California has been the nation’s
leading agricultural and dairy state for the past 50 years. The
state’s 80,500 farms and ranches produce more than 400 different
agricultural products. These products generated a record $44.7
billion in sales value in 2012, accounting for 11.3 percent of
the US total.
Breaking down the state’s agricultural role in the country,
California produces 21 percent of the nation’s milk supply, 23
percent of its cheese and 92 percent of all grapes. The state
also produces half of all domestically-grown fruits, nuts and
vegetables, including some products, such as almonds, walnuts,
artichokes, persimmons and pomegranates, of which 99 percent are
grown in California.
Overall, about 3 percent of employment in the state is directly
or indirectly related to agriculture.
San Diego County’s cash-strapped water authority is considering
a plan that could remove a discount it gives to local farmers —
something farmers claim could put them out of business. The
authority gives a roughly 25% discount to about 1,000 farmers,
who grow everything from flowers to avocados. Everyone involved
in the issue is facing higher costs. The authority has been
imposing consistent double-digit rate increases on local water
agencies in recent years primarily because of declining demand.
Farmers are facing higher costs for labor, supplies, equipment,
transportation and fuel. Critics say removing the discount is
shortsighted because it threatens to kill off a customer class
the water authority can’t afford to lose. At the same time,
rates for other customers may increase to cover the authority’s
costs.
Stuart Woolf, President of Woolfe Farming and Processing,
recently sat down with AgNet West’s Nick Papagni to discuss how
water challenges have reshaped California’s agricultural
landscape—particularly on the west side of Fresno. With a
career rooted in California farming, Wolf’s reflections offer a
sobering look at what he describes as a prolonged battle for
water security. “I can’t remember a day where we weren’t
concerned about water,” Woolf remarked, encapsulating a
sentiment familiar to many growers in the region. … Woolf
criticized the state’s water management strategies,
particularly the diversion of water for environmental purposes.
He noted that while these efforts aimed to support ecological
health, they have not yielded the intended environmental
benefits. Instead, the burden has shifted heavily onto farmers,
leading to higher production costs and greater uncertainty.
California’s Westside farmers are once again caught in a cycle
of uncertainty as water allocations remain
unpredictable—despite full reservoirs and years of strong
snowfall. According to AgNet West’s Nick Papagni, this system
continues to punish growers trying to plan ahead for planting
season. Farmer Mike Omari explains that the decision-making
window is razor-thin. “We usually get our water allocation
announcement the last week of February, but our planting season
starts March 1st,” he says. “You’re gambling everything on a
number that might change later—but by then, your decisions are
already locked in.” This year’s initial allocation was only
35%, even with a full Lake Orville and favorable snowpack.
Although the number was later bumped to 55%, the delay in
information makes strategic crop planning almost
impossible.
The federal government has rescinded termination notices for
eight of nine USDA offices slated for closure in California.
The decision comes after California lawmakers argued that
closing the offices would burden farmers. The Trump
administration has reversed its decision to shutter eight
California outposts of the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
according to a letter from agency head Brooke Rollins. The
about-face came at the urging of a group of Democratic
California lawmakers led by Sen. Adam Schiff, who decried plans
from the unofficial Department of Government Efficiency to
close USDA offices in Bakerserfield, Blythe, Los Angeles,
Madera, Mt. Shasta, Oxnard, Salinas, Woodland and Yreka.
… The original closure plans came amid sweeping layoffs
and lease terminations at government agencies across the
country led by Elon Musk’s DOGE team — including nearly two
dozen California offices related to science, agriculture and
the environment. Musk has since stepped down.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins today (May 30) announced
the release of congressionally mandated Emergency Livestock
Relief Program payments to cover grazing losses due to eligible
drought or wildfire events in 2023 and/or
2024. USDA explained that USDA’s Farm Service Agency is
leveraging existing Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP)
data to streamline payment calculations and expedite relief.
Emergency relief payments are automatically issued for
producers who have an approved LFP application on file for 2023
and/or 2024, and do not have to contact USDA to receive
payments. USDA added, “The American Relief Act, 2025,
provided funds for emergency relief payments. This program is
the first of two programs authorized to assist with eligible
losses suffered by livestock producers. FSA will announce
additional ELRP assistance for other losses authorized by the
act, including flooding, later this summer.”
