News stories and links from April 15, 2014

Water Supply

EDITORIAL: More water flowing to West Side, but more frustration, too

From: Staff, Merced Sun-Star

Growers on the west side of the Valley got a little good news late last week: They're going to get more water than they had feared. That's not to say they're going to get all the water they need, far from it. But the specter of drought is lifting ever so slightly.

"The mood is better and hopeful," said Chris White, general manager of the Central California Irrigation District, which covers 145,000 acres from Crows Landing to Mendota.

Drought

California looks to recycled water to ease drought concerns

From: Hudson Sangree, Modesto Bee

At two treatment plants in El Dorado Hills, millions of gallons of brown wastewater pour in every week, and millions of gallons of clean water pour out through purple pipes that irrigate the lawns of 4,000 homes. Proponents call it water recycling. Critics call it "toilet-to-tap." But as the drought has taken hold in California, opposition to the idea has been drying up, and recycled water is winning acceptance. It's expected to be a significant source for many Californians in years to come.

Two irrigation districts are arguing over which should get treated sewer water from Turlock. The city in January was closing in on a deal to sell some of its supply to the Del Puerto Water District, which serves farmers along Interstate 5 between Vernalis and Santa Nella. The sale is on hold while officials discuss a competing claim from the Turlock Irrigation District.

UC President Napolitano tours Valley to see drought's impact

From: Hannah Furfaro, Fresno Bee

On her way to visit the Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Parlier on Monday, University of California President Janet Napolitano got a bird's eye view of California cropland and rivers dry from the drought -- a sight she hopes the universities can help fix through continued research and outreach.

Flying from Oakland to first see the Sacramento River and then the San Joaquin River, Napolitano did an aerial tour of California's heartland before making a stop to meet with her top agricultural advisers about a food security and sustainability initiative she's due to unveil this spring. The university leader was mum on the details, but said all 10 UC campuses -- and its research centers -- will be part of the plan.

Sacramento River

Paying Farmers to Welcome Birds

From: Jim Robbins, New York Times

The Central Valley was once one of North America's most productive wildlife habitats, a 450-mile-long expanse marbled with meandering streams and lush wetlands that provided an ideal stop for migratory shorebirds on their annual journeys from South America and Mexico to the Arctic and back.

Farmers and engineers have long since tamed the valley. Of the wetlands that existed before the valley was settled, about 95 percent are gone, and the number of migratory birds has declined drastically. But now an unusual alliance of conservationists, bird watchers and farmers have joined in an innovative plan to restore essential habitat for the migrating birds.

News articles and links from April 3, 2014

Sacramento River

California Farmers: Drill, Baby, Drill (for Water, That Is)

From: Tom Philpott, MotherJones.com

California is locked in an epochal drought-and yet produce aisles nationwide still brim with reasonably prices fruit and vegetables from the Golden State. How does California continue proving half of US-grown vegetables under such parched conditions?

Peter Gleick, president of the president of the Pacific Institute, one of the world's leading think tanks on water issues, broke it down for me. He says that despite the drought, California farmers will likely idle only about a half million acres this year-less than 10 percent of normal plantings, which are about 8 million acres. And most of the fallowed land will involve "low-value" crops like cotton and alfalfa (used as a feed for the dairy and beef industries)-not the stuff you eat directly, like broccoli, lettuce, and almonds.

Coalition response... California's water infrastructure is designed to avoid groundwater overdraft in the Central Valley.  Decades ago, experts came together to design a system to ensure that future generations would reduce reliance on the finite groundwater available while fostering economic growth, encouraging vibrant rural communities, and encouraging investment in improved agricultural productivity. The system they envisioned would provide other benefits too - providing critical water for California's growing businesses and cities, reduce flooding risks, improve the water quality in the Delta, and prepare the people of California for drought.

The system they designed is the surface water delivery system we have today. For decades water delivered reliably through the Central Valley and State Water Projects met these goals. Reservoirs, canals, levees and pumps were designed to work in concert to achieve multiple benefits for water users across the state.

