Is building a reservoir within a reservoir the answer to California's long-term water crisis? [Valley Public Radio, Fresno]
The
idea of a reservoir within a reservoir sounds sort of impossible, but in Fresno
County that’s what water leaders want to build. Ron Jacobsma took me out on his
speedboat to the site of the proposed dam. It’s in the middle of Millerton Lake
on the San Joaquin River….Jacobsma is the general manager of the Friant Water
Authority which represents 15,000 farmers on the east side of the San Joaquin
Valley. The idea of expanding Millerton Lake has been debated for decades, but
come November, California voters have the option to approve a $7.5 billion
water bond known as Proposition 1. A portion of the money could be used for
Temperance Flat, adding a net 1.26 million-acre-feet of extra storage.
Monterey
County, agencies close in on groundwater deal [Monterey Herald]
Praising
"historic" cooperation among agencies as a harbinger of future water
management efforts, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday
unanimously signed off on a deal to provide water for the proposed Monterey
Peninsula groundwater replenishment project. The supervisors voted 4-0 to
approve the five-party memorandum of understanding, which sets a six-month
framework for negotiating an agreement on water sources for the recycled water
proposal, expiring at the end of March….The deal, between the Monterey County
Water Resources Agency, the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District, the
Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency, the city of Salinas and the
Marina Coast Water District contemplates tapping Peninsula wastewater and storm
runoff, and Salinas-area produce wash water and contaminated runoff to help
meet regional water needs….On Tuesday, Monterey County Farm Bureau executive
director Norm Groot and Grower-Shipper Association representative Abby
Taylor-Silva urged the supervisors to approve the agreement, though they also
noted much work needs to be done before a final deal is in place. They called
for full public involvement in the process.
Water
used to make wine becomes issue during drought [Sacramento Bee]
If
you have one of those “Save Water Drink Wine” bumper stickers on your car, you
might want to rip it off….After all, 29 gallons of water were used to produce
that glass of cabernet sauvignon you look forward to drinking with tonight’s
dinner. That, at least, is the calculation of the Water Footprint Network, a
nonprofit foundation in the Netherlands that advocates for more sustainable,
efficient and fair ways to use water….In California vineyards and cellars, is
29 gallons of water to produce a single glass of wine a realistic estimate? No,
says Larry Williams, a professor in the Department of Viticulture and Enology
at UC Davis who long has studied the water needs of vineyards. For one, the
Dutch calculations, says Williams, don’t consider the much higher yields of
California vines compared with vines of other grape-growing regions….Any
calculation of the wine trade’s use of water involves a look at two separate
but related areas of exploitation – the vineyard is one, the winery another.
California
drought produces tastier wine grapes [Wall Street Journal]
Someday,
when California’s persistent drought is finally over, wine lovers may lift a
glass to its memory, toasting the extraordinary 2014 vintage it made possible.
While the three-year dry spell has inflicted widespread economic damage on the
Golden State, especially to its giant agriculture industry, an exception is the
heart of its famed Wine Country—Napa and Sonoma counties north of San
Francisco. Here the warm days, cool nights and dry weather have produced grapes
of taste and quality that many vintners say they haven’t seen since the last
drought in 2007-2009, and perhaps even better….Part of the reason: Reduced
water forces the grapevines to produce smaller berries, which results in sugar
and flavors being more concentrated, said Michael Honig, president and co-owner
of Honig Vineyard & Winery in Napa County. If there is too much rain, he
said, the grapes can be covered in mildew and mold….Grape quality looks to be
good in other wine-producing areas of California, too, though winemakers face
different challenges, such as having too little tank space for storage, said
John Aguirre, president of the California Association of Winegrape Growers.
Election:
Measure P seeks to ban GMO crops in Humboldt County [Eureka Times-Standard]
The
controversy surrounding genetically modified organisms will go before Humboldt
County voters on Nov. 4 with a ballot measure that would ban GMO crops from
being grown here. Measure P — or the Genetic Contamination Prevention Ordinance
— would ban the "propagation, cultivation, raising, or growing of
genetically modified organisms in Humboldt County," but would not prevent
the sale of GMO foods, according the ordinance….The ability to grow GMO corn is
beneficial for some dairy farmers due to the short season varieties available,
the commissioner said he expects farmers will honor the ban if the measure
passes….While there is no organized group against Measure P, dairy farmer John
Vevoda said that does not mean there is not opposition in Humboldt
County…."I'm an organic dairyman and a farmer, but in prior years I have
grown GMO crops and I think there is a place for them in this world," he
said. Vevoda said he wants the option to go back to GMO and would rather not
have the county impose regulations on him.
San
Joaquin County agriculture thefts decline [Lodi News-Sentinel]
Agriculture-related
crimes are down compared to last year, according to analysts with the San
Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office….Julianne Phillips, program director for the
San Joaquin Farm Bureau Federation, gives credit for the shrinking number of
crimes to the Sheriff’s Office, saying that the department’s active role in
rural areas of the county has been creating a noticeable dent in thefts….The
most common agriculture-related crimes in San Joaquin County are thefts of
nuts, copper wiring and fuel, she said. Once in a while, she said, equipment is
stolen, usually involving trailers and, less frequently, tractors.
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