Valley
farm water cutbacks: Small cities see food lines again [Fresno Bee]
With
severe irrigation water cutbacks this year, food lines again will form with
unemployed workers and their families on the San Joaquin Valley's west side,
local leaders said Monday. Two congressmen and farmworkers joined them in a
downtown Fresno news conference to tell the public that the cutbacks will cost
thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in the California economy. The news
conference was arranged by the Latino Water Coalition, a group formed in 2007
to advocate for water improvements in California. Coalition members attended
from the cities of San Joaquin, Mendota, Parlier, Orange Cove, Huron and
Fowler.
San
Diego Farmers Bracing For A Tough Year [KPBS Radio/San Diego]
San
Diego farmers are facing a triple threat: rainfall is three inches below
average, water prices have skyrocketed, and the state’s snowpack is 52 percent
of normal. San Diego Farm Bureau Chief Eric Larson said dry conditions mean
farmers will have to use more water, which will raise their costs and cut into
their profits. "I expect that we’ll have more farmers go out of
business," said Larson, "because they’ve had to spend more money on
purchasing water this year and didn’t get the rainfall they had hoped for, and
it may be just enough to push them over the top."
Dry
months mounting [Stockton Record]
Despite
all of that rain, hail and lightning, Stockton just emerged from its driest
January-through-March period since 1984. Usually, at least one of those winter
months delivers significant precipitation. This year, all three
disappointed….What rain we did get last weekend was welcomed by two local
growers. Randy Lange at LangeTwins Inc. in Lodi reported catching more than 1.4
inches at his rain gauge….His farm had been running irrigation pumps in the
vineyards because the top 3 feet of soil were dry. At Kautz Farms, also in
Lodi, vineyard and orchard manager Joe Valente said he'd heard reports of some
isolated hailstorms. He said personally, though, "So far we haven't seen
any damage." "In general, I think it's really good. I know the
dry-land pastures, they need water," Valente said.
Opinion: Dan Walters:
Reservoirs should stay in water bond [Sacramento Bee]
There
are other benefits to reservoirs, such as flood control, fishing, water skiing
and camping, but providing a dependable water supply for 38 million
Californians is their primary purpose. Without them, 21st century life as we
know it would be impossible. Ironically, however, as those five big reservoirs,
and dozens of smaller ones, do what they were designed to do – mitigate the
negative effects of a dry winter – some Capitol politicians are talking about
removing additional off-stream reservoirs from a controversial water bond
issue….However it's done and however it's financed, improving the reliability
of California's vital water supply through more storage makes sense now and
will make even more sense if, as many believe, more of our precipitation falls
as rain, rather than snow, due to global warming.
Hearing
looks at groundwater funding [Santa Cruz Sentinel]
Assemblyman
Luis Alejo is holding a hearing Tuesday on new proposals to clean up the
state's groundwater, particularly in farming communities such as the Salinas
Valley. Tuesday's meeting of the Assembly's Environmental Safety and Toxic
Materials Committee will air new proposals for taxes to tackle a long-standing
problem: rural water quality and contaminants like nitrates, with the state's
celebrated $34 billion agricultural industry seen as a major contributor to the
problem….Clean water activists have endorsed a controversial fertilizer tax,
but industry groups have so far been wary of any funding proposals….Operating
under controversial new rules, water regulators on the Central Coast have
started accepting groundwater monitoring plans from industry interests,
including those representing farmers in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties….Alejo
also has several groundwater-related bills pending. He acknowledges long-term
funding is needed but has not endorsed any proposal, saying he believes a
solution can be reached by consensus.
Rubio
claims pivot point on immigration overhaul [Associated Press]
Whatever
immigration deal might be claimed by labor and business, or by Democrats and
Republicans, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida is serving notice it has to go through
him. The tea party favorite made it clear over the weekend he has a
make-or-break role for the most sweeping immigration changes in decades. It's a
high-risk strategy that also puts his presidential ambitions on the line. Four
Republican senators are involved with Democrats in crafting a bipartisan bill
to secure the nation's borders, improve legal immigration and offer eventual
citizenship to millions now in the U.S. illegally. But only Rubio has the
conservative bona fides plus life-story credibility to help steer the bill
through the Senate with strong support from the GOP, and give it a chance in
the House, where conservative Republicans hold more sway.
Ag
Today is distributed to county Farm Bureaus, CFBF directors and CFBF staff, for
information purposes, by the CFBF Communications/News Division, 916-561-5550; news@cfbf.com.
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