In some places, farmer cooperation is critical to the continued
existence of whooping cranes and other wetland-dependent
waterbird species, close to one-third of which are
experiencing declines. Numbers of waterfowl (think ducks and
geese) have crashed by 20 percent since 2014,
and long-legged wading shorebirds like sandpipers have
suffered steep population losses. Conservation-minded
biologists, nonprofits, government agencies and farmers
themselves are amping up efforts to ensure that each species
survives and thrives. With federal support in the crosshairs of
the Trump administration, their work is more important (and
threatened) than ever. Their collaborations, be they domestic
or international, are highly specific, because different
regions support different kinds of agriculture — grasslands, or
deep or shallow wetlands, for example, favored by different
kinds of birds. Key to the efforts is making it financially
worthwhile for farmers to keep — or tweak — practices to meet
bird forage and habitat needs.
… Low commodity prices, declining land values, and a
tightening credit market have all contributed to increased
anxiety for San Joaquin Valley farmers, especially almond
growers. In 2024, there were 216 farm bankruptcies nationwide,
an increase of 55% from the previous year. Of that number,
California had the most with 17 farms falling into bankruptcy.
… The decline in land value led to another problem for
farmers, a loss of collateral to back up their loans. “With the
loss of those large farming entities you have a flood of land
on the market and it depressed the land values and so now you
no longer have the collateral you need,” said Hagop Bedoyan, a
bankruptcy attorney in Fresno. “Lenders like to see more of an
equity cushion.” Bedoyan added that lenders not only want
farmers to have more equity but they are also requiring farmers
to have two sources of water, surface and well
water.
Local farmers are fighting against a plan to sharply reduce
their special water rate discount, contending it could wipe out
much of the county’s already-shrinking agriculture industry.
The cash-strapped County Water Authority says it must roll back
the longtime rate discount it now gives to roughly 1,000 local
farmers because of dropping demand and changes to the
authority’s business model. Farmers say the rate hike proposal
is shortsighted because it would accelerate the demise of many
farms, stripping the water authority of existing customers at a
time when it needs more customers — not less. Losing hundreds
of local farms would also hurt ordinary San Diegans, the
farmers say, by replacing local fruits and vegetables with
imported produce that would be more expensive and less fresh.
… While the discount varies from local water agency to
water agency, it is typically in the neighborhood of 25%.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has canceled
grant funding to university research teams studying how
“forever chemicals” contaminate soil and groundwater, including
at least $3 million for two projects specifically looking at
contamination on farms. The chemicals, collectively called PFAS
(per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), are linked to a variety
of serious health risks. Over the past several years, they have
increasingly been found in farm soils due to the use of sewage
sludge as fertilizer, causing devastation for farmers. They are
also now widely found in drinking water, in the foods Americans
eat, and in pesticides, and experts say more research is needed
to understand their impacts and find effective ways to
eliminate contamination.
After two bruising seasons of low nut prices, rising costs and
groundwater uncertainty, the 2025 Trends in
Agricultural Land & Lease Values report from the California
Chapter of [the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural
Appraisers] paints a mixed — but not uniformly bleak — picture
for the Central San Joaquin
Valley. … SGMA clarity is
improving underwriting. With 86 of 93 Valley subbasins now
operating under approved sustainability plans, lenders and
buyers have a clearer — if still tough — playbook for
evaluating long‑term water budgets, replacing
the uncertainty discount with risk‑based pricing. As PPIC
water‑policy director Ellen Hanak reminds growers in the
California Farm Bureau Ag Alert, “The law doesn’t say you have
to end overdraft overnight. You can get there gradually over
the 20 years — so long as you avoid ‘undesirable results’ along
the way.”
A group of farmers, ranchers and rural municipalities are going
to court to try to stop Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes
from pursuing her lawsuit to halt the pumping of groundwater by
a Saudi-owned alfalfa farm. An attorney for the Arizona Farm
and Ranch Group Coalition says they fear other farms in the
future could be sued for their pumping of Arizona’s underground
aquifers. Mayes is relying on a largely untested legal theory.
