State rushes aid to Coalinga as it runs low on water The Department of Water Resources has announced it is providing $1.2 mil- lion to drought-impacted Coalinga for an emergency water transfer to help supply the community through the win- ter months. they were coordinating with Reclamation, which supplies water to Coalinga from the Central Valley Project. The city was able to purchase 600 acre-feet of water from the Patterson Irrigation District for $1.1 million. statement that the funding will eliminate the financial strain on the city and pro- vide water for the community through February 2023, when further allocations from Reclamation will be available.
Grants to support healthy fertilizer, irrigation efforts The California Department of Food and Agriculture is accepting preproposals for the 2023 Fertilizer Research and Education Program grants. FREP’s annual competitive grant pro- gram funds research and education proj- ects that advance environmentally safe and agronomically sound fertilization and irrigation practices that support environ- mental health. The 2023 request for proposals includes several initiatives to help effectively man- age irrigation water and fertilizing materi- als in California agriculture. If a preproposal is selected to advance in the evaluation process, a full proposal will be requested later. Applicants may submit two-page prepro- posals to FREP by Dec. 19. Grant program in- formation is available at www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/ ffldrs/frep/CompetitiveGrantProgram.html. Since 1990, FREP has funded more than 260 projects, investing over $28 mil- lion in projects focusing on best irriga- tion and nutrient management practices in California. from this program for its residents.” Nemeth said the state “will continue to work with the city and other commu- nities throughout the Central Valley and California to provide available grant fund- ing opportunities for long-term water re- silience projects as we adapt to a hotter, drier future.” In a statement, Coalinga City Manager Marissa Trejo said, “The city of Coalinga appreciates the funding support from DWR and the coordination of all our local, state and federal partners in ensuring that our community continues to have access to a safe, clean water supply during this extreme drought.” In May, the city imposed emergency water conservation measures. It banned watering of any residential trees, shrubs and lawns between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., and restricted residential watering to two days a week. It initiated penalties for violators, ranging from a first-time warning notice to fines of up to $1,000. In August, the city cut watering down to one day per week, banned watering of lawns and said trees and shrubs could only be watered enough to keep them alive. Earlier this fall, DWR announced $300 million in available financial assis- tance through California’s 2022 Urban Community Drought Relief Grant Program to support water infrastructure improve- ments, yard transformation and water sup- ply reliability projects. The agency said applications are be- ing accepted on a rolling basis, and grant awards will be made in multiple phases. It said it expects to announce a second phase of awards later this fall.
“Funding from DWR’s drought relief grant programs is available for this ex- act purpose, to ensure that no one goes without water during this extended and extreme drought,” Nemeth said. “The city of Coalinga will receive immediate relief
The Fresno County city notified the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation that without addi- tional supplies, it was in danger of running out of water by December. State officials announced last week that
DWR is providing $1.2 million to cover the cost of the water, plus additional ex- penses, through its Urban Community Drought Relief grant program. DWR Director Karla Nemeth said in a
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annual meeting
December 2-7, 2022 • Monterey AND YF&R STATE CONFERENCE
CALIFORNIA MARKETPLACE
Enjoy live cooking demonstrations and booths highlighting the bounty and artisan goods of Farm Bureau members. Taste, talk and shop!
Delve into topics including water, Senate Bill 11, media training, and membership recruitment and retention.
WORKSHOPS
Dr. Amrith Gunasekara, CAFB director of science and research, introduces the exciting new work being done by the California Bountiful Foundation.
PRESENTATIONS
SUNDAY ACTIVITIES
Kick off the meeting with a FarmPAC ® cornhole tournament, farm tours, golfing and whale watching.
• Continuing Education (CE) sessions on pesticide licensing • Annual award banquet recognizing counties and individuals • Receptions and networking • Silent and live auctions • YF&R State Conference workshops, awards and networking PLUS
For more information, visit cfbf.com/annual-meeting or call 916-561-5594
12 Ag Alert November 9, 2022
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