Wells dry up, crops imperiled, workers in limbo as California drought grips San Joaquin Valley [Los Angeles Times]
As yet another season of drought returns to California, the mood has grown increasingly grim across the vast and fertile San Joaquin Valley. … Some growers say they are now facing a convergence of forces that is all but insurmountable — a seemingly endless loop of hot, dry weather, new environmental protections and cutbacks in water allotments. “I’m proud of our family’s history in this part of the state,” said John Guthrie, president of the Tulare County Farm Bureau. … “Things were tough enough without having to deal with regulations that are becoming more onerous by the day,” Guthrie said.
‘There’s just no water to waste:’ Sonoma and Mendocino counties brace for renewed restrictions as drought deepens [Santa Rosa Press Democrat]
… The ripples of this new drought are growing in magnitude for the region’s drinking and irrigation water, recreation and wildlife, setting motion a host of complicated moves to stave off the worst effects. … Farm Bureau officials in Sonoma and Mendocino counties, the Russian River Flood Control & Water Conservation Improvement District outside Ukiah, county officials and others are trying to work out a shared solution to propose to the state. … Devon Jones, executive director of the Mendocino County Farm Bureau, said cooperating stakeholders have to develop a proposal that’s both acceptable to the state and palatable enough for junior and senior rights holders to buy in.
Local farmers adapt to drought conditions [KTXL TV, Sacramento]
… For extreme drought counties like Sacramento and Solano, farmer Lindsey Liebig said the effects are already being seen. “When the drought affected us was during our winter crops, so things like hay, irrigated pastures, those types of areas,” Liebig said. “So we’re really seeing the most hard-hit areas right now in our animal industry. We’ll actually, probably, be moving some cattle either out of the state or to different areas in the state.” … “We are well-conditioned to dealing with reduced water resources and really being more effective irrigators,” Liebig said.
Opinion: As drought hits California, long-term issues loom [CalMatters]
… Lurking in the background of this drought, as well as the uncertain supply future, is what would be the most divisive of all water issues — water rights, some of which date back more than a century. The comprehensive water management envisioned in Newsom’s resilience portfolio probably cannot succeed unless the state modifies, seizes or purchases those long-ingrained water use rights. During the previous drought, the state Water Resources Control Board flirted with a direct challenge to historic water rights, but then backed away. In effect, the groundwater regulation law superseded previous legal rights to pump from aquifers and thus could be a precursor to a titanic battle over surface water rights as supplies tighten.
https://calmatters.org/commentary/2021/04/california-drought-water-supply-groundwater/
Growers lawsuit over ‘hero pay’ in City of Coachella moves to federal court [Palm Springs Desert Sun]
A coalition of eastern Coachella Valley agriculture growers in March sued to stop the city of Coachella’s newly approved ordinance requiring them to dispense “hero pay” to farmworkers. Originally filed in Riverside County Superior Court, the lawsuit has now been moved to federal court. An attorney for the city, Christopher M. Pisano, explained that one of the coalition’s claims against Coachella involves federal immigration law, which gives the city the right to ask a federal court, instead of a state court, for a resolution. The plaintiffs — the Western Growers Association, the California Fresh Fruit Association and Growing Coachella Valley — are arguing that wages for foreign workers who are hired to perform a temporary job have to be set by federal law, not by a local ordinance, Pisano said.
Opinion: Cattle grazing and prescribed burns can help California beat devastating wildfires [Sacramento Bee]
… Policymakers now have both the motivation and resources to take urgent action. There are proven strategies to reduce the size, spread and severity of catastrophic wildfires. Among them is one that is decidedly low-tech but unquestionably effective: Expand the use of grazing by cattle, sheep and goats to reduce wildfire fuel. … The other is the use of prescribed burns … In addition to executing plans and conducting training, an effective prescribed burning program must also include policy changes such as reducing liability and reassessing air-quality considerations.
https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/article248955889.html
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