By STEFANIE SCHULTE Water Policy Manager New South Wales Irrigators’ Council The old adage “when it rains, it pours” seems quite apt in the context of Australia’s recent water woes. What started with a mainstream news report aired by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in late July about alleged water theft of Federal environmental water in […]
When people talk about the effects of water shortage on the farms and communities of California, they can be tempted to say that rising statewide sales receipts prove that no harm has been done. If only that were true. Unfortunately, the reality is- harm has been done, and overall farm crop sales just aren’t a […]
Peter Fimrite’s story in the San Francisco Chronicle (http://bit.ly/2AOyfBh) brings a positive message about higher numbers of this year’s Fall run Chinook salmon on the Mokelumne River. According to Fimrite, near record numbers of fish have returned, thanks to efforts behind stream bed and habitat improvements. Interestingly, this success has been achieved without a massive […]
Securing California’s water future for farms, families and native species is possible. When we pursue smart policies that foster innovative solutions, everyone benefits. One example of these smart policy solutions is the use of strategically expandable floodplains found in the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan. How can changing how we think about storm flows and […]
A recent San Jose Mercury editorial on Assemblyman Adam Gray’s AB 313 is an over-the-top attack on farms that grow a sizeable portion of the nation’s food. The bill, which has passed both the California Assembly and Senate, allows for an administrative law judge to review water rights decisions by the State Water Resources Control […]
Improving the water footprint in food production, or put another way, improving water use efficiency, is a priority for California’s farmers. Our farmers are dedicated to producing affordable, local farm products as efficiently as possible. Compared to many of our major trade partners, many locally-produced farm products require less water to produce. California’s farmers have […]
CFWC posted the following comment in the LA Times that corrected Beacon Economics’ confusion about the difference between “record revenues” and “net farm gate sales.” Christopher Thornberg of Beacon Economics says California agriculture enjoyed “record revenues” during the drought and, therefore, should be able to afford the tunnels. He confuses “revenue” with “income.” Costs were […]
Managing water under California’s broken water system California’s farm water suppliers don’t shy away from hard work. They never have-but our broken water system (graphic) continues to erode their ability to do the most important part of their job- managing and delivering the water used to grow the food and fiber we all depend on. With […]
Groundwater overdraft is a fixable problem Overdraft. It’s the condition in which something is being removed faster than it’s being replaced. At a bank it’s when you’re spending more money than what you have in your account. In the water world it’s much the same thing. You’re taking more water, usually out of the ground, […]
UC Berkeley Study Confirms: Enough water for 10 million people lost every year A new study by Dr. David L. Sunding of U.C. Berkeley confirms the devastation done to all Californians by a broken water-management system ruled by more than 15 federal, state and local agencies. 1.3 million acre-feet lost every year For more than […]