She argues the company Fondomonte is creating a public nuisance
due to the amount of groundwater it is pumping at its farms in
La Paz County. She says the amount they are pumping has dried
up nearby wells and has resulted in land subsidence. The
coalition worries the outcome of the case could overturn
existing water regulations and could be a dangerous expansion
of public nuisance laws. But the real purpose behind the new
court filing, attorney David Brown said, is the fear that if
the attorney general wins in court, “this case is just the
beginning.”
After a four-year downward trend, U.S. farm bankruptcies are on
the rise again, and with uncertainties about the impacts of
U.S. tariffs on export trade, there’s growing concern that the
financial health of farms across the country will continue to
falter. A total of 216 U.S. farms filed for Chapter 12
bankruptcy last year, up 55% from 2023. With 17 filings,
California led the nation. … Arshdeep Singh, a Fresno
County citrus grower and director of the Punjabi American
Growers Group, said there is no support for California farmers
in the San Joaquin Valley who have been financially pummeled by
impacts of the state’s Sustainable Groundwater
Management Act. Some have filed for bankruptcy or are
on the verge of it as their land value has plummeted and their
equity has evaporated, with banks calling on their loans.
A decade after the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
became law, many California farmers still feel lost in the
bureaucracy surrounding its implementation. A new study finds
that, despite widespread awareness, real engagement remains
low. According to research from CSU-WATER — an initiative
encompassing 23 California State University campuses —
significant logistical and representational barriers have
prevented farmers from meaningfully engaging with their
Groundwater Sustainability Agencies. The research is part
of SGMA WAVE — short for Water and Valley Economy — a project
led by CSU-WATER, a water policy initiative involving all 23
CSU campuses. The study focuses on 72 GSAs across the San
Joaquin Valley counties of Madera, Fresno, Tulare, Kings, and
Kern.
California walnut growers are experiencing promising
early-season conditions that suggest a positive outlook for the
2025 crop, the California Walnut Board (CWB) and California
Walnut Commission (CWC) reported. These favorable climate
conditions follow three consecutive years of average to
above-average rainfall and snowpack in the Sierra Nevada
mountains. The current growing season benefits from adequate
surface water and replenished soil profiles, contributing to a
strong bloom and early shoot development. Early walnut
varieties began to show bud break in mid-April, with varieties
such as Chandler exhibiting healthy shoot growth across
California’s main growing regions. The orchards are currently
in a critical growth phase, which is essential for nut
development throughout the season.
Around the world, farmers are retooling their land to harvest
the hottest new commodity: sunlight. As the price of renewable
energy technology has plummeted and water has gotten more
scarce, growers are fallowing acreage and installing solar
panels. Some are even growing crops beneath them, which is
great for plants stressed by too many rays. Still others are
letting that shaded land go wild, providing habitat for
pollinators and fodder for grazing livestock. According to a
new study, this practice of agrisolar has been quite lucrative
for farmers in California’s Central Valley
over the last 25 years — and for the environment. Researchers
looked at producers who had idled land and installed solar,
using the electricity to run equipment like water pumps and
selling the excess power to utilities.
The value of much of California’s farmland declined from 2023
to 2024, according to figures published last month by the
state’s chapter of the American Society of Farm Managers and
Rural Appraisers. Authors of the ASFMRA chapter’s annual Trends
report attributed the declines in farmland value to multiple
factors, including low commodity prices, high inflation and
interest rates, overall high operating costs and regulatory
impacts. Since the adoption of California’s Sustainable
Groundwater Management Act in 2014, appraisers have
noted a divergence in the value of farmland with two reliable
sources of water and so-called “white area” farmland that
depends entirely on groundwater. That trend accelerated last
year, according to the report, with white area orchards in
parts of the San Joaquin Valley losing more than half their
value in the space of a year.
California is a national and global powerhouse when it comes to
nuts. Recent data shows that the Golden State produces roughly
80% of the world’s almonds and 60% of the world’s pistachios.
