Central SJV Growers Frustrated Re: 100% Water Allocations in Northern California

Cannon Michael: There is a Complete Lack of Common Sense

Water Allocations Unfairly Distribute Suffering in the Central Valley

Feather River growers in Northern California have 100 percent water allocations and it’s very frustrating to Central Valley Farmers.

“True, it’s a drought year but there have been opportunities to get water south of the Delta that have been completely blown by mismanagement, over-regulation, a complete lack of common sense, and lack of understanding what the real needs are,” said Cannon Michael, a 6^th generation California farmer in Merced County.

“The California Water Resources Control Board, and the Bureau of Reclamation have sent more than 1.8 million acre feet of water out the Golden Gate only for a possible need for fish. When you have such a dramatic need for humans, it’s just insanity; and at a some point, it all has to catch up with a lot of people,” said Michael, who has had to set aside 15 percent of his farm due to no water.

“The people who are regulating and the people who are legislating have insulation from this for a little while, but it eventually is going to catch them,” Michael said. “The problem for me is that these regulations hurt the poorest of the people and the minority community, who are already having a tough time.”

“These regulations and low water allocations are taking away valuable fresh food and milk, and all the things people need for life. It’s taking away jobs and will displace thousands of workers who will have to get in food lines to survive. And this is completely unnecessary,” said Michael.

“There could have been way more water allocations exported safely this year. There were no fish at the pumps and we have the data to prove it,” said Michael.

“We had good storms in February, March and April, but the majority of that water went out the Bay; it wasn’t even close,” said Michael.

“There are too many left-leaning decisions from the California Water Resources Control Board to the 9^th Circuit Court in San Francisco, which made a recent ruling that hurt agriculture, agreeing that the Bureau of Reclamation did not consider the safety of the Delta Smelt several years ago when it exporter water south. And then on top of everything, Governor Brown pulls the funding from ag education. It is a constant barrage against agriculture, and when will it ever be enough?” asked Michael.

“There is no respect for California agriculture. There are so many people spinning lies about our industry. Do they want all the specialty crops that they enjoy eating coming from other countries? Again, it’s insanity,” he said.

And Michael said the farmer is always, always held accountable while the environmental community is never held accountable. “There is no accounting for what they use the water allocation for when it’s released it to the ocean. There is no report on what good it’s doing. They are not at all held to the same standards as California Farmers.”

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:35:33-07:00May 13th, 2014|

Reclamation Releases Central Valley Project Integrated Resource Plan

The Bureau of Reclamation today released the final report on the Central Valley Project Integrated Resource Plan. Reclamation investigated climate change impacts on water supplies and demands in the CVP service area and performed an exploratory analysis of potential adaptation strategies to address these impacts.

The Plan was authorized by the CALFED Bay Delta Authorization Act which directs Reclamation to develop CVP Division-specific water needs assessments and work with partners to develop integrated resource plans.

The Plan provides valuable information for other Reclamation studies, including the Sacramento-San Joaquin Basin Study, the CALFED surface storage investigations, the Bay Delta Conservation Plan and the California Department of Water Resources’ California Water Plan Update 2013.

Reclamation employed a scenario-based planning approach by combining three potential socioeconomic and six climate projections to form 18 scenarios characterizing a wide range of future uncertainties. Potential adaptation strategies identified in the Plan include increased water conservation, storage, conveyance and others.

The Plan Summary Report may be viewed at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/SSJBasinStudy/.

For additional information, please contact Michael Tansey at 916-978-5197 (TTY 1-800-877-8339) or mtansey@usbr.gov.
Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier and the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the United States, with operations and facilities in the 17 Western States. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit their website at www.usbr.gov.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:38:06-07:00March 27th, 2014|

Letter to USBR regarding Sac River Settlement Contractors

Excerpted from Andrew Creasey/Appeal-Democrat

Until the federal government fulfills water obligations in the north, don’t send the water south.

That was the message from Sacramento River settlement contractors, through an attorney, to the Bureau of Reclamation, which recently forecasted the 60 percent water deliveries cut to the districts and water companies along the river.

The contractors, however, claim their water right allows the bureau to reduce deliveries by a maximum of only 25 percent.

READ THE LETTER

“If there is simply not enough water available because of the ‘drought,’ we understand that Reclamation cannot provide what it does not have. But Reclamation has made no such showing,” the letter, signed by four attorneys representing 23 settlement contractors, read. “We are advised that Reclamation is making discretionary decisions that, among other things, deliver Sacramento River Water for use south of the Delta.”

Currently, about 3,000 acre-feet of water is being sent south of the Delta every day, and the contractors were likely to protest that delivery with another letter to the State Water Resources Control Board on Monday, said Thad Bettner, general manager of the Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District. An acre-foot is about 326,000 gallons.

“We don’t think the projects have provided a justification for that to continue,” Bettner said, adding that he heard the Bureau may voluntarily suspend that operation regardless of the contractor’s actions.

The contractors met with the Bureau on Friday morning to better understand its 40 percent allocation.

“It does appear that there are limitations to how much water can be provided,” Bettner said. “Our interest is that if the water supply in our contract could be increased, we’re going to be coordinating with Reclamation to allow that to happen.”

Bureau spokesman Louis Moore said Reclamation is doing what they can to manage a difficult drought issue. He said the bureau will be looking to issue a revised allocation forecast once the effect of the recent rain on the state’s hydrology is better known.

“We understand this is unprecedented,” Moore said. “We’re just trying to manage the water resources that are available.”

The recent rain caused an increase of about 160,000 acre-feet in the total water storage of the Bureau-operated Central Valley Project with several days of rain on the way, but the bureau is still about 1.4 million acre feet short of the water it needs for a normal year of deliveries. The Central Valley Project draws from the Shasta and Folsom reservoirs and delivers water to farms and communities as far south as Mendota in Fresno County.

Bettner said he was uncertain if the rain would cause a direct increase in the district’s water supply.

Moore said a revised allocation could be issued by late this week. “We’re hoping to see increases across the board,” Moore said.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:38:53-07:00March 5th, 2014|