Bilingual Weekly
Stockton
RICKY GILL CONCEDES, CONGRATULATES OPPONENT
STOCKTON, CA, November 7, 2012 – Congressional candidate Ricky Gill made the following statement after conceding to his opponent, Congressman Jerry McNerney:
“Tonight, I called Congressman McNerney to congratulate him on his victory. I extended my best wishes to the Congressman and his family, and I expressed my willingness to act as a resource and to help him serve this community in any manner possible.
I am enormously proud of the campaign we ran, and I am humbled by the tireless efforts of the many volunteers, neighbors, and supporters who threw their efforts behind it. Although we did not emerge victorious in this campaign, I believe we accomplished something extraordinary. We put this community and its people first, and we took our story to the national stage. We fought for jobs, education, and common-sense government. We made clear that the American Dream will rise once again in this community we love so dearly.
As this campaign closes, I encourage all residents of the 9th District to come together and work towards the bipartisan, lasting reforms this country so badly needs. I wish Congressman McNerney the best, and I congratulate him on a hard-fought victory. “
—
Information provided by Ricky Gill for Congresd
San Joaquin County Election Results
Unofficial Final Results
Updated : Berryhill with 51% district wide Cathleen Galgiani 49% district wide
President:
Preliminary results for election show that President Barack Obama takes the lead in San Joaquin County.
US Senator:
Dianne Fiensteine at 61.05% versus Elizabeth Emkin at 38.06%
US Rep 9th District:
Jerry Mcnerney 54.01 % versus
Ricky Gill 45.09%
US Rep 10th District:
Jeff Denham 53.08% versus
Jose Hernandez 46.02%
Senate 5th District:
Bill Berryhill 51%% versus
Cathleen Galgiani 49%
9th Assembly District:
Antonio Amador 42.07% versus
Richard Pan 57.03%
12th Assembly District:
Kristin Olsen 61.04%versus
Christopher Mateo 38.06%
13th Assembly District:
Susan Eggman 63.05% Versus
K. Jeffery Jaffri 36.05%
Stockton Mayor:
Anthony Silva 55.05% versus
Ann Johnston 44.50%
Stockton City Council Dis. 2:
Randy Hatch 41.88% versus
Kathy Miller 58.12%
Stockton City Council Dis 4:
Diana Lowery 50.05 %versus
Moses Zapien 49.95%
Stockton City Council Dis 6:
Michael Tubbs 58.47%
Dale Fritchen 41.53%
Ballot Measures:
Yes on 30
Temporary tax to find education
No on 31
State budget, state and local gov.
No on 32
Payroll deduction for political candidates
No on 33
Driver insurance based on driving history
No on 35
Death Penalty
Yes on 35
Human trafficking
Yes on 36
Three strikes law
No on 37
Three strikes law
No on 38
Tax for early childhood education
Yes on 39
Business tax for energy funding
Yes on 50
Redistributing senate
- Results may change as ballots are counted
In the Trenches of California’s Water War: A Farmer, an Environmentalist and a Republican Envision the Future
What’s really happening, and will Gov. Brown listen?
Water lazily rolls by, acres of pear trees blanket the horizon, and tiny communities dot the landscape. Walnut Grove is a Delta town with 1,500 residents, just one ice cream shop and a mom-and-pop grocery store. It feels sleepy, humid and slow—like the Sacramento River. Brett Baker, a sixth-generation pear farmer who lives nearby, on Sutter Island, describes the area nostalgically:
The Sacramento River is the largest river in the state. It carries nearly one-third of the total annual runoff of all California streams.
“I enjoy the peace and quiet, the landscape and scenery,” he said. “I have a personal relationship with almost everyone in my town. I have known them all my life, played sports with them, was coached by them growing up. Out here, there is a real sense of community. When tragedy strikes, your neighbors pick you up and help support you.”
Tragedy might be striking. Just 10 minutes away is the roar of Interstate 5, one of California’s major freeways. Twenty minutes farther is Sacramento and the buzzing State Capitol, where the fate of this farming community, the Delta, the state’s river system, and the largest estuary on the West Coast will be determined.
The Delta is the heart of the state’s water resources. Most rivers flow into it, the ocean meets it, key species migrate in and out of it, 25 million people draw water from it, and a large portion of agriculture relies on it to irrigate crops. And now, Gov. Jerry Brown wants to forge ahead with a $23 billion plan to build two massive tunnels underneath or around the Delta.