While the Central Valley is certainly one of our State's most important agricultural regions, we can't neglect the other regions. Consumers are currently enjoying fresh California produce that is being grown in the sunny southern portion of California, in the Coachella and Imperial Valleys, areas that have not been significantly impacted by the drought facing the northern portion of the state. As the year goes on, food that would have been grown in the Central Valley won't show up in the produce aisles across the nation. Consumers will be faced with the choice between more expensive California-grown produce or food grown abroad - food that is for the most part uninspected as it enters the country, and grown without the level of accountability for food safety and labor that farmers here in California have.

Water Supply

Feinstein applauds decision to pump more water in Central Valley, seeks more

From: Raju Chebium, Salinas Californian

Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Wednesday applauded a decision by federal and state officials to release more water in the Central Valley, and pushed for much more supplies to be made available to the parched farming region.

At a Senate appropriations subcommittee hearing that she presided over, the California Democrat said the latest fish surveys show a negligible number of deaths among endangered species like chinook salmon and the Delta smelt.

Feinstein applauds decision to pump more water in Central Valley, seeks more

From: Raju Chebium, Salinas Californian

Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Wednesday applauded a decision by federal and state officials to release more water in the Central Valley, and pushed for much more supplies to be made available to the parched farming region.

At a Senate appropriations subcommittee hearing that she presided over, the California Democrat said the latest fish surveys show a negligible number of deaths among endangered species like chinook salmon and the Delta smelt.

Water Bond

Supervisors balk at Sen. Lois Wolk's water bill

From: Peter Jensen, Napa Valley Register 

The Napa County Board of Supervisors won't support a $6.8 billion water bond measure carried by State Sen. Lois Wolk, D-Davis, until it contains more funding for water storage and recycled water projects.

The board was asked to endorse the package during its meeting Tuesday, but the supervisors said they wouldn't do so unless it was amended.

Transfers

Water transfer proposal ruffles some locals in ag community

From: Heather Hacking, Chico Enterprise-Record

Farmers with surface water rights are scrambling to decide if they will pump groundwater to make up for cutbacks from the state water supplies along the Feather and Sacramento rivers.

In the meantime, a "relatively quiet" proposal to transfer water from Biggs-West Gridley Water District to south of the delta a has some farmers in the Sacramento Valley upset.

Mark Kimmelshue, a rice trader, said he's not opposed to water transfers as a general rule. However, it's important to look at whether there is a need for local water within the county before making a sale, he continued.

Why did over 1,200 California farmers sign a letter to Congress?

California farmers recognize the dire situation this year’s drought brings. So much so that more than more than 1,200 of them signed a letter to the state’s Washington, D.C. delegation insisting that they set aside political differences and work together to address the water supply crisis. With State and federal water projects announcing an initial allocation of zero for the first time in history and statewide, on average, farm water users expecting only a third of their normal supplies, it is understandable that thousands have stepped forward to make their voices heard.

What used to be a vibrant almond orchard

In 2011 California’s water system was all but overflowing. At the start of 2013 water storage levels were above average but allocations were below average. That should have been a wake-up call to our Washington representatives but it wasn’t. Today, with environmental allocations driving down storage levels and hydrology as bad as it is we have reached a crisis in record time. And still, political paralysis is preventing actions that could provide relief.

“As we speak this very moment there’s 25,000 (cubic feet per second) flowing as outflow out to the ocean. At the same time, we’re pumping 4,400 cfs,” said Dan Nelson, head of the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority, at a drought meeting held at U.C. Merced yesterday, as reported by Stockton Record writer Alex Brietler.

San Luis Reservoir

“I ask you,” Nelson said, addressing State Water Resources Control Board Chair Felicia Marcus, “is this the balance that you anticipated? Is this the balance that you’re working for? I don’t think so. We knew this storm was going to happen last week. Why didn’t we prepare for it?”

Marcus responded that the state board is waiting for an emergency request from the state and federal water projects, which could alter how much water can be pumped south.

“My understanding is they’re talking about it,” she said. “We can’t do it on our own.”

But the spike in flows will probably last only another four or five days, Nelson countered. “While we set up forums to talk about it, water’s flowing to the ocean.”

In the ancient fable, Nero fiddled while Rome burned. In California, more than 1,200 farmers are demanding that that doesn’t happen again.  They are insisting that their elected representatives address the imbalance between water users and the environment and to move forward on storage projects that would lessen the impact of future droughts.

