Water Continued from Page 1
water managers to add flexibility to the water system. To respond to changing conditions, she said, investments must be made in construction of aboveground and belowground water storage, desaliniza- tion and water recycling. Local agencies are working on ground- water recharge and demand manage- ment to comply with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, a 2014 law that requires efforts to bring depleted groundwater basins into balance. Jeevan Muhar, general manager of the Arvin-Edison Water Storage District, a federal Central Valley Project contrac- tor based in Kern County, said it is im- portant to invest in construction of new infrastructure and repairs of existing conveyance facilities. Touting partnerships between agen- cies as a path to water-management solu- tions, Muhar described the cooperative relationship the water district enjoys with the large water provider in neighboring Los Angeles County. “One of our largest partners is the Metropolitan Water District,” he said. “We were one of the first ag-urban part- nerships, and I’m proud to say that we continue to have that partnership. “Talk to your neighbors. Your neigh- bors might already have those facilities,
and you should be able to capitalize on what folks are doing around you,” Muhar added. “I definitely encourage you to think outside the silos and break those down. We have to.” Working collaboratively with various in- terests, he said, his district is trying to solve problems, noting that there are “some syn- ergies in working with flood plains and re- charge and solving water quality problems all at the same time, so that we can move forward and not continue to fight.” Robyn Grimm, climate resilient water systems director for the Environmental Defense Fund, discussed work with lo- cal partners to develop tools, systems and approaches to manage water and land resources. “Ultimately, all of us in the room here, we’re trying to get to the same place where our water systems are in balance, and we’re using our water supplies in a way that results in a sustainable and resilient California with ongoing agri- cultural production, beautiful places to recreate, a strong economy and a healthy environment,” Grimm said. “It is a big lift to get there, and change is re- ally hard, and the system is ever evolving and changing. We need to trust one an- other and work together.” (Christine Souza is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at csouza@cfbf.com.)
is either sinking into the soil or is evap- orating given the role of temperature,” she said. DWR is also focusing on forecasting improvements and looking at soil mois- ture modeling to better understand how much water can be counted on from storms following dry conditions, Nemeth said. As part of a panel discussion, Sacramento Valley farmer Fritz Durst discussed his approach to sustainable farming, including the use of no-till and other soil-health practices that retain water and improve yields. Durst, who grows mainly dryland crops, said “the climate change we’re see- ing today has really added a substantial amount of risk” to farming. “We’re seeing much warmer tempera- tures in the summertime and colder temperatures in the winter,” said Durst, who farms rice, alfalfa, sunflowers, to- matoes and cereal crops near Knights Landing and is a Sacramento River set- tlement contractor. By farming sustainably, Durst said, he uses water to benefit wildlife and fish, and he is able to make a profit. “We’ve been very proactive in the Sacramento Valley, especially in the rice realm, where besides providing food for human beings, we provide food for shorebirds and waterfowl,” he said. “We provide food for fingerling salm- on, and we have a plethora of different types of mammals and reptiles living around our fields. We’re trying to help not just ourselves but the environment we live in.” Nemeth said water management must emphasize the “need to share the resource, so that we can continue to thrive both economically and environ- mentally.” She said it is important for
outside of the utility,” said Paula Kehoe, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission director of water resources. “We recognize that there’s definitely opportunities, but it takes a lot of hard work. There are many solutions to our challenges.” In describing the state’s “hotter, dri- er new normal,” Karla Nemeth, director of the California Department of Water Resources, which operates the State Water Project, said the state’s water supply is much improved since last December. Lake Shasta, California’s largest res- ervoir, was framed by heaps of snow last week. Its water level as of Monday had risen to 83% of historical average. But Nemeth warned that the state’s hydrol- ogy is variable, and snow levels in some regions are below average. “The snowpack is much more intense in the central and southern Sierra, less so in the northern part of the country,” Nemeth said. “In fact, we’re a little bit below average. These storms may push us over that, which would be terrific, but what is important is the northern part of the state is where we have our biggest reservoirs that feed both the state and federal water projects, which is really a backbone of water management here in California.” Prior to the last few weeks of storms, she said, California had less than an inch of rain from late January to the first two weeks of February. “When it’s not rain- ing, it’s actually getting drier, and that re- ally represents a shift over our observed hydrology over the past hundred years.” Warmer temperatures, Nemeth said, have water managers looking at the amount of water lost to evapotranspiration. “We need to develop and appreciate the actual growing sliver of water that
Flory Industries Since 1936
The Bold Disease Control Choice 3 Preventative 3 Curative 3 Locally Systemic 3 MRL Exempt 3 Multi-site MOA Learn more at sym-agro.com, or contact your agronomist.
Apply ProBlad Verde for Decisive Results
ProBlad® Verde is a category-defining fungicide that delivers a paradigm shift in disease management and crop marketability. Through its multi-site mode of action (MOA), ProBlad Verde attacks all active life cycle stages of both fungal and bacterial pathogens, particularly brown rot, botrytis, and powdery mildew.
Salida, CA • 95368 USA 209.545.1167
See our full line of nut harvesting equipment at GoFlory.com
www.sym-agro.com
March 8, 2023 Ag Alert 13
Powered by FlippingBook