The Tunnel Options – Photo courtesy of PPIC
The stakes are enormous.
The governor’s proposed Bay-Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP), also known as the tunnel conveyance system or peripheral canal, would carry part of the Sacramento River underneath the Delta in two 35-mile long tunnels to the California Aqueduct. There, the water would be pumped uphill to cities and farms in more parched regions of the state, including the southern Central Valley, Los Angeles and Santa Clara.
The canal plan has been kicking around for decades. Brown’s original peripheral canal project was voted down in a referendum in 1982, but he is back in the saddle again. “We’re going to take into account the opposition,” Brown vowed, “but we’re not going to sit here and twiddle our thumbs and stare at our navel. We’re going to make decisions and get it done.”
But it’s unclear what Brown is trying to get done. The project would continue to move water from one part of the state to another, with questionable benefits for citizens, farmers, fish, fishermen and even state and federal water contractors, who have funded the project thus far. The differing perspectives of a Delta farmer, a seasoned environmentalist and a Republican supervisor show the complexities and contentiousness of what lies ahead.
Brett Baker—Delta Farmer
Delta Farmer Brett Baker and his wife Meredith stand near their 40-acre farm in Courtland, CA. The couple is expecting their first child in October.
“The Delta is the largest contiguous acreage of prime farmland in California,” said Baker. “It has a naturally reliable supply of high quality water and sufficient drainage. Basically, you are taking water from land that has proven to be sustainably productive for over 150 years and moving it to lands with toxic drainage impairments.”
Acre to acre, Delta land is one the most productive farm areas in the state.
The toxic land that Baker refers to is on the west side of San Joaquin River in the Central Valley. The area has long had problems with salinity and selenium, and it’s also a primary importer of Delta water. Salinity on the west side can be flushed out with water, provided there is drainage. But there isn’t excess water or drainage, and there may never be. The taxpayer cost of fixing the drainage problem is $2.6 to $7 billion. Only $346 million in funds are currently allocated.
Selenium presents a more significant problem for the west side. It cannot be safely dispersed into the environment. It bio-accumulates and in large quantities is toxic to wildlife, livestock and humans. In the 1980s, Kesterson Reservoir had to be closed, because of the mass bird and livestock deformities that were discovered there due to selenium build-up. The area has since been cleaned up, but pollutants are still flowing into the San Joaquin River, and more water will not fix the problem.
So why construct a canal or tunnel conveyance system and route water there?
The West Side of the San Joaquin River. Graphic courtesy of the EPA.
A portion of that water flows elsewhere, to the Metropolitan Water District and the Kern County Water Agency, for example. The giant pumps that sit in the southern part of the estuary entrap and kill thousands of fish annually. The pumps also alter the habitat of the estuary by creating a north to south flow across a tidal ecosystem, which would naturally flow east to west. The proposed tunnels would move the intake upstream to locations that might be less harmful to smelt, salmon and other endangered species. They also might avoid delivery disruptions associated with salt water intrusion and climate change.
But under the microscopes of science and regulation, even those benefits begin to look dubious. And that’s because moving intakes upstream will affect water quality for fish and farmers downstream. “If we allow the canal to be built it will ultimately result in the salting up and ruination of one of our state’s most valuable assets,” Baker said. ”Research has continued to reveal that shunting more water from the system stands to condemn the canary in the coal mine.”
And Baker is right. The birds are in trouble too. Although endangered fish species get more attention because of their effect on water exports, the Delta is a primary habitat and migratory stop for millions of birds, like tundra swans and sandhill cranes. Nearly 50 percent of the Pacific Flyway’s migrating or wintering waterfowl depend on it.
Altogether, the Delta is home to more than 750 species of plants and animals, 33 of which are endangered, and likely to go extinct within the next 25 to 50 years, if not sooner. Those species includes chinook salmon, smelt, steelhead, splittail, sturgeon and river lamprey, all of which are supposed to be protected by state and federal agencies.
And California hasn’t left much breathing room for its once abundant wildlife, particularly in the Central Valley and the Delta, where most of the land is privately held and about 95 percent of natural wetlands are gone. And water, the other primary habitat, has been over-allocated to such a high degree that little is left for plants and animals. All total, water rights exist for 531 million acre-feet, which is nearly 10 times as much as is annually available (63 million acre-feet).
