San Joaquin Valley farmers may soon have another crop to sell along with almonds, tomatoes, and peppers — the groundwater beneath their land. Proposed groundwater markets have popped up in just about every groundwater sustainability plan (GSP) filed with the state Jan. 31. One such market is about to launch its...
State Rejects Initial Madera Groundwater Sustainability Plan
In the first indication of how strict state officials will be with new groundwater sustainability agencies, the Department of Water Resources has refused to accept groundwater plans covering the Madera subbasin because one of those agencies did not sign a coordination agreement. The DWR has not posted the submitted groundwater...
Groundwater Plan Could Give Corcoran More of a Sinking Feeling
It’s hard to imagine state officials giving the thumbs up to a groundwater sustainability plan that potentially allows Corcoran – California’s subsidence epicenter – to sink another 6 feet. Especially considering the tiny, rural town was forced to spend $14 million in 2017 to rebuild its levees following the 2012-16...
Farms, the Environment, and the Future of Water
In the middle of July, I was surprised to find myself trudging through a couple feet of snow while hiking south of Lake Tahoe. It was a striking contrast to the long walks I took on the dry lakebed of Folsom Reservoir near my home during the historic drought just...
Farmers Don’t Need to Read the Science. We Are Living It.
[aggregation-styles] The New York Times Subscription FIREBAUGH, Calif. — Many farmers probably haven’t read the new report from the United Nations warning of threats to the global food supply from climate change and land misuse. But we don’t need to read the science — we’re living it. Here in the...
Boom Town, U.S.A.: Clovis Council Vote Adds 1,000 Home Lots
Clovis — with an estimated population today of 109,000 — is in a building boom that will make it a city of more than 175,000 residents by 2035, according to the city's water planning documents. Evidence of this rapid growth plan can be seen all over Clovis, which has promoted itself...
Boom Town, U.S.A.: Clovis Council Vote Adds 1,000 Home Lots
Clovis — with an estimated population today of 109,000 — is in a building boom that will make it a city of more than 175,000 residents by 2035, according to the city's water planning documents. Evidence of this rapid growth plan can be seen all over Clovis, which has promoted itself...