It’s a lot of nuts and a lot of money. But changing climate
conditions are challenging nut growers. With warming winters
and a propensity for drought, crops that did
well 20 years ago might not make it 20 years from now. That’s
where the plant geneticists and breeders at UC Davis’ Wolfskill
Experimental Orchard come in. This week, Gabriela Glueck,
KCRW’s Julia Child Reporting Fellow, takes us on a trip to the
orchard to meet with two nut crop breeders who are trying to
set up California almond and pistachio growers for success.
… Nearly 1 million acres of farmland across the state are
expected to come out of production due to SGMA. Without new
uses for that land, agricultural jobs will disappear, local tax
revenues will plummet, and our small towns, which are already
stretched thin, will be left with few options. A 2023 Public
Policy Institute of California report put it bluntly: without
action, the economic fallout for the Central Valley could be
massive. If we don’t find new ways to keep this land
economically viable, our rural communities are going to suffer
badly. But legislation currently moving at the state Capitol,
Assembly Bill 1156, provides a lifeline by making it easier to
repurpose fallowed farmland for clean energy projects like
solar panels. It’s a smart, timely solution that protects
farmers, supports clean energy, and brings jobs and investment
back to rural California.
*IMPORTANT* In anticipation of high demand, the Foundation will be allocating tickets via a lottery method with a maximum of 3 entrants per organization. To be considered, please thoroughly review the tour details below so you’re fully aware of the time and financial commitments, then complete this entry form. Entrants selected via the ticket lottery will be contacted beginning on June 12 with an opportunity to register for the tour.
This special, first-ever Foundation water tour will not be offered every year! Join us as we examine water issues along the 263-mile Klamath River, from its spring-fed headwaters in south-central Oregon to its redwood-lined estuary on the Pacific Ocean in California.
Running Y Resort
5500 Running Y Rd
Klamath Falls, OR 97601
Explore the Sacramento River and its tributaries through a scenic landscape while learning about the issues associated with a key source for the state’s water supply.
All together, the river and its tributaries supply 35 percent of California’s water and feed into two major projects: the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project.
Water Education Foundation
2151 River Plaza Drive, Suite 205
Sacramento, CA 95833
Seeking to prevent the California State Water Resources Control
Board from stepping in to regulate groundwater in critically
overdrafted subbasins, local agencies are working to correct
deficiencies in their plans to protect groundwater. With
groundwater sustainability agencies formed and groundwater
sustainability plans evaluated, the state water board has moved
to implement the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act,
or SGMA. … Under probation, groundwater extractors in
the Tulare Lake subbasin face annual fees of $300 per well and
$20 per acre-foot pumped, plus a late reporting fee of 25%.
SGMA also requires well owners to file annual groundwater
extraction reports.
Catastrophic weather events wreaked havoc on U.S. agriculture
last year, causing nearly $22 billion in crop and rangeland
losses, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.
California accounted for $1.14 billion of that figure,
including nearly $880 million in damages from severe storms and
flooding. The figures represent a significant shift from
previous years, when drought and wildfires were California’s
biggest challenges. Since then, atmospheric rivers, Tropical
Storm Hilary and other weather events battered our farming
communities. - Written by Matthew Viohl, director of federal
policy for the California Farm Bureau
Tour participants during a hard hat tour of Hoover DamThis tour explored the lower Colorado River firsthand where virtually every drop of the river is allocated, yet demand is growing from myriad sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and climate change.
The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to some 40 million people in the Southwest across seven states, 30 tribal nations and Mexico. How the Lower Basin states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial needs was the focus of this tour.
Hilton Garden Inn Las Vegas Strip South
7830 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89123
Water, the essence of life, is an indispensable resource
intricately woven into the fabric of our daily existence. From
the food on our plates to the gadgets in our hands, water
silently plays a pivotal role in the creation of almost
everything we encounter. In a world where water scarcity is a
looming concern, it is essential to explore the profound impact
of water in the production of goods and services that shape our
lives as well as the food we feed our families. -Written by Mike Wade, executive director of the
California Farm Water Coalition
This tour explored the Sacramento River and its tributaries through a scenic landscape while learning about the issues associated with a key source for the state’s water supply.
