News articles and links from Oct. 1, 2010

Misusing California water numbers for political purposes: Jobs, fish, and lies

Blog

from SF Chronicle - Thursday, Sept. 30, 2010

“Do certain politicians and talk show hosts care about facts, even when they are inconvenient? Will they correct their positions, or will incorrect numbers continue to be used to drive a political agenda? We'll see.”- Peter Gleick

CFWC's response...

Should we expect you to heed your own advice and correct the agricultural water use efficiency numbers in your recent report, “California’s Next Million Acre-Feet: Saving Water, Energy and Money”?

You used lower efficiency numbers this year for flood irrigation than you did last year. (60% vs. 73%)

You ignored university irrigation experts who said the 20 percent conservation benefits of RDI are overstated.

You acknowledged but failed to quantify irrigation district improvement costs in your estimate for on-farm water use efficiency.

You reported only 184,000 acre-feet of Sites Reservoir yield when DWR and the Bureau of Reclamation peg it at 630,000 acre-feet.

We’re waiting.

How many activists does it take to close a meeting?

Story

from Stockton Record – Friday, Oct. 1, 2010

Delta and Fishing Activists Disrupt Secret Delta Meetings

Blog

From IndyBay – Thursday, Sept. 30, 2010

By Dan Bacher

Coalition viewpoint…The action taken by these four individuals have probably done more to set back efforts to resolve California’s water crisis and protect the Delta than any one action in recent memory. What a shame.

Mythbusters: the Truth about Farming and Fishing Jobs in California

Blog

from NRDC – Thursday, Sept. 30, 2010

By Doug Obegi

Coalition viewpoint…Look behind the numbers and you’ll see the lives of people who have been impacted by environmental regulations and the drought…and the latest economic report proves that. The “hype” you referred to ignores the claims from certain fishing industry spokesmen that their job losses exceed 25,000, while the economist you lift up puts that loss at less than 1,800. The fact remains that hardships will be felt by all until improvements are made to California’s water infrastructure, which means increased storage and improved delivery facilities.

Bringing a river back to life

Column

from Stockton Record – Friday, Oct. 1, 2010

By Michael Fitzgerald

Coalition viewpoint…People are only seeing what they want to see as experimental flows move through the San Joaquin River. What this writer and many others fail to recognize is damage caused to adjacent lands from river seepage. These lands are owned by family farmers and their crop loss could have been avoided if management decisions on the river flows had not ignored these potential impacts. Changes must take place in how to best manage these experimental flows to make the river restoration a success.

Westlands letter to congressional representatives

Letter

from farmwaternews – Friday, Oct. 1, 2010

Klamath dam removal analysis progressing; vulnerability of agreements to lawsuits raises concerns

Story

from Times-Standard – Thursday, Sept. 30, 2010

Water crisis rapidly approaching

Letter

from Modesto Bee – Thursday, Sept. 30, 2010

The rest of the story

Letter

from Merced Sun-Star – Thursday, Sept. 30, 2010

News articles and links from Sep. 30, 2010

Fewer job losses linked to Delta, drought

Story

from Contra Costa Times – Thursday, Sept. 30, 2010

Coalition viewpoint…The current report proves that drought and environmental restrictions in the Delta created negative impacts to those California farmers and farmworkers who rely on water deliveries that flow through the Delta. Water deliveries are projected to be higher this year than in the past two years, which means more planted acres and less farmworkers forced to stand in unemployment lines. A similar report at the end of this year would further demonstrate the dependence by farmers on a reliable water supply. Environmental restrictions and drought have adversely affected that reliability in the past and will continue to do so until California’s water infrastructure is improved.

Delta Watershed Supplies: How Much We All Divert

Blog

from SF Chronicle – Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2010

By Tom Philp

Jerry Brown Supports Construction of Peripheral Canal

Blog

from Indybay – Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2010

By Dan Bacher

MWD sends letter to Reclamation against IID’s proposed water release into Salton Sea

Story

from Imperial Valley Press – Thursday, Sept. 30, 2010

News articles and links from Sep. 29, 2010

Can politicians overcome bias?

