DWR announced today that they are increasing State Water Project allotments from 15 percent to 20 percent thanks in part to recent storms. This is good news for the 25 million Californians and 750,000 acres of farmland that depend on the State Water Project for water supplies. But the drought isn't over.
In its statement, DWR acknowledged that while statewide rainfall totals are near normal for the year, Lake Oroville still remains 34 percent below normal. In addition, runoff projections for the state are just 64 percent of normal, the third below average year in a row.
What to expect
The crowd that typically opposes Delta water exports will claim that this is further proof that California does not need to react to the current water supply situation with new project ideas, such as a canal to move water around the Delta or surface storage projects. But that isn't what DWR's announcement today means. The fact remains that hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland that depend on SWP and CVP water will go without those deliveries this year and as many as 80,000 farm-related jobs will be lost due to man-made water supply cutbacks and drought. You are going to hear more rationale that California's water supply is fine.
Don't be fooled.
A Sensible Decision
Tuesday, 04 November 2008
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has
administered a discount program for farm water users in the past and decided
recently to discontinue it. The program provided farmers with a
discounted water rate in exchange for agreeing to have their supplies reduced
in times of drought. This was a good compromise as long as supplies were
generally reliable.
Water supply reliability has been changing and MWD
decided that it needed that reliability for its larger share of
customers. The program will end on January 1, 2013.
Peter Gleick of the Pacific Institute, on the Capitol Public
Radio Show "Insight," today (Thursday, September 25, 2008) denied that land fallowing is a recommendation in
their new advocacy report "More with Less."When questioned about the language in the report advocating large-scale
land fallowing in the San Joaquin
Valley, Gleick seemed to bristle
and said the report doesn't recommend that.
The report ---“More with
Less”--- by the Oakland-based advocacy group Pacific Institute may have some beneficial aspects to it but it poses a serious threat to
California’s
family farmers.
Legend has it that the emperor Nero played the fiddle while Rome burned.While the truth to the story may never be
known, it is often used as an example to portray someone in power who shirks
their responsibility in the face of dire need.
Is that what's happening with water development plans and
certain Sacramento
"leaders?"It seems as though some in
the legislature would rather play games than work constructively to solve what
has become a very serious situation.Much of California
faced water shortages this summer and the state's farms, homes and businesses
are facing even worse conditions next year if winter rains are anything less
than biblical.
We missed getting a water bond on the November ballot.The next best hope is if the Governor calls a
special election in March.Without
comprehensive reform, new storage and a better system of moving water from
areas of abundance to areas where it is needed, California's economy will not improve.The first to be hit will be the farms that
produce food for a market that is increasingly in demand of locally-produced
products.
Our elected leaders must certainly see the handwriting on
the wall.Will they work together toward
a water solution or will they continue to fiddle?
We've posted some videos in our Video area. Learn about California water and California Farmers. Don't miss the Alfalfa and Pizza Video.
California Water Facts Handout
Learn more about California Water through our Water Facts Handout. This easy to read PDF helps you understand just how much water California farmers are saving each month!
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