‘Running Out of Options’: California Resorts To Water Cutoffs As Drought Worsens

By Julia Wick

August 4, 2021

California water regulators took unprecedented action this week, passing an emergency regulation that will bar thousands of Californians from diverting stream and river water as the drought worsens.

The State Water Resources Control Board voted unanimously Tuesday to pass the “emergency curtailment” order for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta watershed. The watershed encompasses a wide swath of the state, from the Oregon border in northeastern California down into the Central Valley.

The regulation — which gives the state water board the authority to issue emergency curtailments and require reporting on water use — will go into effect about two weeks from now, subject to approval by the state Office of Administrative Law, with the issuing of formal curtailment orders to follow.

California’s complex water rights system is designed to allocate water use during times of shortage, and such curtailments, although rare, are not unheard of. But the scope of Tuesday’s order — which will apply to thousands of senior water rights across a wide swath of the state — goes beyond anything seen in prior droughts.

“The fact remains that water supplies are extremely limited, and we are running out of options,” Ernest A. Conant, Bureau of Reclamation California-Great Basin regional director, said during the meeting, expressing his agency’s support for the emergency regulations.

Some farmers strongly criticized the move, but regulators said it was necessary given the conditions.

Who is affected by the decision?

About 5,700 Northern California and Central Valley water rights holders — who collectively hold about 12,500 water rights — will be subject to the forthcoming curtailments, according to Erik Ekdahl, deputy director of the state water board’s Division of Water Rights. Once the regulation is in place, further curtailments in the delta watershed may be issued as the situation progresses.

“It really depends on compliance with this order, climate hydrology, and what water supply conditions evolve,” Ekdahl said.

The order will largely affect rights holders using water for agricultural irrigation purposes, though some municipal, industrial and commercial entities also will be affected. The regulation carves out an exemption for health and human safety purposes, meaning that water for drinking, bathing and domestic purposes won’t be subject to the curtailment.

The water board previously released a draft version of the proposed order in mid-July, following a notice of water unavailability — which urges, but does not order, people to stop diverting water. That was sent to many rights holders in mid-June.

The curtailments will create hardships for many growers, particularly those without access to well water. But the burden may be lessened by the time of year. Irrigation needs vary widely from farm to farm and crop to crop. Generally speaking, however, the biggest demands for agricultural irrigation in the delta watershed tend to be in the late spring and summer, meaning the bulk of water use for the year is likely behind many growers.

“It’s coming toward the end of the season here. As everything’s dwindling in a very dry year, the curtailments may not make a huge difference for a lot of crop types,” said Chris Scheuring, senior counsel for the California Farm Bureau.

Scheuring said the real question is what happens if drought conditions persist next year.

What prompted the decision?

The bottom line is there isn’t enough water to meet competing demands. The curtailments are necessary, according to the state water board’s finding of emergency, “to avoid catastrophic impacts to reservoir storage needed for human health and safety and other purposes.” Essentially, regulators need to drastically reduce the amount of water being diverted from rivers and streams to ensure that enough water remains for essential purposes and that those who are diverting are doing so legally.

“It’s pretty important for the integrity of the system to curtail water rights when there’s not enough water,” said Jay Lund, codirector of the Center for Watershed Sciences at UC Davis. “Otherwise, it’s just whoever gets their pump in first. And that’s not really a very fair way to do things.” In times of water shortage, rights holders are curtailed in order of seniority.

Drought conditions in the state rapidly worsened this spring, when expected snowpack runoff to the watershed decreased by almost 800,000 acre-feet — an amount nearly equivalent to the capacity of Folsom Reservoir — between April and May.

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a drought emergency in 41 of California’s 58 counties on May 10. In that same month, many farmers were warned that they would receive little or nothing from two large allocation systems, the federal Central Valley Project and the State Water Project.

What happened to the snowpack?

“The simplest terms are the snow was kind of there and then it wasn’t,” said David Rizzardo, chief of the hydrology branch at the state’s Department of Water Resources.

Rizzardo said it’s not uncommon to lose 10%-20% of the snowpack to normal hydrological processes, particularly following a dry year. But losing just under 80% — let alone in such a short period of time?

