South-of-Delta CVP Allocation Announcement Many contractors in the CVP are scratching their heads at the latest USBR allocation announcement for South-of-Delta deliveries that was finally released late in the farm planning season. In the wettest year on record, with approximately 200% of average precipitation, a lot of people are asking questions- Why is the allocation only 65%? Why […]
Out-of-Touch Federal Bureaucrats Actively Obstructing Emergency Fixes at Oroville
You can’t make this stuff up While California water officials deal with historic flooding and neglected infrastructure as well as emergency efforts to protect people and property from the next storms, our federal bureaucracy is also hard at work. Except its hard work is directed at putting up roadblocks to the very emergency repairs California […]
CFWC Statement on Oroville Dam Operations
“This winter’s record-breaking storms have tested our state and its infrastructure in ways no one could have predicted. The past week has been particularly frightening for people in and around the City of Oroville. We’d first like to say how glad we are that hundreds of thousands of people were able to safely evacuate and […]
Response to the State Water Control Board’s Water Quality Control Plan
The State Water Resources Control Board has released its Water Quality Control Plan which, if implemented, will cause significant harm to California residents without quantifying any specific environmental benefits. In taking this step, Felicia Marcus, the Board’s Chairwoman noted that San Joaquin River flows have not been updated since 1995. We fully agree it’s time that state […]
Amount of idled farmland is five times greater than report states
UC Davis drought report On August 15 the Center for Watershed Sciences released a UC Davis drought report titled “Economic Analysis of the 2016 California Drought on Agriculture.” The report was a follow-on to reports commissioned by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and released previously in 2014 and 2015. Of note in the […]
Central Valley Project Users Can’t Get a Break
WATER SUPPLIES ARE better than normal in Northern California, so why is it that Central Valley Project (CVP) water users can’t get a break? The water users in question are the farms and ranches in the San Joaquin Valley that rely on the federal Central Valley Project water conveyance system. They are set to receive […]
Statement on Allocation of California Water by USBR
Today’s announcement of a 5 percent allocation for Central Valley Project water users south of the Delta is another blow to farmers, rural communities and consumers who buy California farm products. If last year is any indication a number of specialty crops grown on the San Joaquin Valley’s Westside will once again be on the […]
Treated recycled water added to farmers’ arsenal of water supplies
(The following is a statement by Mike Wade, Executive Director of the California Farm Water Coalition, in response to the North Valley Regional Recycled Water Program that is planned to deliver treated recycled water to farmers.) SACRAMENTO—“The California Farm Water Coalition applauds the cities of Turlock and Modesto as they celebrate the certification of the […]
Illegal diversions, wasteful water use threatens water supply
Statement by Mike Wade, Executive Director: Illegal diversions, wasteful water use threatens water supply “We applaud Governor Brown for taking more decisive steps toward increased water conservation and improving water management among all water users during this unprecedented drought. “Identifying illegal diversions and wasteful use of water will benefit the state’s overall water supply. Whether […]
Opposition to California Drought Legislation is Misleading
Opposition to H.R. 5781 is Misleading H.R. 5781, Congressman David Valadao’s drought relief bill requires water exports to stay within the existing salmon and Delta smelt biological opinions. Concerns raised by NRDC’s Doug Obegi are a red herring to thwart progress on providing water to a parched Central Valley. Exports may increase, as Obegi says, […]