Their message to Washington politicians about working together to solve the water crisis is this: “Anything less will be your collective failure.”

News articles and links from March 3, 2014

Groundwater

New Stanislaus County orchards to gulp as much groundwater as 480,000 people 

From: J.N. Sbranti, Modesto Bee

The cumulative impact of rapidly expanding almond orchards in eastern Stanislaus County soon may create a massive drain on the region's groundwater supply.

An estimated 4 million newly planted trees are expected to start consuming as much water as 480,000 people.

That's roughly the population of Sacramento, and more than twice the population of Modesto.

Coalition response... Reporter J.N. Sbranti mischaracterizes the cost farmers pay for water when she says, "...city residents get charged for the water they use, farmers pump groundwater for free..."

Water is a public resource in California. The only cost for any user is the cost of delivery. That's why it seems like city residents pay for it and farmers don't. City residents are paying all of the infrastructure costs to collect, treat and deliver water to their faucets 24 hours a day. Farmers also pay those costs but they have to be paid up front through the installation of wells, pumps, pipelines, expensive irrigation systems and energy. City residents pay those costs too but they're buried in an affordable monthly bill from their water provider. 

Water Supply

California soaked, but not enough to break the drought

From: Natalie DiBlasio, USA Today 

A storm ravaging California is bringing some of the highest rainfall totals to the Los Angeles area in years, but meteorologists say "it's not going to be a drought-breaker."

Although the storm lingered Saturday before moving east, it is just the beginning of what the region needs to pull out of a major drought, says Michelle Mead, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento.

Precious water starts heading down canals

From: John Holland, Modesto Bee

Today, irrigation canals will start flowing toward Oakdale, Escalon and Ripon. In the weeks to come, the Modesto, Turlock and Merced areas will follow.

In most years, the canals are strong with water that gets the crops through the heat of summer, much like blood carrying oxygen to a marathon runner's muscles. This year, in many parts of the Northern San Joaquin Valley, they will struggle to the finish line.

LETTER: Letters to the editor on water: California's water woes

From: Multiple, San Diego Union-Tribune

California's current drought-water crisis has been caused, as usual, by environmental zealots and liberal government who have stolen California's gold and our economy.Adding insult to injury, federal official announced that the agricultural Central Valley Project and California Water Project customers will receive no water allocations this year.

Indeed, the California Water Project and the Central Valley Project were created, paid for, and maintained by farmers and property owners to deliver Northern California water to the agricultural-rich Central Valley, and 25 million people in Southern California.

OPINION: Farms threatened, basic water principles violated

From: Al Medvitz, Sacramento Bee

Drought-stressed farmers on the west side of California's Central Valley have received a lot of congressional and presidential attention lately. Because we farm and ranch on the west side of the Valley, this attention means a lot to us, but not in the way one might think.

My wife's and my ranch is large, about 3,700 acres, and we raise wine grapes, alfalfa, sheep and lambs, and small grains - wheat and barley. Our farm, however, is not in the southern part of the Valley where farms are served by the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project. Rather, we are on the western bank of the Sacramento River farther north but just south of Rio Vista. We farm in the region from where water is taken to transport south.

Ag doing its part to use water wisely

From: Norm Groot, Salinas Californian

Funny how drought intensifies the discussion on water use, who has it, who doesn't, and who thinks they can grab a new claim. In the past weeks since Gov. Jerry Brown's drought declaration, the intensity with which this word is used has come to a feverish pitch.

Everyone is looking at what can be done with the minimal supplies we have available. We are probably in a better position than the rest of the state, simply because we have our own supply system of storage and recharge. Thank you, farmers and ranchers, for having the foresight to build two big reservoirs, the Castroville Seawater Intrusion Project and the Salinas Valley Water Project. Without these facilities, paid for by the agricultural community, our water situation would be much more dire.

BLOG: Water rights holders call Feds on contract violation

From: Todd Fitchette, Western Farm Press  

Commence firing! In a shot across the bow, several Sacramento River Settlement (SRS) contractors fired off a letter to David Murillo, regional director of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation regarding the USBR's decision to provide SRS contractors with a 40 percent water allocation in the wake of California's epic drought.