“It’s beyond unprecedented,” Rizzardo said. The hydrologic conditions witnessed this year have been forecast in climate change models, but according to Rizzardo, such scenarios weren’t expected for decades from now.

Rizzardo characterized higher temperatures, drier soils and the effect of large-scale fires in the watershed as three of the primary factors driving the loss in projected runoff. (The effect of fires is two-fold, according to Rizzardo. The loss of tree cover and brush puts more direct sun radiation on the snow, which causes it to melt faster. Sooty debris from fires also creates dark surfaces, which absorb — rather than reflect — the sun’s radiation, causing even more melting.)

The delta itself is formed by the convergence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers in the western Central Valley, but the sprawling delta watershed stretches all the way from the Oregon border in the northeastern corner of the state to just north of Fresno, encompassing much of the Sierra Nevada, as well as cities like Redding, Chico, Sacramento and Stockton.

Broadly speaking, runoff from the Sierra snowpack, which feeds major Northern California reservoirs and dozens of rivers, travels through the watershed and into the delta, which then connects to the San Francisco Bay. Water from the delta contributes to the water supply for more than two-thirds of Californians and is also used to irrigate millions of acres of farmland.

What about the rest of the state?

In July, Newsom urged all Californians to voluntarily cut their water usage by 15%, but what exactly does that mean for the average California household?

The governor made the request as he extended a regional drought emergency to 50 counties, which comprise about 42% of the state’s population. For many, the talk of water reductions reminded them of the shriveled lawns, attenuated showers and water-bucket toilet flushing of the last devastating drought.

If achieved, a voluntary 15% water reduction statewide would save roughly 850,000 acre-feet of water, which is enough to supply 1.7 million households for a year, according to the governor’s office.

In April 2015, then-Gov. Jerry Brown ordered cities and towns across California to cut water use by 25%, marking the first mandatory statewide water restrictions in state history. Californians came close to meeting the goal, with residents reducing the amount of water they used by 24.5%. Now, a handful of years after the last drought, per-capita residential water use remains about 16% below 2013 levels.

Newsom’s request is intended to bring California water production roughly back to where it dropped to in 2015 and 2016, said Marielle Pinheiro, research data specialist at the State Water Resources Control Board. Pinheiro said the number seemed feasible to the board because the state had been able to maintain those levels during the last drought.

Household water usage varies dramatically across the state based on a number of factors, but speaking in the broadest terms, Pinheiro said a 15% reduction would equate to a cut of roughly 14 gallons a day per person.

Newsom’s drought emergency declaration excludes almost all of Southern California, where the drought picture is much less dire. That’s because the region is mostly supplied by big federal and state water systems, rather than local precipitation.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which imports water from the Colorado River and the north, says it has sufficient reserves in regional reservoirs and groundwater banks — enough to carry it through this year.

Los Angeles, which is partly supplied by the MWD, similarly doesn’t expect any shortages, officials have said.

Lead Photo: Boat docks at the Browns Ravine Cove sit on dry earth at Folsom Lake on May 10, when California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a drought emergency in 41 of the state’s 58 counties.

[Webinar] Importance of Operations Metrics In Building Sustainable Farms

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AUGUST 4, 2021 11 AM - 12 PM EDT

 Indoor Ag-Con  & The Center of Excellence For Indoor Agriculture invite you to join us as we announce the Manufacturer winners
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The Finalists in the Production System and Lighting Solution awards sectors and investment thought leaders join our idea-packed panel to discuss:

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• How metrics can contribute to future investment in indoor ag

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Moderator:

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SAVE YOUR FREE SPOT!

What Flooding In London And New York Tells Us About The Future of Climate Change

By Hope Talbot

July 13, 2021

Yesterday, parts of London experienced one month’s worth of rain within a day, causing severe flash floods across various areas of the city. Similar incidents of flash flooding have also been reported across several parts of Europe, with Bulgaria, France, and Switzerland all experiencing similar flooding.

This comes after New York experienced similarly severe flooding last Thursday as a result of Storm Elsa, with subways and highways flooded throughout the state.

With America and parts of Europe already experiencing erratic weather patterns, such as record-breaking night temperatures, climate scientists are increasingly worried over the future of weather patterns like this in the coming years.

