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

Irrigation wastewater may be answer to damaged soils

Coalition response…This story reflects the work of farmers, local water districts, certain environmental groups, and state and federal agencies to resolve the runoff of certain minerals from nearly 100,000 acres in the Grasslands Drainage Area south of Los Banos. From 1995 to 2010, the drainage of selenium from the soils to the San Joaquin River was decreased by 87% and the reduced amounts for salt and boron were 72% and 64% respectively.

It is important to realize that none of the farm water drainage from these lands ever flowed into the Kesterson Reservoir.

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

California’s Delta water drain scheme is like “Chinatown” all over again

Coalition response…No one disputes that the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is in trouble and in need of fixing. Likewise, the State and federal water projects were built when California’s population was less than half of today’s 38 million. The Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) provides a means to remedy these problems in a manner that benefits all Californians. The BDCP tunnels will receive water from the Sacramento River in an area that the endangered Delta smelt is not present. The water flowing through the tunnels will be delivered to 25 million Californians and 3 million acres of farmland that grows the fresh fruits, vegetables and other crops that the public depend upon. Habitat will also be created to protect endangered fish from predators. The amount of water that will be delivered is controlled by existing contracts that provide users with rights to that water. The BDCP is designed to reliably deliver water that people already have a right to use. It will not “drain” the Delta and, in fact, is prohibited by law from doing so. See the facts about the BDCP’s export restrictions at farmwater.org/exportthrottle.pdf.

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

Protect our water future

Coalition response…Existing contracts govern the amount of water that will be delivered to users south of the Delta through the tunnels. The tunnels serve a two-fold purpose, creating a reliable water supply of available water and protecting fish in the Delta. There are no provisions within the Bay Delta Conservation Plan that would increase the amount of water for water users beyond the current contracts.

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

Californians needlessly soaked for water

Coalition response…Southern California residents have much at stake when it comes to a safe and secure water supply. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is a critical component of the state’s water supply system and assuring that it works properly should be high on our list of priorities. We have already seen a loss of more than 800,000 ace-feet of water this year alone because of environmental restrictions that affect Southern California’s water supply. Fortunately a plan is in the works that protects the environment and delivers the water we need.

The Bay Delta Conservation Plan is a comprehensive effort to improve water supply reliability and the Delta ecosystem. It is much more than creating a few wetlands and building a pair of tunnels. The BDCP is an approach to fixing numerous ecological and conveyance issues that currently prevent the reliable delivery of water. Scientists and researchers have worked for years in developing the BDCP as the best opportunity to create a dependable water supply and a restored Delta ecosystem. The result of these efforts is the current BDCP and it provides 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.

‘Bay Delta Destruction Plan’ panned by Congressman John Garamendi

Coalition response… Rep. Garamendi mentions some ideas that he believes will help resolve the Delta’s ecosystem disaster and California’s water supply crisis but their effectiveness is questionable. Many of the conservation and recycling ideas he proposes are already well underway in both the farming community and urban parts of the state.

Drip and micro-irrigation acreage has increased dramatically in recent years. From 1994 to 2008 the acreage devoted to drip irrigation throughout California has increased 150 percent. During the same period areas of the San Joaquin Valley’s Westside saw a 13 fold increase in drip irrigation acreage from 17,235 acres to almost 225,000 acres.  A 2011 report by the Center for Irrigation Technology showed that there are approximately 330,000 acre-feet of water left to be conserved on the farm. And those savings would likely end up irrigating land taken out of production as a result of supplies previously lost to regulatory water supply cuts. This year alone agriculture lost over 300,000 acre-feet due to federal ESA pumping restrictions.

BDCP is designed to remedy some of the same problems that the congressman points to, such as fish populations and ecosystem needs. A report by the National Research Council shows that resolving problems in the Delta cannot be accomplished by addressing stressors one at a time. Besides the congressman’s concern about export pumping, where does he stand on predatory fish consuming 93 percent of the baby salmon before they make it to the ocean? Salmon and Delta smelt populations won’t improve until all of the challenges they face receive adequate attention.

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

Let’s try a delta smelt hatchery

Coalition response…The frustration expressed by the letter-writer is shared by many, including farmers who are unable to plant their fields because of restricted water supplies and city residents who have seen their water bills go up. But the Delta smelt, which has caused much of these effects on Californians, is listed under the Endangered Species Act. That means the law says it must be protected.

The Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) and its two tunnels are the best hope to provide farmers and the urban community with a reliable water supply and, at the same time, increase habitat for the smelt and other species in the Delta.

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

Reservoirs should stay in water bond

Coalition response…The author correctly explains the importance of reservoirs during dry times like we are currently experiencing and the need to increase storage in the future. Just as important is the need to resolve the movement of water through the Delta to 25 million Californians and 3 million acres of farmland that grows food for all of us. Federal regulations written to protect endangered fish have created roadblocks to water deliveries and offset the value of our reservoirs in providing water when needed. These regulations took away more than 800,000 acre-feet of water, that’s 260 billion gallons of water, from farms, cities and businesses earlier this year. The loss of this water also caused the reduction in water deliveries announced earlier this year from the two major water systems in California.

This federal roadblock emphasizes the need to move forward with the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP), which is designed to create a reliable water supply and restore the Delta ecosystem. Moving the intake location for water to the north Delta from the south benefits fish and provides a delivery reliability that is crucial to California. More than 100,000 acres of habitat will be created through the efforts of BDCP, which is the best option that we have in securing a water future that benefits our state.

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

Recycling water is the best solution

Coalition response…Recycling should play a role in water management in the future, as well as conservation. But neither will provide a reliable, affordable water supply needed by almost 4,000 San Joaquin Valley farmers to grow the food that we depend on. Nor will recycling and conservation improve habitat in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.. The Bay Delta Conservation Plan and its goals to create a reliable water supply and restore the Delta ecosystem provides the best opportunity for a secure water future in our state.

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

Deck stacked against north on water?

Coalition response…Expressing concern about the security of Sacramento Valley water supplies, as this editorial does, is a reasonable reaction when considering California’s water future. One important factor involving that water future, as well as past and present water issues, is that the State Water Code issues assurance to existing water rights; meaning that new water projects cannot negatively impact current water rights.

Also, the amount of water transported through the tunnels will be dependent on the available water supply. If the water supply in the river is low, then the flow through the tunnel will be less than the 9,000 cubic feet per second. Visit farmwater.org/exportthrottle.pdf to learn more about the transfer of water through the tunnels.

Lastly, past transfers of water from willing sellers in the Sacramento Valley to willing buyers south of the Delta are required to not harm the existing ecosystem, including aquifers. The Bay Delta Conservation Plan will not alter that requirement.

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

Congressman Garamendi releases comprehensive water plan for all of California

Coalition response…Rep. Garamendi’s water plan includes water management strategies that have already been implemented by public water agencies, such as conservation and recycling. While they can help serve local water users, they’re not as inexpensive as the congressman thinks. His plan lacks the details on how these achievements should be enhanced in a way that protects local water users from skyrocketing water bills. New storage systems are ineffective unless we have the ability to move sufficient water at the right time of the year to meet local water needs, including water to produce food during the height of the summer growing season. If Rep. Garamendi is concerned about California’s water delivery system and the environmental challenges the Bay Delta Conservation Plan is designed to overcome, then he needs to thoroughly read the more than 18,000 pages in the BDCP’s environmental documentation, the most comprehensive review of any project of its kind in the United States.