The Environmentalist—Leo Winternitz
Staten Island with sandhill cranes. The area works as a habitat and a farm. Photo courtesy of Leo Winternitz.
Leo Winternitz, associate director of Delta Restoration and Policy for the Nature Conservancy, has been living amidst these water wars for the past 30 years. He has worked for CALFED, the Sacramento Water Forum, the Department of Water Resources, and the State Water Resources Control Board—all major players in water management.
As to how things are going – he says simply, “The situation is more acute. The environment is really suffering from the overuse. We need to think in terms of migratory corridors,” he continues. “If you acquire any piece of property, without a strategic plan then you have postage stamp approach and that doesn’t work. You need to have a corridor of different habitats interconnected.”
But putting that into action is no easy task. The Delta region has more than 500,000 acres of agricultural land, most of which was formerly wetland habitat. About five percent of the original environment is left.
To restore a portion, the Nature Conservancy acquired a 9200-acre tract in the Delta, called Staten Island. The area provides prime habitat for sandhill cranes and other migratory waterfowl. But the $35 million land purchase has been criticized. Half of the money for the acquisition came from the state funds for flood protection, and today, it’s managed primarily as a farmland and wetland—not as a flood plain. The island is below sea level, and it isn’t ideally located for tidal marsh restoration. Still, 15 percent of the Sacramento Valley sandhill crane population and thousands of birds use the area as a winter habitat.
Sandhill cranes and tundra swans fly thousands of miles in the fall to spend their winter in the Delta. Photo courtesy of Leo Winternitz.
The BDCP, at least, has a cohesive plan for restoration. It may include 80,000 acres of tidal marsh habitat and up to 45,000 acres of agricultural and grasslands habitat. But that makes Delta farmers nervous, as does changing the position of the water intake system and increasing exports, which was originally part of the plan.
And that’s where the project starts to hit serious trouble.
The BDCP sets off a series of agency interactions between the Department of Water Resources (DWR), the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), the California Department State Fish and Game (DFG), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Delta Stewardship Council (DSC). Each agency is tasked with a particular aspect of protecting and managing the state’s natural resources. And there is a lot to protect:—California is one of the most bio-diverse places in the world.
Among these water agencies, there is a confusing array of regulations and interactions. But there are clear guidelines. “It is now state policy that we have co-equal goals of ecosystem restoration and water reliability,” Winternitz said, regarding the Delta Reform Act of 2009. “Any solution has to include environmental consideration. That is a big positive. We just have to communicate better about what this means and how to implement it.”
But what’s being communicated is tough medicine for everyone.
The public trust recommendations for the Delta are the hub of public policy, and the agencies are circling around it. To resuscitate the system, scientific research indicates the need to increase river flows and decrease Delta water consumption by nearly 50 percent, or 13.7 to 14.6 million-acre feet. Those recommendations are supposed to play a primary role in water planning and policy—and to some extent they have.
In July, when Brown made his public announcement, he endorsed a 55-page joint set of agency recommendations for the BDCP. The latest version includes a smaller intake system and no guaranteed export amount; instead, continued scientific studies over the 15-year construction period will determine whether exports are higher or lower than they are today. But notably, the joint recommendations also state: “Only a small percentage of research in the Bay Delta is controversial.”
Right now, what keeps the Delta ecosystem intact are court-ordered flow criteria. The current rulings limit south of Delta exports to an average of 4.9 million acre-feet. If you applied the public trust recommendations exports would drop to 3.7 to 3.9 million acre-feet, about 25 percent. That also means that the rest of the state, including cities, irrigation districts and farms, would have to reduce use and put water back into the system.
What would we gain?
Winternitz explains, “The species we are concerned about evolved in the habitats we need to restore. Those ecosystem processes, which provide for water quality and other important benefits, are the same ones that we humans need. And that’s why there is this whole effort to get these species turned around. If we can repair their world, we can repair our world. We’ll have better air, better places to swim and play, better places to live. It’s really our own system that we are trying to clean up.”