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How is climate change affecting flooding?

The likelihood of flooding is significantly increased due to the extreme weather patterns caused by global climate change. Changes in the geography of the land, resulting from climate change, also have a part to play in increasing flooding.

With certain vegetation and other land barriers being broken down as a result of changing temperatures and freak weather patterns, many of the natural preventative measures against flooding are no longer there.

Higher temperatures mean higher rainfall

With America experiencing its hottest June on record, temperatures have soared dramatically. As a result of these higher temperatures, we’re experiencing higher air and water temperatures, increasing evaporation.

With increased evaporation comes increased rainfall, with longer durations as well as higher intensity and frequency of rainfall, too.

Evidence also suggests that temperatures increase at a higher rate above the equator, meaning countries in the Northern Hemisphere, such as America and the UK, are likely to experience more significant temperature changes.

How can flooding be prevented?

Although flash floods may seem uncontrollable, there are several possible steps to ensuring that cities and towns are protected against flooding, with rainwater being distributed in a sustainable way.

Sponge cities

Through ingenious urban planning, cities have been able to use strategic green spaces to absorb excess rainwater for future use, therefore reducing flood risk. In China, the concept of ‘sponge cities’ has become popular, with irrigating gardens and urban farms acting like sponges to soak up excess water.

Urban greenery

As seen in the recent London floods, sewage management became a big issue, with sewage pipes bursting due to flooding. In Europe, green roofs are another innovative solution to reducing flooding risk, with greenery absorbing stormwater run-off, and thereby preventing sewage overflow.

Permeable pavements

A common issue seen within urban flooding is the lack of drainage away from walking paths and roads, with cement being unable to absorb water. An ingenious solution to this is installing permeable pavements, which can absorb water and transfer it to other sources, such as urban green spaces.

Lead Photo: Recent flooding across the UK

Meteorologists Affirm Farmer Angst About Summer Heat, Early Frost

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by Anna-Lisa Laca

July 09, 2019

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Mother Nature has thrown farmers curve ball after curve ball in the 2019 growing season. First a long, late and historically wet winter delayed planting for much of the Corn Belt. Now, many farmers are facing hot dry weather and losing sleep over the thought of an early frost. Unfortunately, Kirk Heinz and Michael Clark of BAMWX.com validated those fears on an episode of AgriTalk this week. 

“Into the Ohio Valley and Tennessee Valley area, if you can envision from there to the desert southwest with a with a void in the middle, from [tropical storm] Barry, that's where the risk is keeping things too dry,” Heinz explained adding a pressure ridge will continue to keep that area dry between now and July 23. “It's been wet, but you know, hey, we're kind of turning things around.”

Basically, the areas that have been swampiest will be the hottest and driest until at least July 23. What’s special about that date? Well, forecasting models used by Clark and Heinz show that would be the timeframe where a weather pattern shake-up could occur.

“That that would be the date where we start raising the red flags in terms of, if that does not develop, we could see this extended warmer, drier period linger longer, deeper into July and maybe even early August,” Clark explains. “That's why it's a top priority for us.”

Farmers across the country are expressing concern about how their crops could endure a hot and dry growing season. 

“We've spoken with some of our guys around here who are concerned. Everything's just way behind and there's not a good root system and so people are worried,” he said. “Throughout Central Indiana where we are  if it's not a rock-solid ground it's brown grass and that just doesn't look. It's literally flashed dry, it's pretty crazy. I never would have thought that it could have gone like this that fast, but it has. Anyone can tell you that around here.”

Setting Records

While analysts, farmers and meteorologists search for analog years to compare 2019 to, Clark and Heinz point out at this is a year for the record books. 

“The problem we're facing is this is the wettest year in the last hundred and 24 years according to NASA,” Clark said.

Still, 1977 is one of the years they are referencing as they seek to forecast long-range weather patterns for the remainder of the growing season. 

“We try to base our data set off of similar occurrences but it's hard to do that when it's number one,” he said. “Our top years heading into August for example, is 1977. Additionally, 1991, 1993 and 2004 are some other loose fits.”

When the BAMWX team looks at an analog year, they’re looking for atmospheric similarities. 