All together, the river and its tributaries supply 35 percent of California’s water and feed into two major projects: the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project.
Water Education Foundation
2151 River Plaza Drive, Suite 205
Sacramento, CA 95833
The 3ʳᵈ International Conference, Toward Sustainable Groundwater in Agriculture: Linking Science & Policy took place from June 18 – 20. Organized by the Water Education Foundation and the UC Davis Robert M. Hagan Endowed Chair, the conference provided scientists, policymakers, agricultural and environmental interest group representatives, government officials and consultants with the latest scientific, management, legal and policy advances for sustaining our groundwater resources in agricultural regions around the world.
The conference keynote address was provided by Mark Arax, an award-winning journalist and author of books chronicling agriculture and water issues in California’s Central Valley. Arax comes from a family of Central Valley farmers and is praised for writing books that are deeply profound, heartfelt and nuanced including The Dreamt Land, West of the West and The King of California. He did a reading from his latest book The Dreamt Land and commented on the future of groundwater in the Valley during his keynote lunch talk on June 18.
Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport
1333 Bayshore Hwy
Burlingame, CA 94010
Tour participants during a hard hat tour of Hoover DamThis tour explored the lower Colorado River firsthand where virtually every drop of the river is allocated, yet demand is growing from myriad sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and climate change.
The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to some 40 million people in the Southwest across seven states, 30 tribal nations and Mexico. How the Lower Basin states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial needs was the focus of this tour.
Hilton Garden Inn Las Vegas Strip South
7830 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89123
This special Foundation water tour journeyed along the Eastern Sierra from the Truckee River to Mono Lake, through the Owens Valley and into the Mojave Desert to explore a major source of water for Southern California, this year’s snowpack and challenges for towns, farms and the environment.
This tour explored the Sacramento River and its tributaries through a scenic landscape while learning about the issues associated with a key source for the state’s water supply.
All together, the river and its tributaries supply 35 percent of California’s water and feed into two major projects: the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project.
Water Education Foundation
2151 River Plaza Drive, Suite 205
Sacramento, CA 95833
This tour explored the Sacramento River and its tributaries
through a scenic landscape while learning about the issues
associated with a key source for the state’s water supply.
All together, the river and its tributaries supply 35 percent of
California’s water and feed into two major projects: the State
Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project.
Water Education Foundation
2151 River Plaza Drive, Suite 205
Sacramento, CA 95833
This tour traveled along the San Joaquin River to learn firsthand
about one of the nation’s largest and most expensive river
restoration projects.
The San Joaquin River was the focus of one of the most
contentious legal battles in California water history,
ending in a 2006 settlement between the federal government,
Friant Water Users Authority and a coalition of environmental
groups.
Hampton Inn & Suites Fresno
327 E Fir Ave
Fresno, CA 93720
This tour explored the lower Colorado River firsthand where virtually every drop of the river is allocated, yet demand is growing from myriad sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and climate change.
The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to some 40 million people in the Southwest across seven states, 30 tribal nations and Mexico. How the Lower Basin states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial needs was the focus of this tour.
Hyatt Place Las Vegas At Silverton Village
8380 Dean Martin Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89139
This tour ventured through California’s Central Valley, known as the nation’s breadbasket thanks to an imported supply of surface water and local groundwater. Covering about 20,000 square miles through the heart of the state, the valley provides 25 percent of the nation’s food, including 40 percent of all fruits, nuts and vegetables consumed throughout the country.
The lower Colorado River has virtually every drop allocated, yet demand is growing from myriad sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and climate change.
The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to 40 million people in the Southwest across seven states, 30 tribal nations and Mexico. How the Lower Basin states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial needs was the focus of this tour.
Hyatt Place Las Vegas At Silverton Village
8380 Dean Martin Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89139
This tour guided participants on a virtual exploration of the Sacramento River and its tributaries and learn about the issues associated with a key source for the state’s water supply.
All together, the river and its tributaries supply 35 percent of California’s water and feed into two major projects: the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project.