But can California clean up? The quick and easy answer is yes. With water recycling, conservation, efficient technology and better water management, California can meet the needs of the environment, agriculture and a growing population. There is a mountain of data, coming from nearly every water agency, suggesting that improvements can be made. Conservation is the cheapest and easiest way to create to a new supply. There is more new potential water from these investments than California regularly exports from the Delta, and they come without the damage to fish or farmers.
But the long hard truth is that change is difficult.
The Republican Supervisor—Jim DeMartini
DeMartini spends his mornings on his farm and the afternoons in the county supervisor’s office in downtown Modesto.
Stanislaus County Supervisor Jim DeMartini knows first-hand just how difficult. In his office in Modesto, just south of the Delta, pictures of George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger hang from the walls. DeMartini is a Republican farmer pushing to preserve prime farmland from sprawling development.
“There is no other place in the world like this; we can grow 200 types of crops here,” he said. “We have good access to water, and right now, there is no permanent protection of agriculture.”
California agriculture produces half of U.S. grown nuts, fruits and vegetables. It is also home to nine of nation’s most productive counties, and Stanislaus County is one of them.
DeMartini owns 1200 acres between Ceres and Patterson and grows a mixture of almonds, walnuts, peaches and grapes on the east side of the Central Valley. Three miles of his land borders the Tuolumne River, a primary tributary to the San Joaquin River, which flows into the Bay-Delta. He has voluntarily remediated about 120 acres and turned it back into wetlands. “Wilderness and agriculture can co-exist; there is no reason we can’t work it out,” he said, “We have 43 species of birds out there, and I want to keep it that way. It’s beautiful.”
Stanislaus County has adopted a land use plan for agriculture, but the cities within the county haven’t come up with their own plans and agreed to control sprawl. “They just want to keep growing out,” DeMartini said. “You can’t keep eroding the farmland and stay self-sufficient. The building association doesn’t want any policy adopted at all. They don’t want any restrictions.”
DeMartini planned a workshop with the Mayor’s Association to create a land use policy for each of the nine cities. “Everyone had a scheduling problem, and I never did hear from them again,” he said. ”It’s been more than a year now.” It’s surprising, since sprawl has never worked for the region. Stanislaus County has double-digit unemployment and high foreclosures—all remnants of the housing crisis.
Still, the area is on the forefront of innovation. The Oakdale Irrigation District is improving its water delivery system, and the Patterson Irrigation District is building a cross-valley channel, which could transport water east to west without going through the Delta. More recently, Modesto farmer Bill Lyons sold 1,603 acres along the Tuolumne River, to be used for wildlife and wetland restoration.
In general, what DeMartini is advocating has little to do with the peripheral canal or the tunnels. But his plans aren’t far from what’s likely to become state law. His proposals mirror the legally-mandated policies set forth by the state’s overarching water plan. California’s 88-year Delta Plan focuses on wetland preservation, habitat restoration, farmland protection and reduced reliance on Delta water. The agency putting the plan together, the Delta Stewardship Council (DSC), has an appellate role regarding the canal and conveyance system. If the BDCP is approved, it will automatically be folded into the Delta Plan without review, unless someone makes an appeal.
Regarding the peripheral canal, DeMartini remains skeptical. “I don’t think the plan is going to make it past environmental review,” he added. “I don’t know how they will pay for it either. It seems like it’s come out of nowhere.”
The question remains: Where will it go?
Note: This South of Delta Exports chart was updated on August 30, 2012 for clarity. The tunnel intake capacity is 6.5 million acre-feet. The total physical capacity to export water is 11 million acre-feet. A detailed explanation will follow in a forthcoming article.
I Have a Voice: Danny Thomas Dunne Ruiz
Dunne-Ruiz is a retired police officer from Tracy, author of the Blue Mexican, a novel published in 2009 and currently works as English teacher at San Mary`s High School and the San Joaquin Delta College.
What started as a part time job at the Tracy Police Department, for the young Dunne-Ruiz turned into a police career of twenty years.
“I went from a dispatcher to a patrol man, to detective sergeant.”
I Have a Voice: Candy Vargas
Candy Vargas poses for Bilingual Weekly cover-shoot by Sarah Lippincott.
Candy Vargas,
Born and raised in Lamont Bakersfield, Vargas moved to Stockton six years ago to attend the University of the Pacific.
