critical to ensuring the supply is not totally diminished, said Pavley, who added that the intent of her bill, SB1168, is to allow local agencies to manage their own water.

Water Transfers

OPINION: Tejon Ranch now officially qualifies as water baron

From: Lois Henry, Bakersfield Californian  

Back in November when we learned that Tejon Ranch had purchased a chunk of what I call "the Nickel water" for its proposed Grapevine village, I said with all the water the ranch had been buying in recent years, it was positioning itself as a private water seller. Yup. I was right.Tejon Ranch made $3 million, net, ($7.4 million gross) from selling most of that Nickel water in the first three months of this year, according to its quarterly earnings report.

It sold 6,250 acre-feet of water starting in February to several western Kern County water districts, including Belridge Water Storage District, Wheeler Ridge-Maricopa Water Storage District, Berrenda Mesa Water District and Lost Hills Water District.

Fisheries

More salmon to get truck rides due to drought

From: Matt Weiser, Sacramento Bee   

Nearly 1 million juvenile Chinook salmon this week will get a truck ride from Red Bluff to San Pablo Bay as a detour around harmful Sacramento River conditions caused by drought.

The fish are the last of 12 million fall-run Chinook salmon produced this year at Coleman National Hatchery near Red Bluff. Normally, all those fish are released into Battle Creek, a tributary of the Sacramento, to journey downstream to the Pacific Ocean on their own.

Butte Creek chinook salmon will get a blast of cold water this summer

From: Heather Hacking, Chico Enterprise-Record

When fish are swimming they are difficult to count. From Allen Harthorn's vantage point on an elevated deck above Butte Creek, he believes there may be 10,000 spring-run chinook salmon in the creek. A Vaki River Watcher video system lower in the creek has counted only 4,000 fish moving over a fish ladder.

The discrepancy in fish numbers can be expected. The Vaki cameras are placed on a fish ladder. During high storm flow in March and April, fish didn't need the fish ladders to move upstream, thus they avoided the cameras, explained Clint Garman, a fish biologist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. By any count, the spring-run chinook numbers look good.

News articles and links from May 27, 2014

Water Supply

California Drains Reservoirs in the Middle of a Drought

From: Tom McClintock, Wall Street Journal

One of the worst droughts in California's history has devastated more than a half-million acres of the most fertile farmland in America. In communities like Sacramento, "water police" go from door to door to enforce conservation measures. There's even a mobile "app" to report neighbors to city authorities so they can be fined for wasting water.

California's drought takes center stage in D.C.

From: Carolyn Lochhead, San Francisco Chronicle  

Wielding two decades of Senate experience and sheer force of will, Sen. Dianne Feinstein overcame environmentalists' objections and Republicans' skepticism in pushing through a drought-relief bill that could ship more water to farms and cities and weaken protections for fish.

Now comes the hard part - cutting a deal with House Republicans who have far more ambitious plans for getting water to the Central Valley.

OPINION: California's water crisis requires smart actions and tough choices

From: Kimery Wiltshire, Contra Costa Times

The news that 100 percent of our state is in drought has created another flurry of stories that unfortunately focus on the old California water bugaboos: it's all about north vs. south, and it's all about farmers vs. fish. But these old battle lines are a divisive construct.

Water players go to their respective corners, yelling at each other across the ring, and leaving the rest of us worried and frustrated -- can't someone get something done for once? For a state as blessed as California with innovation, technology and riches of all kinds, there are climate-smart solutions to address our shared water challenges.

Water Rights

Note: The following three articles on California water rights issues by AP's Jason Dearen were released this weekend.

California's flawed water system can't track usage

From: Jason Dearen, Associated Press  

Call them the fortunate ones: Nearly 4,000 California companies, farms and others are allowed to use free water with little oversight when the state is so bone dry that deliveries to nearly everyone else have been severely slashed.

Their special status dates back to claims made more than a century ago when water was plentiful. But in the third year of a drought that has ravaged California, these "senior rights holders" dominated by corporations and agricultural concerns are not obliged to conserve water.