This tour guided participants on a virtual journey deep into California’s most crucial water and ecological resource – the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The 720,000-acre network of islands and canals support the state’s two major water systems – the State Water Project and the Central Valley Project. The Delta and the connecting San Francisco Bay form the largest freshwater tidal estuary of its kind on the West coast.
This event explored the lower Colorado River where virtually every drop of the river is allocated, yet demand is growing from myriad sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and climate change.
The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to 40 million people in the Southwest across seven states and Mexico. How the Lower Basin states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial needs was the focus of this tour.
This tour explored the lower Colorado River where virtually every drop of the river is allocated, yet demand is growing from myriad sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and climate change.
The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to 40 million people in the Southwest across seven states and Mexico. How the Lower Basin states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial needs is the focus of this tour.
Silverton Hotel
3333 Blue Diamond Road
Las Vegas, NV 89139
This 2-day, 1-night tour offered participants the opportunity to
learn about water issues affecting California’s scenic Central
Coast and efforts to solve some of the challenges of a region
struggling to be sustainable with limited local supplies that
have potential applications statewide.
This tour explored the Sacramento River and its tributaries
through a scenic landscape as participants learned about the
issues associated with a key source for the state’s water supply.
All together, the river and its tributaries supply 35 percent of
California’s water and feed into two major projects: the State
Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project. Tour
participants got an on-site update of Oroville Dam spillway
repairs.
We explored the lower Colorado River where virtually every drop
of the river is allocated, yet demand is growing from myriad
sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and
climate change.
The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to 40 million people in
the Southwest across seven states and Mexico. How the Lower Basin
states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this
water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial
needs was the focus of this tour.
Hampton Inn Tropicana
4975 Dean Martin Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89118
This three-day, two-night tour explored the lower Colorado River
where virtually every drop of the river is allocated, yet demand
is growing from myriad sources — increasing population,
declining habitat, drought and climate change.
The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to 40 million people in
the Southwest across seven states and Mexico. How the Lower Basin
states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this
water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial
needs is the focus of this tour.
Best Western McCarran Inn
4970 Paradise Road
Las Vegas, NV 89119
This tour explored the Sacramento River and its tributaries
through a scenic landscape as participants learned about the
issues associated with a key source for the state’s water supply.
All together, the river and its tributaries supply 35 percent of
California’s water and feed into two major projects: the State
Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project. Tour
participants got an on-site update of repair efforts on the
Oroville Dam spillway.
Participants of this tour snaked along the San Joaquin River to
learn firsthand about one of the nation’s largest and most
expensive river restoration projects.
The San Joaquin River was the focus of one of the most
contentious legal battles in California water history,
ending in a 2006 settlement between the federal government,
Friant Water Users Authority and a coalition of environmental
groups.
Groundwater replenishment happens
through direct recharge and in-lieu recharge. Water used for
direct recharge most often comes from flood flows, water
conservation, recycled water, desalination and water
transfers.
Water is expensive – and securing enough money to ensure
reliability and efficiency of the state’s water systems and
ecosystems is a constant challenge.
In 2014, California voters approved Proposition 1, authorizing a
$7.5 billion bond to fund water projects throughout the state.
This included investments in water storage, watershed protection
and restoration, groundwater sustainability and drinking water
protection.
California agriculture is going to have to learn to live with the
impacts of climate change and work toward reducing its
contributions of greenhouse gas emissions, a Yolo County walnut
grower said at the Jan. 26 California Climate Change Symposium in
Sacramento.
“I don’t believe we are going to be able to adapt our way out of
climate change,” said Russ Lester, co-owner of Dixon Ridge Farms
in Winters. “We need to mitigate for it. It won’t solve the
problem but it can slow it down.”
From the Greek “xeros” and Middle Dutch “scap,”
xeriscape was coined
in 1978 and literally translates to “dry scene.”
Xeriscaping, by extension, is making an environment which can
tolerate dryness. This involves installing drought-resistant and
slow-growing plants to reduce water use.
Irrigation is the artificial supply
of water to grow crops or plants. Obtained from either surface or groundwater, it optimizes
agricultural production when the amount of rain and where it
falls is insufficient. Different irrigation
systems are not necessarily mutually exclusive, but in
practical use are often combined. Much of the agriculture in
California and the West relies on irrigation.