It was during a study abroad program at Lima, Peru where Vargas renewed her interest in the public service. Continue reading
New Walmart Opens at Trinity Parkway
STOCKTON, CA- The new Stockton Walmart held its grand opening celebration on Wednesday, July 18 at the Spanos Park West shopping district in North Stockton.
“It’s a great pleasure to be here today and welcome the Walmart family to Stockton,” said Stockton Mayor, Ann Johnston at the ceremony.
In a time of financial difficulties for Stockton, having a new major retailer opening its doors will provide sales tax revenue for the city, added Stockton`s Mayor.
Located in 10355 Trinity Parkway, the 212,000-square-foot store brings approximately 380 new jobs to the community.
Walmart`s ribbon cutting ceremony
“I know firsthand of the quality of careers that you can have at Walmart,” said store manager, Larisa Lujan.
“I started with Walmart 13 years ago. I was 18 years old; I came from Ukraine and started as a cashier. My story is not unique; Walmart nationwide embraces everyone and gives them great career opportunities.”
However, the debate if Walmart is a poison or antidote for communities like Stockton continues.
Many worry about the impact Walmart will have on small businesses, other say it will benefit local businesses as additional customers are attracted to the regional shopping area.
Yet shoppers seem to like the “always low prices” and the 24/7 schedule offered by the world’s largest retailer. In fact, just before 8 a.m. some were already lined up outside the doors ready to shop.
The Walmart Foundation presented a total of $33,000 in donation money to community organizations.
“Walmart will be a great community partner with the area’s nonprofits and neighbors,” said Mark Martinez, CEO of the San Joaquin County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (SJCHC).
During Wednesday`s ribbon cutting ceremony, the Walmart Foundation presented a total of $33,000 in donation money to community organizations. $25, 0000 for the SJCHC Foundation and $8,000 among Stockton Emergency Food Bank, the Greater Yosemite Council Boy Scouts of America and United Way.
“Just this year Walmart gave our Chamber a large grant to help fund our Student Financial Aid and College Awareness Workshop that will help families plan for higher education,” said Martinez.
The Student Financial Aid Workshop is a partnership between the University of Pacific and Stockton Unified School District that hires SJCHC to coordinate volunteers that help students fill out FASFA forms.
One incumbent out of four City of Stockton Races loses primary.
STOCKTON, CA – Four out of seven City of Stockton elected official are up for re-election in 2012. The primary had few surprises; except, in the case of City of Stockton’s District 6. Continue reading
New Community Development Director for Stockton
Official seal of City of Stockton
(Stockton, CA) – The City of Stockton has selected a new director to head its Community Development Department. Steve Chase, Director of Planning and Environment Services with the City of Goleta, will join the City of Stockton in July as the chief official of building, planning and development. Continue reading
AB 506 Process Extended to Prevent City Bankruptcy
STOCKTON’S AB 506 PROCESS EXTENDED
Official seal of City of Stockton (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
(Stockton, CA) – The City of Stockton announced today that participants in the confidential neutral evaluation process, AB 506, have agreed to extend the mediation process beyond the originally scheduled 60 days, for an additional 30 days, through June 25. Continue reading
Cinco de Mayo Parade Winners
STOCKTON, CA - Sunday May 6, 2012 the Coalition of Mexican American organizations (COMA) held their annual Cinco de Mayo parade in Downtown Stockton. COMA hires a professional judges association, Pacific COast Judges Association, to judge the parade and give awards to the best parade entries with the theme of ‘Peace in the Valley.’ Continue reading
BRIEF: Downtown Farmers Market Kick Off
STOCKTON, CA – Prior to 2011 the Downtown Stockton Alliance held a farmers market in downtown Stockton
Stockton Symphony closes classics series with power Pianist
STOCKTON, CA – Maestro Peter Jaffe conducts the Stockton Symphony’s season-closing Classics concerts featuring Italian pianist Antonio Pompa-Baldi on Thursday, April 12, and Saturday, April 14. The concerts will be held at the Warren Atherton Auditorium on the San Joaquin Delta College campus. Continue reading
Recognizing A Trauma Advocate
Update: The women’s Center Women’s Center Welcomes a new keynote speaker, Filmmaker and Activist Nancy Schwartzman Annual Luncheon Returns to Civic Auditorium. Please read updated story CLICK HERE.
