Urban Continued from Page 1 all Californians to step up, because every single drop counts.” Water board Chairman E. Joaquin Esquivel echoed the governor, saying, “The severity of this drought requires all Californians to save water in every pos- sible way.” Esquivel said the regulations approved by the board “compels water systems and local authorities to implement a range of ad- ditional critical conservation measures as we enter the hot and dry summer months.” Mired in its third consecutive year of drought, California just had its driest re- corded January, February and March, after early-winter storms had provided a false promise of a better water year. “Farmers are accustomed to empty ir- rigation ditches in very dry years, and that is what we have this year,” Scheuring said. Those ditches may be getting progres- sively drier. In February, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced for the second year in a row that thousands of California farmers and ranchers would get no water deliveries from the Central Valley Project. In March, the California Department of Water Resources cut its water allocation for the State Water Project to 5%—down from its earlier promised allotment of 15%. As conditions grew worse, the state Division of Water Rights warned last
month that farmers, ranchers and other water-rights holders can expect additional cuts in irrigation supplies in June and July. Water-rights holders in numerous California watersheds—including the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the Scott River and Shasta River, and the Russian River—would be additionally impacted if deeper cuts are ordered. Farm fields are being fallowed. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that California rice acreage will drop to 348,000 this year, the lowest level since 1983-84. A University of California research report said the drought idled 395,000 acres of farmland of all kinds in 2021, including 385,000 acres in the Central Valley. “When you cut back on agricultural water use, you directly hurt production,” Scheuring said. U.S. winter wheat production is expect- ed to fall by 8% in 2022, despite rising de- mand due to global shortages and market disruptions caused by the Russian inva- sion of Ukraine. The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service reported that American farmers are expected to produce 1.17 billion bush- els of winter wheat this year. As of May 1, the U.S. yield was expected to aver-
In cities and communities, the state water board regulations will continue to allow watering of turf used for recreation, including at schools and parks. Watering is also permitted to maintain community and residential trees. The fine for watering of unpermitted lawns—called “nonfunctional turf”—is an infraction. Violations are subject to fines of as much as $500 per day, under the water board regulations. The board’s call for local water agencies to impose significant conservation mea- sures came in response to data showing that many Californians are doing very little to conserve. In fact, the water board said, the state’s urban retail water suppliers reported aver- age water use statewide that was nearly 19% age 47.9 bushels per acre. That would be down 2.3 bushels from last year’s average of 50.2 bushels per acre, the NASS reported on May 12. Winter wheat production for 2021 totaled 1.28 billion bushels, up 9% from the re- vised 2020 total of 1.17 billion. USDA’s March 31 prospective plantings report estimated that California farmers would plant 2.36 million acres of all wheat
greater this March than in March of 2020. With most state reservoirs shrinking, Californians’ lack of water conservation cut into California’s meager water savings by another 3.7%, the water board reported. As a result, the water board announced, it is instructing local agencies to accelerate contingency planning and water-demand assessments for extended dry conditions. The local water providers were also urged to consider additional steps. Those include enforcing prohibitions on water use, increasing patrols to identify water waste, limiting outdoor irrigation to certain days or hours, and educating the public on the importance of conservation.
(Peter Hecht is chief editor of publications for the California Farm Bureau. He may be contacted at phecht@cfbf.com.) Wheat production falls despite demand
varieties in 2022. That is a 19% drop from 2.93 million acres planted in 2021. According to the California Wheat Commission, most varieties grown in California are spring wheat variet- ies. Since the majority of California wheat-growing regions have mild win- ter temperatures, spring wheat can be planted in the fall or early winter. Market classifications typically refer to the sea- son of production.
JOIN US IN CULTIVATING THE FUTURE OF CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE.
Being part of the California Farm Bureau means adding to the combined strength of a membership that includes over 34,000 farmers, ranchers and families throughout the agricultural community. Together, we work tirelessly to advocate and protect the future and quality of life for all California farmers and ranchers.
Membership benefits include: • Member discounts from over 25 partners offering services from vehicle rental to insurance and business services. • Subscriptions to Farm Bureau publications like AgAlert and California Bountiful. • Advocacy at the local, state and federal levels on your behalf. • Much more.
www.cfbf.com
14 Ag Alert June 1, 2022
Powered by FlippingBook