From News Line, a daily compilation of farm water news distributed to CFWC members and others upon request. To receive News Line, click here.

Will We Ever Get Sane About Water?

Coalition response…California farmers grow more than 400 different crops and contrary to the information presented at the conference, most of the crops are not subsidized. These farmers provide a healthy and affordable supply of food items that stock local grocery store shelves and feeds people around the world.

People need to understand that the only subsidy applied to California’s water supply is the interest fees on the construction of the federal Central Valley Project (CVP) over 60 years ago. When Congress authorized the construction costs for Shasta Dam and the other reservoirs and miles of canals to deliver water to where it could be used beneficially, the decision was made that the water users would repay all the costs except the interest charges. This has proven to be a wise decision with billions of dollars in crops produced from the lands that receive CVP water.

The California State Water Project (SWP) was built later and state officials decided to include the interest costs. The decision was also made to require those receiving water to pay the full contract costs each year regardless of how much water is delivered. In 1990, farmers received zero percent of their SWP water supply. That means they paid 100 percent of their contract costs but received no water.

California farmers are striving to provide a food supply that stretches around the world. Increasing their costs could jeopardize that supply.

From News Line, a daily compilation of farm water news distributed to CFWC members and others upon request. To receive News Line, click here.

Falling groundwater levels pose problems for region

Coalition response…One element of the equation that was left out of this article is the changing priority in California over environmental water. More than 3 million acre-feet of water that once served farms, homes and businesses have been “re-prioritized” each year for environmental purposes. Unfortunately, unlike urban and agricultural public water agencies, environmental uses are not required to meet any sort of efficiency standards. Taxpayers should be concerned that public funds and water resources used for environmental restoration activities may not return the value to the state that they expect. Absent efficiency standards, even the most rudimentary ones, a tremendous amount of water and money can be wasted with no accountability.

As the State Water Resources Control Board considers new flow standards on the Tuolumne River, farmers in the Turlock and Modesto Irrigation districts, and others, stand to lose almost one-third of the surface water that they currently depend on to irrigate their crops. Any benefits that water will have for the environment are undetermined. Environmental water use efficiency standards are long overdue.

From News Line, a daily compilation of farm water news distributed to CFWC members and others upon request. To receive News Line, click here.

Viewpoints: The Economic case for a Bay Delta Conservation Plan without the twin tunnels

Coalition response…Jeffrey Michael and a handful of others have long campaigned against the proposed tunnels of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan. They fail to accept that farmers and 25 million Californians have been losing water for years because of federal regulations that restrict deliveries of water that they have a right to receive. Instead, these regulations keep water in the Delta to protect endangered fish. And federal officials have yet to provide proof that these actions actually provide any ecosystem benefits.

The proposed tunnels greatly reduce the impact to fish by using state of the art screens designed to prevent the entrapment complained about loudly by the commercial fishing industry. The tunnels help restore a water supply that its users are paying for and rightfully expect to receive. It is outrageous that the facilities built to deliver water to millions of acres of farmland have run at capacity only 22 days this year. That has had an impact on the number of acres growing fresh fruits and vegetables consumers seek at their local grocery stores as well as the jobs and economic activity created by farming activities.

Without water farmers have been forced to leave a portion of their land unplanted, opening the pathway for more and more food products from other countries to fill local grocery shelves. Is this what Californians want?

From News Line, a daily compilation of farm water news distributed to CFWC members and others upon request. To receive News Line, click here.

Letters: Water issues and agribusiness

Coalition response…Farmers use only 41 percent of the available water supply in California, according to the California Department of Water Resources. The rest goes to the environment (48 percent) and cities/businesses (11 percent). Water users throughout California, including farmers, homeowners and businesses, pay their share of costs to receive the water. Urban users pay for water quality treatment, pressurization in distribution systems and a reliability that assures water will be there when faucets are turned. Farmers do not pay these costs because they do not receive the same benefits. Attempts to characterize water rates that farmers pay as “very low” ignores how rates are set.

Those who benefit from the use of water on farms are consumers who have come to rely upon a safe and healthy food supply in grocery stores.

That supply of water to California farms has been reduced in recent years because of regulations to protect endangered fish, namely the Delta smelt. Instead of sending water to users who have a right to it, the water is kept in the Delta and allowed to flow to the ocean. Federal water officials have yet to provide demonstrable proof that their actions are achieving their intended results.

The Bay Delta Conservation Plan and its proposed tunnels will greatly reduce the impacts on endangered fish. The Plan will restore a reliable supply of water that is delivered to 3 million acres of farmland and 25 million Californians. At the same time, ecosystem restoration will take place in the Delta that will benefit habitat and wildlife. Without implementation of BDCP, water supplies will continue to be reduced and endangered fish will suffer.

Larry Ruhstaller, a Member of the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors, has been chosen to serve as Chair of the Delta Protection Commission effective Tuesday, October 1st, 2013. Mary N. Piepho, Supervisor for Contra Costa County, was elected to serve as Vice Chair.

Ruhstaller has served as the representative for San Joaquin County on the Commission since 2007. When elected at the September 26th meeting of the Commission, the new Chair accepted stating that “the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is one of the state’s most precious natural resources. Decisions made by the Delta Protection Commission can greatly affect the environmental, economic and agricultural health of our region. I am honored to be selected as Chair by my peers, and look forward to an exciting and productive year.”