The Women’s Center of San Joaquin recognizes Advocate for survivors of trauma including homeless, survivors of child abuse, domestic violence, acute trauma, and natural disasters: author and Zen Master Laura van Dernoot Lipsky at this years 32nd annual luncheon.
SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY, CA – The Women’s Center will host its 32nd Annual Luncheon on Wednesday, March 28, 2012 at the Stockton Civic Auditorium.
California’s Choices: Two Big Expensive Tunnels or Just Better Water Management
The Delta. Graphic adapted from BDCP documentation.
The big unveiling last week, long anticipated, was the estimated cost of the Bay-Delta Conservation Plan’s (BDCP) tunnel conveyance system, or peripheral canal. The total cost estimates for the entire project, which proposes to fix California’s water system, are now approximately $23 billion, which includes construction, habitat restoration, monitoring and adaptive management. However, that’s just the base estimate.
The debt servicing costs associated with the project are $1.1 billion a year for 35 years, which significantly increases the price.
So what will citizens, rate payers and water districts get in exchange? Two 33-foot-diameter tunnels, which would carry part of the Sacramento River’s flow underneath the Delta for 37-miles to the California Aqueduct. There, the water would be pumped and distributed to state and federal water contractors, which include farmers, cities and water districts in Los Angeles and the Bay Area.
But there are considerable hurdles and doubts about the project. Among them, whether the water will actually be available and how the project will mitigate its environmental effects.
BDCP plans to increase water exports to 5.9 million acre-feet, which is 16 to 24 percent higher than average. And that’s troubling given the public trust recommendations for rivers and the Delta, as set forth by the State Water Resources Control Board. Those recommendations indicate the need to reduce Delta water consumption by nearly 50 percent.
(Learn more about the public trust recommendations here.) While these recommendations must be weighed against economic needs, the indication is clear: California has to reduce surface water use to keep its ecosystems intact.
The Sacramento River
Why? The Delta is home to more than 750 species of plants and animals, 33 of which are endangered, and likely to go extinct within the next 25 to 50 years, if not sooner. This includes chinook salmon, Delta smelt and steelhead. While the Delta’s decline is due to many factors, including pollution, invasive species and loss of wetlands, one of the primary reasons for species loss are water diversions and excessive pumping in the estuary. The San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers are the Delta’s primary tributaries, and the San Joaquin River has often run dry due to diversions, and the Sacramento River, which once flowed out to sea, is used to convey water to federal and state pumps so that it can be exported.
So why build the tunnel? The pumps kill thousands of fish annually and alter the habitat of the estuary by creating a north to south flow across a tidal ecosystem, which would naturally flow east to west. The proposed tunnels would move the intake upstream to locations that might be less harmful. It would also secure water exports from threats such as earthquakes, floods and sea level rise. Some state and federal contractors view the project as vital to the state’s economic well being, but others are highly critical.
“Everyone knows that they want more water from the Delta, and you can’t revive the system and bleed more water from the system. You can’t have your cake and eat it, too,” said Lloyd G. Carter, former Fresno Bee reporter and President of the California Save Our Streams Council. “It’s a shell game, and the legislature won’t even do the most basic examination of the cost.”
Photo Courtesy of USDA - Flood Irrigated Field
Thus far, the BDCP has no plans for a cost-benefit analysis, which might indicate the value of the project to citizens and water districts over the long term.
“Because of its large costs and significant impact on those who do not benefit from the project, it’s appropriate to perform a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis,” said Dr. Jeffrey Michael, Director of the Eberhardt School of Business. “But the BDCP is only doing a cost feasibility study, which simply answers the question, whether it can be paid for, and who will pay for it. The question is, should we build this project?”
Regardless of costs, the project does not directly address the need to reduce surface water consumption in order to increase river flows. Some suggest that the state and federal water systems aren’t currently set up to respond to a changing environment.
“Overall, California’s water system functions in ways that are fundamentally different than how major state and federal agencies conceive the water supply system and plan investigations,” said Dr. Jay Lund, Director of U.C. Davis Center for Watershed Sciences. “This causes many federal and state planning studies to be ineffective, costly, prolonged and distracting of public attention, rather than insightful and useful. At the local level, many water districts and agencies are doing a far better job of developing integrated portfolios. They are smart and want to save, and the state is often better in a supporting role.”
Already, individual farmers and local water districts are making smart changes that have big effects.
