Protect your land and crew: Call 811 before any digging
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tickets are required only for major com- mercial construction or heavy excavation. In reality, California law defines excava- tion broadly. Underground utility lines can be damaged by everyday agricultural ac- tivities, including: • Subsoiling and deep ripping: breaking up hardpan or preparing soil for new or- chards and vineyards. • Installing irrigation systems: trenching for subsurface drip irrigation, mainlines or tile drainage. • Fencing and trellising: driving T-posts, setting wooden fence posts or installing vineyard anchor posts. • Building and landscaping: augering holes for barn posts, installing shade struc- tures or building access roads. • Grading and ditch clearing: regrading field borders, cleaning out irrigation canals or leveling ground. • Stump removal: pulling trees, vines or deep roots near property borders or utility rights of way. If the activity disturbs the soil, it requires a free ticket via 811. How the 811 process works Calling 811 or submitting a locate re- quest online connects you to USA North 811 or Underground Service Alert of Southern California (DigAlert), depending on your region. The process is straightfor- ward, completely free and designed to fit into your pre-operational planning. 1. Outline the dig area: Delineate the perimeter of your proposed work area us- ing white spray paint, flour, stakes or white flags. This helps utility locators quickly identify where you intend to work. 2. Plan ahead: Contact 811 at least two full working days before you plan to begin any soil-disturbing work, excluding week- ends and legal holidays. 3. Submit your request: Provide details about the location, depth and nature of your planned activity. 4. Wait for locators to mark the lines: Professional utility crews such as gas, elec- tric, telecom and water providers will visit your site to mark underground facilities with high-visibility spray paint, flags or stakes at no charge to you. 5. Confirm and dig safely: Check your ticket status online to ensure all mem- ber utility companies have responded or marked their lines. Respect the marks, and use hand tools within the “tolerance zone”—24 inches on either side of the marked line—to expose the line before bringing in heavy machinery. Understanding color codes When utility locators mark your fields, they use a standardized national color code system. Here is a summary: Red: electric power lines, cables, con- duit and lighting cables. Yellow: gas, oil, steam, petroleum or gaseous materials. Orange: communication, alarm or
As spring planting, orchard renovation and infrastructure upgrades get into full swing across California, agricultural oper- ations throughout the state are humming with intense activity. From the Imperial Valley up through the Central Valley and into the North Coast, growers are driving tractors, running deep rippers, installing subsurface drip irrigation lines, driving fence posts and clearing drainage ditches. In the fast-paced world of production agri- culture, where weather windows are tight and operational deadlines are unforgiving, taking shortcuts may seem to be the only way to stay on schedule. However, beneath those fertile fields, or- chards and vineyards lies an unseen net- work of critical infrastructure: high-pres- sure natural gas pipelines, underground electric cables, fiber-optic communica- tions and water delivery mains. Hitting one of these lines with a ripper, auger or backhoe isn’t just an expensive headache; it can be catastrophic. To safeguard agricultural operations, protect farm crews and prevent costly operational disruptions, every California grower and operator should observe one simple rule before breaking ground: Call 811 or visit california811.org at least two working days before you dig. Hidden risks below ground Many farm operators assume that be- cause they own the land—or have farmed the same acreage for decades—they know exactly what is under the soil. But soil con- ditions change over time. Decades of deep tillage, erosion, soil grading and natural settling can drastically alter soil depth above buried utilities. A natural gas line or electric wire that was buried 4 feet deep 30 years ago might now sit just 18 inches below the surface. Furthermore, underground utilities don’t always run in straight lines between markers or utility poles. They curve around subter- ranean obstacles, branch off toward pump houses or follow historical rights of way that may no longer be visible aboveground. Striking an underground utility carries immediate, high-stakes consequences: • Safety hazards: Severe injury or death can result from electrocution, natural gas explosions or high-pressure gas releases. • Financial liabilities: Equipment oper- ators and landowners can be held finan- cially responsible for repair costs, which frequently reach tens or hundreds of thou- sands of dollars, in addition to civil penal- ties under California law. • Operational downtime: Damaging an underground power or gas line can shut down irrigation pumps, cold storage facil- ities, packinghouses and processing lines at the worst possible time. • Community impact: Disrupting fi- ber-optic lines or regional power grids can cut off emergency communications and power for entire rural communities. What qualifies as “digging”? A common misconception among farmers and ranch managers is that 811
Proper trench preparation is key to installing irrigation lines safely. Call 811 before beginning any excavation work to prevent accidental damage to underground pipelines and power cables.
Make safety a daily routine As you manage your daily field oper- ations, make 811 an integral part of your safety checklist. Educate your equipment operators, farm labor contractors and fam- ily members on the importance of check- ing for utility markings before starting any soil-disturbing task. Before you lower the ripper, drive a post or dig a trench this season, remember: Know what’s below. Call 811 before you dig. It’s fast, it’s free, and it’s the law. For more information on safe digging practices, yard and orchard safety guidelines or to submit an online locate request, visit usanorth811.org.
signal lines, cables or conduit. Blue: potable water. Green: sewers and drain lines. Purple: reclaimed water, irrigation and slurry lines. White: proposed excavation area marked by the landowner or farmer. Through public education programs and free 811 utility locating services, our utility providers demonstrate their ongo- ing commitment to agricultural safety, wildfire prevention and reliable energy delivery. By working together, agricultural producers and utility safety teams ensure that California agriculture remains pro- ductive and safe.
Enjoy a special bourbon and a locally sourced dinner to benefit the California Farm Bureau Federation Fund to Protect the Family Farm (FarmPAC ® ).
WHEN: Friday, Nov. 13, 2026
TICKET: $125 Purchase tickets by Friday, Oct. 30
WHERE: CE Becker & Sons 298 Biggs East Hwy Biggs, CA 95917
Sponsor or purchase tickets online: visit cfbf.com/farmpac or scan the QR code
Event Hosts: Butte, Colusa, Plumas-Sierra, Tehama, and Yuba-Sutter County Farm Bureaus.
Paid for by California Farm Bureau Federation Fund to Protect the Family Farm (Farm PAC). Political donations are not tax deductible for income tax purposes.
October 21, 2026 Ag Alert 9
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