Dear Western Water readers:

Farmers in the Central Valley are broiling about California’s plan to increase flows in the Sacramento and San Joaquin river systems to help struggling salmon runs avoid extinction. But in one corner of the fertile breadbasket, River Garden Farms is taking part in some extraordinary efforts to provide the embattled fish with refuge from predators and food to eat.

And while there is no direct benefit to one farm’s voluntary actions, the belief is what’s good for the fish is good for the farmers.

“How well [salmon] do is how well the rest of us do with our water supply,” said Roger Cornwell, general manager of River Garden Farms in Knights Landing, about 30 miles north of Sacramento. “Water is a fundamental business asset … and we’re going to be investing in our water.”

Western Water writer Gary Pitzer examined River Garden Farms’ efforts, why they pursued them and what it could mean for other areas of the Central Valley where salmon are imperiled.

Read the full story here.

Water Around the West

Here are five don’t-miss articles from the last week:

Scientists battle alien snails in SF Bay in effort to restore native oysters. The San Francisco Chronicle’s Peter Fimrite dives into the battle to bring back the long-lost Olympia oysters, California’s only native oyster, which once blanketed subtidal regions from Southern California to southeastern Alaska until they were ravaged by human excess. Restoration efforts are being frustrated by a ravenous invader called the whelk snail, and nobody has figured out a way to stop the slaughter, except by hand-plucking the snails en masse.

Arizona’s plan to withdraw years worth of ‘banked’ CAP water lagging. Tony Davis with the Arizona Daily Star explores how Arizona had the foresight to quietly bank huge amounts of Colorado River water in dozens of large sand and gravel-filled basins until the state is ready to use it, but left a key detail unsettled: how to get it out when it’s needed.

Bird Species Collapse in the Mojave, Driven by Climate Change. Amanda Heidt, writing for KQED, reports on a new study that shows bird populations in the Mojave are plummeting for lack of water, in an imbalance driven by climate change.

Why One Arizona County Could Upend the Southwest’s Drought Plan. Matt Weiser writing in Water Deeply examines how just 500 farmers in one Arizona county may decide the fate of the entire Southwest: By holding tight to their own temporary water supply, they could stall a conservation plan designed to save the entire region from water shortages.

There’s a time bomb for US-Mexico relations ticking underground. Zoe Schlanger, writing in Quartz, explores how little is known about the underground aquifers that extend across the U.S.-Mexico border and how they might be the only sources of water the region will have left when the Rio Grande, hit by a one-two punch of climate change and a booming population, inevitably dries up.

Water Word

Water Word of the Day: Sacramento River. Once called “the Nile of the West,” the Sacramento River drains the inland slopes of the Klamath Mountains, the Cascade Range, the Coast Ranges and the western slopes of the northern Sierra Nevada. But reclamation and leveeing of riparian lands for agricultural and urban use has reduced critical habitat, one of many factors that have caused an overall decline in Sacramento River salmon and steelhead runs in recent years. Read more about the Sacramento River in Aquapedia, our free, vetted online water encyclopedia.

At the Foundation

Join the Foundation for two noteworthy events coming up — our 35th annual Water Summit on Sept. 20 in Sacramento, and a free workshop on San Joaquin Valley land subsidence on Oct. 2 in Fresno. The Water Summit will feature keynote addresses by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman and climate scientist Daniel Swain. In addition, top policymakers and leading stakeholders will provide the latest information and viewpoints on issues affecting water statewide and across the West. The land subsidence workshop at Fresno State will highlight ongoing land subsidence monitoring, and assistance from California Department of Water Resources for local agency compliance with the state’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Learn more about both here. 

Water Academy

California thrives on a complex and diverse network of natural waterways and man-made reservoirs and aqueducts – including federally, state and locally funded projects – as well as wild and scenic rivers and natural lakes. Our poster-size California Water Map features beautiful photos of California’s natural environment, rivers, water projects, wildlife, and urban and agricultural uses. You can learn more about key issues facing California water, including supply, use, projects, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, wild and scenic rivers and the Colorado River.