Excess salinity poses a growing
threat to food production, drinking water quality and public
health. Salts increase the cost of urban drinking water and
wastewater treatment, which are paid for by residents and
businesses. Increasing salinity is likely the largest long-term
chronic water quality impairment to surface and groundwater in California’s Central
Valley.
California’s severe drought has put its water rights system under
scrutiny, raising the question whether a complete overhaul is
necessary to better allocate water use.
(Read the excerpt below from the July/August 2015 issue along
with the editor’s note. Click here
to subscribe to Western Water and get full access.)
Introduction
California’s severe drought has put its water rights system under
scrutiny, raising the question whether a complete overhaul is
necessary to better allocate water use.
This issue looks at remote sensing applications and how satellite
information enables analysts to get a better understanding of
snowpack, how much water a plant actually uses, groundwater
levels, levee stability and more.
This 3-day, 2-night tour, which we do every spring,
travels the length of the San Joaquin Valley, giving participants
a clear understanding of the State Water Project and Central
Valley Project.
This printed issue of Western Water examines
agricultural water use – its successes, the planned state
regulation to quantify its efficiency and the potential for
greater savings.
This Western Water looks at proposed new measures to deal with
the century-old problem of salinity with a special focus on San
Joaquin Valley farms and cities.
The Reclamation Act of 1902, which could arguably be described as
a progression of the credo, Manifest Destiny, transformed the
West. This issue of Western Water provides a glimpse of the past
100 years of the Reclamation Act, from the early visionaries who
sought to turn the arid West into productive farmland, to the
modern day task of providing a limited amount of water to homes,
farms and the environment. Included are discussions of various
Bureau projects and what the next century may bring in terms of
challenges and success.
30-minute DVD that traces the history of the U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation and its role in the development of the West. Includes
extensive historic footage of farming and the construction of
dams and other water projects, and discusses historic and modern
day issues.
A new look for our most popular product! And it’s the perfect
gift for the water wonk in your life.
Our 24×36-inch California Water Map is widely known for being the
definitive poster that shows the integral role water plays in the
state. On this updated version, it is easier to see California’s
natural waterways and man-made reservoirs and aqueducts
– including federally, state and locally funded
projects – the wild and scenic rivers system, and
natural lakes. The map features beautiful photos of
California’s natural environment, rivers, water projects,
wildlife, and urban and agricultural uses and the
text focuses on key issues: water supply, water use, water
projects, the Delta, wild and scenic rivers and the Colorado
River.
This beautiful 24×36 inch poster, suitable for framing, features
a map of the San Joaquin River. The map text focuses on the San
Joaquin River Restoration Program, which aims to restore flows
and populations of Chinook salmon to the river below Friant Dam
to its confluence with the Merced River. The text discusses the
history of the program, its goals and ongoing challenges with
implementation.
This beautiful 24×36-inch poster, suitable for framing, displays
the rivers, lakes and reservoirs, irrigated farmland, urban areas
and Indian reservations within the Klamath River Watershed. The
map text explains the many issues facing this vast,
15,000-square-mile watershed, including fish restoration;
agricultural water use; and wetlands. Also included are
descriptions of the separate, but linked, Klamath Basin
Restoration Agreement and the Klamath Hydroelectric Agreement,
and the next steps associated with those agreements. Development
of the map was funded by a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.
This beautiful 24×36-inch poster, suitable for framing, displays
the rivers, lakes and reservoirs, irrigated farmland, urban areas
and Indian reservations within the Truckee River Basin, including
the Newlands Project, Pyramid Lake and Lake Tahoe. Map text
explains the issues surrounding the use of the Truckee-Carson
rivers, Lake Tahoe water quality improvement efforts, fishery
restoration and the effort to reach compromise solutions to many
of these issues.
This 24×36 inch poster, suitable for framing, illustrates the
water resources available for Nevada cities, agriculture and the
environment. It features natural and manmade water resources
throughout the state, including the Truckee and Carson rivers,
Lake Tahoe, Pyramid Lake and the course of the Colorado River
that forms the state’s eastern boundary.
