Irrigation

California readies for water banking

Fri, 25 May 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Dennis Pollock

Parallels to banking abound as municipalities and individual farming operations save up for a dry day, not a rainy one. Coming out of a relatively dry winter and perennially challenged to find water, Clovis and Fresno are taking steps toward better water management — including water banking and recycling water.

Wet April boosts California water deliveries

Fri, 25 May 2012 19:11:00 +0000

DWR

DWR estimated it will be able to deliver 65 percent of requested State Water Project water this year. This is up from the 60 percent delivery estimate – or allocation – announced on April 16.

Agriculture contests veracity of nitrate study, urges review

Fri, 25 May 2012 13:30:00 +0000

Western Growers

California's agriculture community called for peer review of a UC Davis study on nitrates in groundwater, emphasizing it did not use existing data from authoritative sources and contains material deficiencies that should be examined before the State Water Resources Control Board uses the report as a basis for policy decisions.

New water forecast for Klamath Project

Thu, 24 May 2012 20:40:00 +0000

The most recent calculation of available water supply for the Klamath Project suggests a shortage of approximately 70,000 acre-feet of expected demand through the end of the irrigation season.

Smart meter role grows as water access shrinks

Thu, 24 May 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Pike Research

A report finds that, as demand for water increases, utilities around the world will face increasing pressure to manage the resource as efficiently as possible and smart water meters will be relied on as a key element of future water systems

Groundwater nitrate issue dumped in agriculture’s lap

Wed, 23 May 2012 22:38:00 +0000

It is not surprising that the California groundwater nitrate issue was not just deposited on agriculture’s doorstep, it was heaped on agriculture’s back for blame and draconian mitigation recommendations to be paid for by agriculture.

USDA irrigation research good to the last drop

Wed, 23 May 2012 20:28:00 +0000

Ann Perry, USDA

USDA scientists are ensuring that farmers in the Pacific Northwest are benefiting from every drop of crop irrigation water.

What’s next for California groundwater?

Mon, 21 May 2012 19:20:00 +0000

Michelle Leinfelder-Miles, Delta Crops Advisor, UCCE Field Notes

The UC Davis report states that there are two major problems caused by nitrate in groundwater. The first relates to public health because drinking water nitrate levels above 45 milligrams per liter exceed the California Department of Public Health’s level for safety. The second problem caused by nitrate in groundwater is the cost of cleaning it up. In the agriculture community, the report was anticipated with apprehension for the obvious reason that it essentially puts a target on agriculture to reduce nitrate loading.

Desert Southwest an oasis or mirage?

Fri, 18 May 2012 18:54:00 +0000

Pete Zrioka, Arizona State University

Scientists say that to live sustainably, we should use no more than 40 percent of the water from the Colorado River Basin. As it is now, we use 76 percent, nearly double the sustainable benchmark. The water supports the populations of California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming, providing for agriculture and cities. With a changing climate and continued population growth, increasing demand for water may make this vital resource increasingly scarce.

Reservoir levels in West may be short

Thu, 17 May 2012 16:20:00 +0000

Despite the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s report that the water tables in most of the West are at or slightly above average, the reservoir levels may still pose a problem.

Audio File:

rez west.MP3