“What that means is the atmosphere behaved in a similar fashion during that time frame, so it gives us an idea of, based on our forecast methods and the some of the historical analogs, that we're not crazy when we say ‘hey, this should happen,’” Clark explained. “When I say ’93, I'm not saying that, we're going to mirror 1993. It's a lot of similarities and how the pattern was controlled by the atmosphere are still present now as they were in 93. It's not a one to one correlation.”

Early Frost On Tap? 

“It's no surprise that we have a growing season that started significantly later than when it normally does,” Clark said. “So a normal frost date in this kind of scenario may be considered like an early frost or freeze.”

Still, according to him, sometimes when you're having a deeply lower, solar state it can just make it colder earlier. 

“Some of the data sets, we were looking at show maybe late September and October that there is full potential earlier than normal there already and some of our analog years [point to that],” he said. “We need this growing season to last longer and there are things like lower solar, if this El Nino continue things like that, that would make that cold come earlier.”

Heinz agreed, pointing to the Southern Oscillation index or the pressure changes between Tahiti and Darwin as an indicator. 

“Those can, those can magnify the strength of our cold fronts and here in the last two to three weeks, we've had 30 and 40 points swings, which is very significant,” he said. “So that can also that can even be a sign of some pretty strong cold fronts late August early September even so certainly in the in the cards at least.” 

RELATED CONTENT:

Meteorologist: “I’m Afraid We Are Going To See More Cooler Days"

World Weather Inc. Says Early Frost, Freeze Very Likely 

AgDay Weather Team Has Your 90 Day Outlook

Weather Woes Cause American Corn Farmers To Throw In The Towel

File photo of a corn field in South Dakota. (Matt Gade / Forum News Service)

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Written By: Washington Post

June 18th 2019

In the nation's 18 major corn-producing states, there has been one refrain for the past few weeks: To plant or not to plant? There comes a point of no return, where the cost of planting outweighs potential remuneration, where yields dwindle and there just may not be enough days for plants to mature before a hard frost.

For many American corn farmers, that point is now.

On Monday, June 17, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that domestic plantings were at 92% of farmers' total intended acreage, the slowest pace in more than 40 years.

Ohio trailed behind, with only 68% of its corn planted, South Dakota had 78%, and Michigan and Indiana each had 84% of their hoped-for acres planted. Last week, the USDA lowered the projected total yield to 13.68 billion bushels (last year's corn yield was 14.3 billion bushels). And as of Monday, in anticipation of an impending shortage, corn futures continued to trade at their highest level since June 2014.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Centers for Environmental Information, May 2018 to April 2019 was the wettest year on record in the contiguous United States. Already-saturated ground got even more rain in May and into June, said Tyler Urban, 31, who sells crop insurance and farms corn and soybeans near Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

"I know 1993 was another wet year. I've asked the old-timers if this is worse and they're saying yes," he said.

Farmers deal with untenable planting conditions in a range of ways. Urban offers "prevented planting" crop insurance, where farmers who elect not to plant are reimbursed for a portion of what they would have grown (where he farms in southeast South Dakota, farmers are reimbursed 55% of what they would have made for their intended acreage of corn, 60% for would-be soy).

"In my insurance book, 100% of my farmers will have some sort of prevent-plant claim," Urban said. "This year, there are whole farms that haven't been planted. Right now, our ground conditions are finally starting to dry out, but it's too late."

Jonathan Kleinjan is an extension crops specialist, someone who educates farmers about scientific research in agriculture, at South Dakota State University. He describes the current situation as unprecedented. In the southeastern part of the state, he says only 30 to 40% of corn has been planted, with standing water hurting the likelihood of a decent outcome for acreage planted in May.

"The prevent-plant insurance will be enough money to keep you in business for a year unless you were in trouble already," he said. But farmers' decisions to forgo planting will have ramifications for many of the businesses that furnish farmers with equipment and supplies.

"The suppliers who sell seed and herbicides to farmers don't have insurance, so they might be at risk," Kleinjan said.

Erik Gerlach, South Dakota's state statistician, describes other factors affecting farmers: low prices for corn and soybeans, tariffs and uncertainty surrounding disaster and trade relief packages.