Blog

from Blogs by dzetland@gmail.com (David Zetland) – Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2010

Coalition viewpoint…It’s no surprise that the numbers reflecting agricultural employment and harvested acreage show improved conditions for San Joaquin Valley farmers when factoring in 2009 statistics over previous years. Last year’s water conditions improved from earlier years when CVP and SWP water users received increased deliveries through the Delta. These deliveries still failed to reach contract amounts as indicated in the lower harvested acreage totals when comparing 2009 numbers to 2005, the last year of full contract deliveries as stated in the report. More workers returned from unemployment lines in 2009 as farmers increased planted acreage from the previous year. Again, it’s no surprise.

Water district crying wolf

Column

from Stockton Record – Wednesday, Sept. 239, 2010

Coalition viewpoint…People claiming that “extra” water is flowing to Westlands Water District do not understand how farmers use water. This supposed “extra” water was released by federal officials when it was too late to use in the growing season. The water was placed into storage at San Luis Reservoir but federal regulations threatened the availability of that water unless it was removed from the reservoir. Instead of wasting that water, Westlands developed an exchange that allowed the water to be used by urban water users with water returned to Westlands through next year’s urban water supplies.

Stealth State Plan Would End Salmon Fishing in California

Blog

from SF Chronicle – Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2010

By Zeke Grader

Coalition viewpoint…Claims that “secret” talks are ongoing to discuss California’s water future are false. These “secret” talks are open to all signatories to the Bay Delta Conservation Plan. Many of the critics of the talks refused to become signatories when the DBCP was first put forward. Yet, these same critics have participated in the public DBCP hearings and will again have that opportunity when the talks conclude and any suggestions are put forward to the DBCP.

Also claiming that farmers use 80% of California’s water supply is false. Farmers are only using 41% and urban families/businesses are using 11%. The remainder goes to the environment. This blogger attempts to discount environmental water in this equation while at the same time seeking more environmental water. How can he want more of something that he claims does not exist?

County supports IID’s Salton Sea mitigation

Story

from Imperial Valley Press – Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2010

News articles and links from Sep. 28, 2010

San Joaquin River restoration getting some thumbs up

Story

from Merced Sun Star – Monday, Sept. 27, 2010

San Joaquin River restoration rolls along

Story

from Fresno Bee – Sunday, Sept. 26, 2010

Coalition viewpoint…Anyone reading this story would get the impression that the San Joaquin River restoration is on track and running smoothly. A closer look at the local impacts or discussing increased river flows with area farmers might change your mind.

Farmers adjacent to the now-flowing San Joaquin River have expressed concern that Bureau of Reclamation project managers have all but ignored concerns over excessive groundwater impacts, a broken levee and requests for assistance to resolve problems associated with river restoration flows. A significant amount of historical groundwater data from monitoring wells has been gathered and the Bureau has declined to use it. Without engaging local interests, the Bureau stands to alienate a lot of people who want to see the project succeed but have legitimate concerns about the ongoing process.

Cardoza-Costa letter to USBR

Blog

Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2010

Sacramento Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrades Long Overdue

Blog

From Sustainable Delta – Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2010

From the Coalition for a Sustainable Delta: “Anyone living downstream from Sacramento or that relies on water from the Delta must be wondering why they have been forced to deal with the pollution of an outdated sewage plant for the past 30 years. That is how long it has been since the Sacramento Regional County

Coalition viewpoint…This request by the City of Sacramento is unreasonable, especially when considering the millions of dollars that water users have already spent to find solutions to problems besetting the fisheries in the Delta. Other municipalities have stepped forward to rectify their wastewater issues and Sacramento needs to do the same.

CFWC’s response to the Pacific Institute’s 2010 Water Conservation Report

Blog

from farmwaternews – Monday, Sept. 27, 2010

Governor signs Salton Sea Bill

Story

from Desert Sun – Monday, Sept. 27, 2010

CFWC's response to the Pacific Institute's 2010 Water Conservation Report

The Pacific Institute continues to claim simple inexpensive practices can conserve huge quantities of farm water. We disagree with these claims and invite you to learn more by reading the following documents that challenge these assumptions.

California Farm Water Coalition’s letter to the state Legislature

www.farmwater.org/images/stories/pdf/cover%20letter-legislature092710.pdf

NCWA’s letter to Heather Cooley

www.farmwater.org/images/stories/pdf/cooley%20ltr%209%2017%2010.pdf

AWMC and CFWC’s survey findings on Irrigation Practices and Influencers Survey Findings in San Joaquin Valley

www.farmwater.org/images/stories/pdf/awmc%20survey%20report08312010.pdf

News articles and links from Sep. 27, 2010

Secretive meetings on Delta plan defended

Story

from Stockton Record – Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010

SACRAMENTO - Bay-Delta meetings described as secretive and behind closed doors prompted a spirited defense this week from Lester Snow, California's secretary for Natural Resources.

