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

A dry spell Butte County groundwater levels at historic lows

Coalition response…San Joaquin Valley farmers have been aggressive during the past century in managing groundwater supplies. They stepped forward and supported the construction of the Central Valley Project (CVP) that delivered surface water to the region to reduce reliance on groundwater. This support required them to commit billions of dollars toward repaying the costs of constructing the dams, canals, maintenance and operation costs of the CVP.

Another example of improved water supply management is the $2.1 billion farmers have spent upgrading irrigation systems on 1.8 million acres of San Joaquin Valley farmland, including the installation of drip and micro-irrigation technology.

Barbara Vlamis is concerned that the proposed Bay Delta Conservation Plan and its tunnels will “devastate” other regions’ water supplies but there is nothing to support what she is saying. The BDCP is designed to provide reliable deliveries of water that people already have a right to use. And the amount that would be exported is on average the same that has been moved over the past 20 years.