Water Storage

Farm, fish, raft and drought battles heating up

From: Garth Stapley, Modesto Bee 

Tuolumne County, which is home to 10 dams and two rivers but has no rights to the water in them, wants a share of Don Pedro Reservoir's wealth.

The county's demand for fair play surfaced in a recent flurry of comments submitted by agencies on several levels, and environmentalists and whitewater rafting outfits, all with high-stakes interests in a new federal license for the large foothills lake relied on by millions for drinking and irrigation water, agribusiness, recreation and electricity.

Increasing Water Storage in California

From: Staff, KSEE 24

Congressman Jim Costa is introducing legislation to dramatically increase California's ability to store water.

His plan involves expanding existing water storage sites at San Luis, Shasta and Temperance Flat. A recently passed plan in the House doesn't allocate federal funds for storage.

That's something Costa hopes to change.

News articles and links for June 10, 2013

Bay Delta Conservation Plan

Twin tunnels: Death knell for Delta farming? From: Dennis Wyatt, Manteca BulletinThe Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta could become saltier if the state builds the two massive diversion tunnels Gov. Jerry Brown has proposed to supply water to the Central Valley and Southern California.

Proposed tunnels could make delta water saltier From: Associated Press, Modesto Bee From: Associated Press, The RepublicThe Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta could become saltier if the state builds the two massive diversion tunnels Gov. Jerry Brown has proposed to supply water to the Central Valley and Southern California.

Delta could get saltier if tunnels are built From: Matt Weiser, Sacramento Bee From: Matt Weiser, Fresno Bee From: Matt Weiser, Merced Sun-StarThe two giant water diversion tunnels Gov. Jerry Brown proposes building in the Delta would be large enough to meet annual water needs for a city such as Newport Beach in a single day's gulp from the Sacramento River. That gulp, however, would also prevent a lot of fresh water from flowing through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. This would likely make water saltier for farms near Isleton and cities such as Antioch, which draws some of its drinking water from the Delta. (The following comment is made in response to the above stories.) Coalition response...Water quality in the Delta has undergone continuous change ever since levees were first built nearly 150 years ago. These changes will continue into the future, with or without the BDCP. Water quality standards are established by the State Water Resources Control Board and changes in water quality does not necessarily mean violations of those standards. As it does now, the Board will set water quality standards into the future and public water agencies will have to comply with them. Those standards will have to balance competing interests and should be reasonably protective of the needs of beneficial users. The fear by some that too much water will be diverted from the Delta ignores the reality of how water will move through the tunnels. When the water level in the Sacramento River is high more water will be available for export. Lower flows means less water will be exported. Learn more at www.farmwater.org/exportthrottle.pdf. The BDCP's intent is to restore a certainty of how much water will be delivered to users in the Bay Area and south of the Delta. The current system of delivering water has resulted in increased unemployment as farmland goes unplanted. Some urban residents have experienced higher costs for water delivered to their homes and businesses. Sensible and reliable water deliveries through the tunnels will help achieve the legislature's co-equal goals for water supply and Delta ecosystem restoration.

Water Supply

Water conditions for June 9, 2013 From: Maven, Maven's Notebook "The combined total January through May precipitation is the driest in about 90 years of record," states DWR's Executive Update on the state's hydrologic conditions.  A look at the reservoirs and the drought monitor is provided.

Levees

Our View: Levees define our existence, so care for them From: Marysville Appeal-DemocratThe last paragraph in a story Thursday by Eric Vodden was probably its main point: "There is nothing more important in this region than having secure levees." So said Curt Akin, Yuba County Water Agency manager, in a story about a new collaboration of agencies responsible for Yuba-Sutter flood protection.

Wildlife

Webcam in ag land helps hatching birds become Internet stars From: Heather Hacking, Chico Enterprise-RecordThe show is over on the webcam at Western Canal Water District, between Durham and Richvale on the Midway. Friday afternoon, three Killdeer eggs hatched and a mama bird was seen giving shade to the new arrivals. For about an hour, the staff at the water district zoomed the live webcam on the bird family, giving a close-up view of the nature employees see each day.