In May, President Donald Trump announced a $16 billion bailout for farmers hurt by his trade war with China. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue initially stated that the money would be available only for planted acreage, not acreage forestalled by protracted bad weather. But on June 10, Perdue announced that the administration was "exploring legal flexibilities to provide a minimal per acre market facilitation payment to folks who filed prevent plant and chose to plant an . . . eligible cover crop, with the potential to be harvested and for subsequent use of those cover crops for forage."

On June 6, Trump signed the supplemental appropriations bill that includes disaster aid for farmers and has a provision that would allow payments to farmers for prevented planting. Because details for both the disaster and trade relief packages remain scant, farmers are frequently unsure of which course to chart.

"Each producer's operation in unique to them," Gerlach said. "There are a lot of variables: What's your proven yield, what further costs would you have to expend to plant? In some cases, farmers might plant because they have cattle or hogs to feed."

In northwest Ohio, dairy farmers are likely to keep planting corn until July 1, despite diminishing yields, said Eric Richer, an Ohio State University extension educator in Fulton County. Corn is a desirable crop to feed lactating cows and growing beef cattle. And because the plants don't need to reach full maturity to become corn silage for animal feed, there's a little more wiggle room. Still, Richer said his state's dairy industry, already hard-hit by high farm costs and low sales prices resulting from a milk surplus, will be most affected.

"The level of financial, emotional and mental stress on farmers is significant as a result of late planting in 2019. The spring of 2019 is like no other I've seen in my career," he said. "The new normal for farmers is weather extremes, and that's difficult to manage."

Since 2012, Sam Custer has been an extension educator for Agriculture and Natural Resources in Darke County, Ohio, which produces much of the state's corn and soybeans. Although yields have been strong for the past three or four years, he said it has been a difficult time, with net farm incomes trending downward since 2013. He said that corn and soy already planted this year were planted under poor conditions and that most people anticipate a poor yield.

"As I talked with agricultural lenders last week, they were becoming very concerned there will be some people this fall who will be very financially strapped, they're worried about mental health issues," he said.

Tim Palmer farms 1,000 acres in south-central Iowa, where the majority of corn and soybean acres are typically planted by May 25.

"I have an aversion to seeing acres going unplanted. But we had one of the coolest and rainiest Mays on record, and that's not conducive to healthy corn and soybean planting," he said.

He has planted corn in June several times, he said, but it's a tough decision because a bad yield is averaged into 10-year harvest numbers and negatively affects crop insurance guarantees in the future. He finished planting all the corn he was going to plant last week and is working to get all his soybeans in the ground.

"I've just got a little bit left," he said Monday morning. "I was out there 12 hours a day from Friday to Sunday, planted about 250 acres. I'd take a break for a sandwich. Now it's fertilize, spray and hope Mother Nature takes care of the rest of it."

This is article was written by Laura Reiley, a reporter for The Washington Post.

Related Topics

AGWEEK | AGRICULTURE CORN | USDA FARMING | SOUTH DAKOTA | NORTH DAKOTA

California Rain Affecting Arugula Supplies

Growing conditions for arugula in parts of California have not been ideal after the heavy, consistent rainfall over the last few weeks. Production remains steady though and growers are expecting that the effects from the rain will be short-lived. Moreover, the rainy conditions are something growers say they are accustomed to during winter and therefore plan accordingly.

"We grow both flat leaf and the more popular wild arugula year round," said Mark Lopez of Kenter Canyon Farms in Sun Valley. "At the moment, it has been very difficult because there has been more instances of mildew due to the rainy and humid conditions over the past month. For the most part, supplies have remained consistent. We plant in two-week cycles, so if there are any problems, they never lasts long. As a result, we are hoping the issue with the presence of mildew will disappear very shortly."

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Multiple packaging options
Kenter Canyon Farms grows a wide selection of salad greens including Baby Kale, Tatsoi, Mizuno as well as ingredients that make up the spring mix blend. The company supplies a diverse mix of customers from high-end restaurants to retailers, mainly in the Los Angeles area. Consequently, they also have a varied selection of packaging options to suit each market.

