Ruling puts some water users in jeopardy [Stockton Record]
State
water officials approved emergency rules Wednesday that will allow them to cut
off some Central Valley water users without the usual formal process. However,
the final rule applies only to those with so-called junior water rights. Senior
water-right holders - including many farmers in the Delta and along the San
Joaquin River - were excluded. Some may still be cut off from their water
supply, but not without the formal notifications and hearings that would
normally be required. However, if other water users complain, those senior
water-rights holders may be required to prove that they are legally entitled to
the water they take. Such was the carefully worded decision reached by the
State Water Resources Control Board after hours of deliberation spread over two
days.
State
issues new water curtailment orders, plans swifter crackdown on diversions
[Santa Rosa Press Democrat]
State
officials on Wednesday issued new water curtailment orders to thousands of
users and adopted emergency regulations that allow them to more quickly crack
down on people who ignore orders to stop diverting water from drought-stricken
rivers and streams, including the upper Russian River….About 650 water rights
issued after 1954 on the upper Russian River were suspended in late
May….Further restrictions are expected….The move — along with the action
Wednesday to add punitive measures for non-compliance — have both draw strong
opposition from some water users, including agricultural interests….The state
on Wednesday added the main stem and north fork of the Eel River and its Van
Duzen tributary to the growing list of streams under curtailment orders.
Oakdale
Irrigation District takes on update of rates, other charges [Modesto Bee]
The
Oakdale Irrigation District provides its farmers about the cheapest water in
California, and many of its other service charges haven’t increased in more
than a decade. OID’s board of directors took a step Wednesday toward updating
and justifying what it charges customers for special services, and it will
start tackling its overall water rate structure July 15. OID bills farmers a
flat annual rate for irrigation water, no matter how much they use….That rate
is going to increase, and OID farmers – similar to those just about everywhere
else in California – are going to start paying for water based on how much they
use, rather than on a flat rate.
Avocado
farms retreating from water woes, global competition [Riverside Press
Enterprise]
Chances
are good that that avocado you slice into your Fourth of July burger or fashion
into delicious holiday guacamole will be from California – and quite possibly
from a tree in Riverside County….But that status is under threat….Global
competition is one of several things putting the squeeze on the industry and California
growers, particularly in Riverside County….Other issues include drought, the
rising cost of water, the advanced age of some groves and the relentless march
of urbanization….To some, it may come as a surprise that Riverside, despite its
hot inland climate, trails only San Diego and Ventura counties in acres planted
in avocado trees….Still, Riverside County farmers are under a lot of pressure.
And it shows. Ken Melban, the commission’s director of issues management, said
that since 2005 the amount of land planted with avocado trees within the county
has declined from 8,000 acres to 6,500 acres.
Mendocino
County agricultural commissioner and local nurseries work to contain apple moth
[Ukiah Daily Journal]
After
a reported reoccurrence of the Light Brown Apple Moth early this week, the
Mendocino Department of Agriculture and local nurseries are working to ensure
the problem is contained. Mendocino County Agricultural Commissioner Chuck
Morse said his department has uncovered a number of local finds related to at
least two infested nurseries. Morse said the exact amount of infected shipments
made to local nurseries is variable, meaning there is no definite number
available. "We're deploying and running all the pheromone traps,"
Morse said. "Both nurseries have been extremely cooperative with what
we're doing. We have a reasonable chance of eradicating it now."
Napa
blaze underscores fire danger in drought-stricken California [Sacramento Bee]
In
the first six months of the year, Cal Fire has battled more than 2,715 fires –
nearly 900 more than the average tally – and the worst is yet to come. With
California in the grip of a historic drought, grasslands, shrubs and trees are
as dry now as they would be late in the fire season, and even the slightest
spark can create an out-of-control blaze. “We have continued all year long to
see a significant increase in the number of wildfires that we’ve responded to,”
Daniel Berlant, spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire
Protection, said Wednesday. “What we’re experiencing right now are conditions
that we would see in late August or early September. And as we go further into
summer, conditions are only going to get drier.”
Ag
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