Water as a renewable resource is depicted in this 18×24 inch
poster. Water is renewed again and again by the natural
hydrologic cycle where water evaporates, transpires from plants,
rises to form clouds, and returns to the earth as precipitation.
Excellent for elementary school classroom use.
With irrigation projects that import water, farmers have
transformed millions of acres of land into highly productive
fields and orchards. But the dry climate that provides an almost
year-round farming season can hasten salt build up in soils. The
build-up of salts in poorly drained soils can decrease crop
productivity, and there are links between drainage water from
irrigated fields and harmful impacts on fish and wildlife.
The 24-page Layperson’s Guide to the Central Valley Project
explores the history and development of the federal Central
Valley Project (CVP), California’s largest surface water delivery
system. In addition to the project’s history, the guide describes
the various facilities, operations and benefits the water
project brings to the state along with the CVP
Improvement Act (CVPIA).
The 24-page Layperson’s Guide to the State Water Project provides
an overview of the California-funded and constructed State Water
Project.
The State Water Project is best known for the 444-mile-long
aqueduct that provides water from the Delta to San Joaquin Valley
agriculture and southern California cities. The guide contains
information about the project’s history and facilities.
The 28-page Layperson’s Guide to Groundwater is an in-depth,
easy-to-understand publication that provides background and
perspective on groundwater. The guide explains what groundwater
is – not an underground network of rivers and lakes! – and the
history of its use in California.
The 28-page Layperson’s Guide to Water Rights Law, recognized as
the most thorough explanation of California water rights law
available to non-lawyers, traces the authority for water flowing
in a stream or reservoir, from a faucet or into an irrigation
ditch through the complex web of California water rights.
The 20-page Layperson’s Guide to Water Marketing provides
background information on water rights, types of transfers and
critical policy issues surrounding this topic. First published in
1996, the 2005 version offers expanded information on
groundwater banking and conjunctive use, Colorado River
transfers and the role of private companies in California’s
developing water market.
Order in bulk (25 or more copies of the same guide) for a reduced
fee. Contact the Foundation, 916-444-6240, for details.
The Water Education Foundation’s second edition of
the Layperson’s Guide to The Klamath River Basin is
hot off the press and available for purchase.
Updated and redesigned, the easy-to-read overview covers the
history of the region’s tribal, agricultural and environmental
relationships with one of the West’s largest rivers — and a
vast watershed that hosts one of the nation’s oldest and
largest reclamation projects.
There are two constants regarding agricultural water use –
growers will continue to come up with ever more efficient and
innovative ways to use water and they will always be pressed to
do more.
It’s safe to say the matter will not be settled anytime soon,
given all the complexities that are a part of the water use
picture today. While officials and stakeholders grapple to find a
lasting solution to California’s water problems that balances
environmental and economic needs, those who grow food and fiber
for a living do so amid a host of challenges.
Land retirement is a practice that takes agricultural lands out
of production due to poor drainage and soils containing high
levels of salt and selenium (a mineral found in soil).
Typically, landowners are paid to retire land. The purchaser,
often a local water district, then places a deed restriction on
the land to prevent growing crops with irrigation water (a source
of salt). Growers in some cases may continue to farm using rain
water, a method known as dry farming.
Evaporation ponds contain agricultural drainage water and are
used when agricultural growers do not have access to rivers for
drainage disposal.
Drainage water is the only source of water in many of these
ponds, resulting in extremely high concentrations of salts.
Concentrations of other trace elements such as selenium are also
elevated in evaporation basins, with a wide degree of variability
among basins.
Such ponds resemble wetland areas that birds use for nesting and
feeding grounds and may pose risks to waterfowl and shorebirds.
The Coachella Valley in Southern California’s Inland Empire is
one of several valleys throughout the state with a water district
established to support agriculture.
Like the others, the Coachella Valley Water District in Riverside
County delivers water to arid agricultural lands and constructs,
operates and maintains a regional agricultural drainage system.
These systems collect drainage water from individual farm drain
outlets and convey the water to a point of reuse, disposal or
dilution.