Water Rights Records Riddled with Errors

From: Jason Dearen, Associated Press

Nearly 4,000 corporations, farms and others hold senior water rights in California, exempting them from government-mandated cuts in water use during the third year of drought. Here is a look at five of them, along with how they obtained the right to draw water from waterways and how they use it:

In a Sierra Nevada hamlet of Moccasin near Yosemite National Park, San Francisco's official seal adorns Art Deco-style buildings facing a hydroelectric plant and reservoir. Though located 140 miles east of the city, the plant is run by its employees.

19th-century laws give thousands of users free, unmonitored water

From: Jason Dearen, Associated Press

California's drought-ravaged reservoirs are running so low that state water deliveries to metropolitan areas have all but stopped, and cutbacks are forcing growers to fallow fields. But 19th century laws allow almost 4,000 companies, farms and others to use an unmonitored amount of water for free -- and, in some cases, sell what they don't need.

With grandfathered legal rights, this group, dominated by big corporations and agricultural concerns, reports using trillions of gallons of water each year, according to a review by The Associated Press. Together, they have more than half of all claims on waterways in California.

Water Transfers

Recycled wastewater from Modesto, Turlock will irrigate crops if $100 million pipeline OK'd

From: J.N. Sbranti, Modesto Bee

Like that old saying about "one man's trash being another man's treasure," wastewater is becoming a coveted commodity. It's called recycled water now, and Modesto and Turlock need to get rid of it. West Side farmers in the Del Puerto Water District, meanwhile, are desperate to use it to irrigate their crops. And apparently they're willing to bankroll the $100 million cost to pipe the treated water over to their side of Stanislaus County.

The drought is only partly to blame for the ramped-up interest in reusing wastewater, which previously had been flushed from toilets and drained down sinks.

OPINION: Water sale creates winners, losers

From: Mariel Garza, Modesto Bee 

If you want to put a human face on California's epic drought, Ken Tucker's will do. The Central Valley farmer has 400 acres of thirsty almond trees that are in real danger of dying. Tucker stood before the Merced County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday pleading with the five officials and his fellow farmers not to try to stop a controversial water transfer deal that will ship groundwater from Merced County across the county line north to farmers in Stanislaus County's Del Puerto Water District.

Groundwater

EDITORIAL: Lots of talk, but few answers on Stanislaus County's water issues

From: Staff, Modesto Bee

For the 75 people who showed up in Oakdale on Wednesday night to hear about groundwater, there was plenty of information but no real answers. They learned from Stanislaus County water resources manager Walt Ward that roughly 62,000 acres of eastern Stanislaus County land is being farmed using groundwater. Almost half of that is in almonds.

Water pumping creates groundswell for regulation

From: Alex Breitler, Stockton Record

Nothing screams "drought" like the sight of a near-empty reservoir. But it's the invisible, ancient reservoir beneath our feet that is bubbling to the surface of policy discussions across the state this spring. The drought has created new momentum to accomplish something that has been discussed, off and on, for 40 years: Regulate groundwater.

California is the only state in the West that does not regulate groundwater at the state level, despite the fact that 40 percent of the state's water supply comes from below ground - a number that may climb as high as 65 percent during this drought year.

Saving water easier said than done

From: Dennis Taylor, Salinas Californian   

As the drought continues to punish the Central Coast, and cities to the north are introducing restrictions on excess water use, the Salinas Valley for the most part is doing business as usual.

The oft heard reason for unfettered pumping, "We have plenty of groundwater," is true, but conditional. Yes, we do have plenty of groundwater in the Salinas Valley basin, right now, if we are OK with letting increasing salinity tarnish wells, allowing concentrations of nitrites and other unhealthy compounds build up in higher concentrations as water levels decline, and drawing down the two reservoirs supplying the Salinas River to levels that should all have us praying we get an abundance of rainfall this winter.

Press Releases

RELEASE: Groundwater Discussions to be the Focus of Upcoming State Board of Food and Ag Meeting

From: Staff, CDFA

The California State Board of Food and Agriculture will focus on issues related to agricultural groundwater use at its meeting on Tuesday, June 3rd in Sacramento. This meeting will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the California Department of Food and Agriculture, 1220 'N' Street - Main Auditorium, Sacramento, CA 95814.