"Arugula is always in high demand for salad mixes, gourmet burgers, restaurant menus and for family meals," Lopez shared. "Kenter Canyon Farms has multiple packaging options from as small as a 5oz clamshell for our retail customers, up to a 4lb bulk case for foodservice. We only deliver to the LA produce district, however our products do appear nationally."

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"We are a California family farm producing year round crops of certified organic lettuces, herbs and leafy greens," he concluded. "Seasonally, we produce Valencia oranges, navel oranges, Meyer lemons and heirloom avocados. We also grow a selection of heritage tomatoes for our local farmers markets."

For more information:
Mark Lopez
Kenter Canyon Farms
Ph: +1 (818) 768-5545
mark@kentercanyonfarms.com
www.kentercanyonfarms.com

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Publication date : 2/19/2019 
Author: Dennis Rettke 
© FreshPlaza.com

California Rains Continue To Play Havoc On Markets

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BY DAVID ROBIDOUX | FEBRUARY 12, 2019

As the rain continues in California the markets also continue their march higher. All commodities currently coming from the coastal regions of California have seen excessive rain over the past month leading to decreased supplies and major issues with quality. Strawberries, broccoli, cauliflower, radishes and celery have all seen prices rise again this past week due to the heavy storms over the weekend — and there is more rain to come this week.

“The biggest impacts from these rains is damage to ripe strawberries, which turn to mush when they get that wet and can’t be sold for fresh fruit," according to John Krist, chief executive officer of the California Farm Bureau. "That damaged fruit ends up getting stripped and sold for juice or jam, which is a money-losing proposition at this time of year, but one that can’t be avoided — if left in the fields that damaged fruit will spread fungus.

“We also had harvest delays in just about everything, including citrus, which can’t be picked when wet. And there’s a heightened risk of fungal disease in vegetables, too, particularly celery," said Krist.

“It’s worth remembering, however, that this is what a normal year used to look like," said Krist. "Our frame of reference has been skewed by nearly seven years of drought or below-average rainfall. Dealing with these issues is par for the course."

This year is more in line with historical norms. The historical average combined rainfall for January and February in Oxnard, CA, is approximate seven inches. Over the last seven years, when California has been in a drought cycle, the average combined rainfall for these two months is less than four inches. This year nine inches of rain have already fallen in Oxnard and we have two more weeks to go in February.

This next shot coming on Wednesday and Thursday will drop another 1.5 inches of rain and bring the total close to 11 inches. It’s no wonder harvests are being delayed.

Santa Maria and Salinas will also see another inch-plus of rain this week.

The National Weather Service issued freeze warnings for yesterday morning and this morning in the San Joaquin Valley as temps dropped below freezing for up to six hours the last two nights. Some locations, such as Visalia, saw temps drop down to 28 Monday morning and 29 this morning. 

Rain is coming to all current growing regions in Florida today. From Plant City all the way south to Homestead, all growing locations can expect approximately 0.25 inches of rain today. Behind this storm expect one day of cooler temps on Wednesday. Temperatures will drop by about 10 to 15 degrees across the board tomorrow. On Thursday temperatures will be back to normal in the low 80s during the day and the low 60s at night. There is another opportunity for light rain on Friday and Saturday.

Starting Sunday Florida will be feeling the effects of a heat wave. Up and down the state expect maximum temps close to 90 and minimum temps in the mid- to upper 60s. These temps will last at least through Wednesday of next week. Expect production to heavier as we head into next week.

Tomato supplies out of Mexico have tightened a bit and prices have moved off the minimum where they had been for the past several weeks, which could be a result of bloom drop caused by the cold temps back in the late December.

Temperatures in Culiacan will get progressively hotter throughout the week, peaking this Friday with a max temp of 94 and a minimum temp of 61. On Saturday Culiacan will begin a cooling trend, and by Wednesday, Feb. 20 they will see a minimum temp of 50. This should slow down production somewhat by the end of next week.

The Weathermelon app offers consolidated lists of global growing regions for each commodity; a 10-day detail forecast for each region; current radar maps (U.S. only); estimated harvest start/end dates for each commodity; monthly average high/low temps for each region; and custom daily alerts for temperature, precipitation and severe weather based on 10-day forecasts.

(David Robidoux is a co-founder Weathermelon)