Photo Courtesy of USDA - Drip Irrigation on an Almond Orchard
Since agriculture uses the majority of California’s water, about 80 percent of the average annual supply, its conservation efforts can yield significant water savings. (Learn more about urban conservation efforts here.) But for farmers, dealing with less surface water requires new management techniques and some capital investment, which can cost time and money.
According to the Department of Water Resources, from 1967 to 2007, the gross revenue for California agriculture increased 84 percent from $19.9 billion to $36.6 billion while total crop-applied water fell by 15 percent.
What happened? Farmers became more efficient, each in their own way. A straight-forward fix begins with system evaluations. A farm’s soil, water, climate and slope are analyzed and adjustments are then made. “You can’t generalize solutions, because all farms are different. You have to know the infiltration rate and the time that water sits on different parts of the field to estimate how evenly water soaks in across the field. You also need to know the application and runoff rates, which are somewhat difficult to measure in a surface irrigated field,” said Dr. Richard L. Snyder, U.C. Davis Bio-meteorology Specialist. “The farmer can do this, but it takes work and effort.”
Photo Courtesy of USDA, Micro Sprinkler
To help with this, the USDA funds the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), which provides technical and financial assistance to producers who develop conservation plans. Farmers can receive a 50 percent discount on costs when they implement an efficient water plan.
That may mean moving from flood irrigation to drip irrigation systems. Drip irrigation is the direct application of low pressure water to soil and plants using tubes or tape. If properly applied, it can be the most efficient irrigation method, but it requires up-front capital investment and maintenance.
“Based on the figures that I’ve seen, we get a greater than 20 percent savings of water with pressurized irrigation systems, and that can be quite a lot savings,” said Joe Mota, NRCS soil conservationist. “This is a very popular program; we usually have more interest than funding. With these systems, it’s not just saving water; it’s saving time and energy, and you can spoon feed trees and not apply pesticides or apply very little. It’s all depends on the type of ground you’re on. Drip irrigation systems also reduce erosion as well as make trees and plants grow faster.”
Flood irrigation is still a primary watering technique in California; it uses on average 13.5 million acre-feet a year. Reducing water demand on flood irrigated crops by 20 percent would equal nearly 3 million acre-feet, or about the average annual flow of the Merced and Tuolumne rivers, combined. However, replacing flood irrigation doesn’t work for every crop, and it isn’t the only solution. It’s one of many.
Total Channel Control Water Distribution System
On the water district level, Oakdale Irrigation District (OID) is evaluating a water distribution system on two of its key canals, which may yeild 8 to 10 percent in water savings. “Most irrigation districts are manually controlled. To ensure that all water orders are filled in a canal you send extra water down, and any surplus water spills at the end of the canal,” said Steve Knell, OID General Manager. “The technology, called Total Channel Control (TCC), allows districts to eliminate or reduce this spilling. You minimize the need for this extra water, so you have little no wasted water.” In 2011, the OID installed a TCC system, which uses software, control engineering and a wireless and solar systems to remotely manage flume gates, which distribute water to farms.
Modernizing water districts could produce huge water savings.
OID receives water from the Stanislaus River and New Melones Reservoir. Its estimated annual operational losses vary but are approximately 100,000 acre-feet. Those losses come from spills (17-22 percent), canal seepage to groundwater (32-38 percent), surface evaporation (1-3 percent), riparian losses (1-3 percent) and on-farm losses (45-55 percent). Each area presents an opportunity for increased efficiency, but spills are the current focus.
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Steve Knell Oakdale Irrigation District General Manager
“OID’s 5-year average of diversions is about 232,000 acre feet, and spill water makes up about 20,000 acre feet of that. So you can see the advantage of a modernization system that focuses on spill savings,” Knell said. “Even if you could reduce spills 75 percent you could generate 15,000 acre-feet in water savings.”
The total cost for the two canal system was $2.9 million; Rubicon Systems America, an Australian company marketing the TCC system, contributed $1.7 million to the project, with OID contributing $1.2 million. The pilot system was installed on 15 out of the OID’s 265 miles of service canals. A complete system is estimated to cost about $30 million.
In past, OID had invested little in replacement and modernization, but that’s changed due to increased revenues. “Until districts manage their water well, farmers have little ability to manage their water well,” Knell said. “It has to start with us.”
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