Updated June, 2021: California farms are bearing the brunt of this year’s short water supply and have been forced to reduce the acreage of popular California crops, such as asparagus, melons, lettuce, rice, tomatoes, sweet corn, and others. Water supply reductions mean fewer fresh fruits and vegetables for consumers, massive farm-related job losses, and billions […]
Click here to see the latest map. Updated: June 2021 California farms are bearing the brunt of this year’s short water supply and have been forced to reduce the acreage of popular California crops, such as asparagus, melons, lettuce, rice, tomatoes, sweet corn, and others. Water supply reductions mean fewer fresh fruits and vegetables for […]
Info Graph – What can the 2015 drought tell us about the impacts of a drought in 2021? Taking a look back at a similar water year can help us understand what might be in store for us through the rest of this year and possibly beyond. California is in a critically dry year, the […]
Managing More Efficiently with New Technologies – Precipitation Forecasting Imagine the possibilities if we knew months in advance if the water year was likely to be wet or dry – with the same accuracy as that of a three- to five-day weather forecast. Growers could make spring planting decisions with reduced uncertainty and water agencies […]
Much has been written lately about a new water futures contract market that provides a way for individuals to profit (or lose) off of fluctuating water prices in California. Based on the Nasdaq Veles Water Index (Index), buyers and sellers are able to speculate on the future price of water to either hedge against price […]
Recent fish surveys confirm what many biologists, ecologists, and water experts have known for some time – Delta smelt remain on the brink of extinction. Zero Delta smelt were found in the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s recent Fall Midwater Trawl Survey. Even the Enhanced Delta Smelt Monitoring Program, which is specifically designed to […]
Much has been written in the last few weeks about the impact an incoming Biden administration will have on the war of lawsuits between California and the Trump administration. Unfortunately, because conflict is often more interesting to write about than cooperative progress towards joint goals, these articles miss a lot of the positive work underway in […]
LA Times columnist Michael Hiltzik recently published a column that contained an outrageous statement related to California’s water supply that is completely out-of-touch with the reality that California farmers live every day. He stated, “Central Valley growers often talk as though only their water needs should count in California. . .” He’s either been living […]
Conflict to Collaboration A regulatory approach has dominated water management in California over the past three decades. This was a significant shift from the development phase of California’s water system, as described by water policy expert Tim Quinn, former executive director of the Association of California Water Agencies. Many believe that policy-makers and water users […]
Support for Farmers During Covid 19 Should be Mirrored with Support for Reliable Water Californians are resourceful by nature and a prime example of that creativity is support for farmers during COVID 19 mirrored with support for reliable water. A July 9, 2020 article in the Washington Post highlighted a few of those efforts. (Farm […]