Don Nottoli, a Member of the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors, stepped down as Commission Chair after completing 2 consecutive terms. Nottoli will continue to serve as a Commission Member. The Commission Chair also serves on the Delta Stewardship Council board.

 

The Delta Protection Commission, created under the 1992 Delta Protection Act, is a State Commission comprised of 15 members representing Delta cities and counties, reclamation districts and water agencies, and State agencies. The Commission provides a forum for Delta residents to engage in decisions regarding actions to recognize and enhance the unique cultural, recreation, and agricultural resources of the Delta.

The Delta Protection Commission meets every other month at locations throughout the Delta. Meeting notices and other information about the Commission is available at www.delta.ca.gov or by calling (916) 375-4800.

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Delta Protection Commission

Release Immediate

Sept. 30, 2013

From News Line, a daily compilation of farm water news distributed to CFWC members and others upon request. To receive News Line, click here.

Who will pay for Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta tunnel project?

Coalition response…This article is full of speculation that results from water officials and agencies doing their jobs by investigating multiple alternatives. The Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) and its proposed tunnels has been seven years in the development process to create a reliable supply of water for 25 million Californians, many of them in Southern California, and 3 million acres of farmland. Farmers use the water that flows through the Delta to grow a food supply that fills the grocery store shelves throughout the state.

Failure to look at the “what ifs” in relation to BDCP would be a mistake in the planning process and, yet, this article portrays these possibilities as negatives.

The beneficiary pays concept is guiding the discussion of who pays for the construction and operation of the tunnels. In other words, those who receive the water that moves through the tunnels will pay according to the benefits they receive.

BDCP remains the best opportunity to secure a water future for California. It will safeguard the economy and protect the jobs we all depend on.

From News Line, a daily compilation of farm water news distributed to CFWC members and others upon request. To receive News Line, click here.

Column: Buffaloes threaten pristine landscape

Coalition response…The Bay Delta Conservation Plan and its proposed tunnels provide multiple benefits that will be felt throughout the state, including the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta which this columnist refers to as a “Huck Finn paradise.” The author correctly cites the soil or “tunnel muck” that will result from the underground boring for the tunnels that will be used to shore up the Delta levees. This is a substantial benefit that will not only protect residents of the region but also those who rely on the water that flows through the Delta in avoiding the consequences of an earthquake.

The cost to Southern California residents for the tunnel construction is estimated at only $3-4 per month per household that will receive BDCP water. Compared to other costs, such as cable TV, a cell phone or even a good latté, that’s cheap insurance for something as vital as the water supply that we depend on every day.

Fish and wildlife will also benefit from the Plan. The effect of south Delta pumps that the author says “chomp up fish” will be greatly diminished with the tunnels. The tunnels will deliver water to the pumps and reduce the pull of water and fish from the main channels of the Delta to the pumps.

The sandhill cranes that visit Staten Island are one of the 57 species listed under the BDCP that will receive increased protection and long-term benefits. Characterizing the cranes as “victims” of the BDCP is misleading since they are already scheduled to benefit from planned ecosystem improvements to occur in the Delta region.

There should be no confusion that the Bay Delta Conservation Plan will provide benefits to people, farms and businesses while creating a reliable water supply and restoring the Delta ecosystem. The result is a secure water future for California.

From News Line, a daily compilation of farm water news distributed to CFWC members and others upon request. To receive News Line, click here.

Southern California water users view Delta tunnel plan as key to reliable future

Coalition response…Matt Weiser does a good job explaining the statewide consequences of failing to invest in our water supply infrastructure. Public water agencies have a responsibility to deliver water to their customers and part of that includes planning for the future. Central Valley agriculture and Southern California businesses provide California with the economic vitality and the food to feed our families like no other place on earth. It takes dependable supplies of water to accomplish those goals and Weiser’s explanation of planned system improvements is helpful in understanding that.

From News Line, a daily compilation of farm water news distributed to CFWC members and others upon request. To receive News Line, click here.

Op-ed: California’s water house of cards

Coalition response…Unreliable surface water deliveries have pushed farmers to groundwater in order to survive. When similar groundwater issues occurred in the 1920’s the State and federal governments initiated the water projects that helped farmers continue to produce fresh fruits and vegetables for California and the nation. Today those projects are crippled by environmental regulations, such as the Endangered Species Act. A comprehensive solution, such as the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, which enhances the ecosystem and invests in new water facilities, is what’s needed to resolve some of today’s groundwater overdraft issues. Doing that should minimize future water supply cuts that have left hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland unproductive and unable to grow the food we all depend on to feed our families.

From News Line, a daily compilation of farm water news distributed to CFWC members and others upon request. To receive News Line, click here.

Central Valley awash in water worries

Coalition response…Unreliable surface water deliveries have pushed farmers to groundwater in order to survive. When similar groundwater issues occurred in the 1920’s the State and federal governments initiated the water projects that turned California into a economic powerhouse. Today those projects are crippled by environmental regulations, such as the Endangered Species Act. A comprehensive solution, such as the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, which enhances the ecosystem and invests in new water facilities, is what’s needed to resolve some of today’s groundwater overdraft issues as well as the water supply cuts that have left hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland fallow and unproductive.