Coalition viewpoint…These meetings have been mis-characterized as secret by those who declined to become signatories to the BDCP proceedings. Those individuals and groups have not been shut out of the BDCP hearings and have participated and submitted comments throughout the process. The current talks include discussions by any BDCP signatories. The results of these talks will be vetted through BDCP hearings that allow anyone to make comments.

San Joaquin River restoration rolls along

Story

from Fresno Bee – Sunday, Sept. 26, 2010

Jerry Brown still refuses to take position on peripheral canal, water bond

Blog

from Indybay newswire by Dan Bacher – Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010

In Defense of Farming

Posted at 12:00 AM on Sunday, Sep. 26, 2010

By David Mas Masumoto

Text of Obama's remarks to the UN

Text of President Barack Obama's remarks to the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, as provided by the White House:

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Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General, my fellow delegates, ladies and gentlemen. It is a great honor to address this assembly for the second time, nearly two years after my election as president of the United States.

We've all heard it: The Valley needs to diversify the economy and stop being so dependent on agriculture. We need better-paying jobs, get people out of the fields, and stop the exploitation. The Valley must develop other resources and create another identity; we need to be something more than cows and critters, vines and cheap vino.

I hear the message: We'd be better off without farms and farmers.

I am defensive. We in the Valley already have a powerful economic identity called agriculture. Yet people seem to want to discard it, ignore it, and forget it.

Agriculture in our Valley is a multibillion dollar industry. When compared with the flash of the film industry or the sizzle of high technology, we don't stand a chance. We aren't sexy enough.

Valley agriculture is rarely seen as a dynamic force that combines human capital with the latest technology and cutting edge innovation. We're dull, dumb hayseeds still stuck with old-fashioned traditions.

At best, we squander natural resources like water and pollute the air with our practices. At worst, some will claim the environmental degradation caused by farms can't be off-set -- there is no common ground for compromise.

Clean up the Valley's air by cleaning out farming. End California's water problems by disposing farmers. Stop the oppression of poor, unskilled immigrant and undocumented workers by destroying agriculture.

Many will condemn the practices of big ag operations and trivialize the efforts of small family farms. The public sees images of poverty and we farmers are classified as oppressors of the oppressed, not as employers and employees.

Lost in such a class debate is the ethnic and cultural diversity of our rural communities. Historically, our Valley farms have been the point of entry for immigrants. But no one pays attention to the bottom rung as individuals and groups work their way up to things better.

I take this personally. When younger, I grew confused and even questioned the value of my profession. In the past, I have been shamed into silence. It's been a long time since I've heard outsiders taking public pride in farmers and our agrarian foundations.

Over the past few decades, brutal economic forces have humbled us. Few get filthy rich in farming today, empires are rarely built from working the land. A farmer's wealth is now reduced to the value of his or her water or the potential off-sets of pollution.

Few see food as part of the information and technological revolution. Our biggest fans may be those who play a computer "FarmVille game" and enjoy a virtual connection to caring for neighbors' crops, bringing in harvests and tending the land.

Yet we farmers may be our own worst enemies. Many have felt isolated and hurt. We've been ignored and abused, losing political capital. We begin to distrust our city neighbors, lash out at anything that sounds like it came from San Francisco, and demonize environmentalists. We manifest the same absolute thinking as those who condemn us.

So what is our agricultural identity? Do we sit back and get angry, protest over lack of water, yell louder in order to be heard. Yes. But I also hope we ask: What do we want to be known for?

We now live in a fragmented state: There doesn't seem to be a "one" California but instead many regions, each with their special interests, political leanings and cultural realities. There's an opportunity today for us to be no longer overshadowed by other regions if we define ourselves.

What does that mean for farming in our Valley? Can we construct a new collective identity based on our shared agrarian roots? Instead of trying to be something else, why can't we put agriculture on the top of the list and accept that reality?

Read more: http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/09/24/2091645/in-defense-of-farming.html#ixzz10kJ65668

News articles and links from Sep. 24, 2010

Leaders celebrate expanded water plant

Story

from Bakersfield Californian – Friday, Sept. 24, 2010

San Joaquin River Conference is next week; sign up now

Blog

from Fresno Bee – Friday, Sept. 24, 2010

By Mark Grossi