A new study found that agricultural production within Westlands Water District is responsible for generating over $4.7 billion in annual economic activity and supporting over 35,000 jobs across the regional economy. These jobs produce the wages, tax revenue, and consumer spending that drive economic activity and livelihoods throughout the state. The new study, The Economic Impact of Westlands Water District, conducted by Michael A. Shires, Ph.D., dives into the District’s significant impacts at the local, state, and national levels – and underscores the consequences of inadequate water supply for our farmers, as well as a consistent, reliable, and secure supply of domestically-grown food.

In years when available water supply is less than demands, particularly in years like this year, where the Bureau of Reclamation did not allocate any CVP water to the District, our farmers are faced with difficult decisions that carry real consequences.

The new study reflects how difficult those decisions are. The study found a “striking” correlation between local poverty levels and available surface water. When the District receives little to no water, more people in Fresno and Kings counties suffer from poverty. When the District receives a higher water allocation, economic stability improves.

The combination of San Joaquin Valley weather and soil conditions in the District provides unique agricultural opportunities. Along with cutting- edge investments in farming practices, the environmental conditions within the District enable farmers in Westlands to produce 3.5% of the country’s fruit and nut crops, and 5.4% of all vegetables and melons – and there is no domestic alternative for the production of some of these critical products. In the face of today’s policy and economic instabilities, such as water supply restrictions, climate change, inflation, supply chain disruption, the COVID-19 pandemic – and most recently the crisis in Ukraine – one thing remains clear: sound water management requires collaborative, forward-looking, and science-based approaches. The future of our growers, our state, and our country depend on it.

NOTEWORTHY

The State, Federal, And Public Water Agencies Sign Mou To Improve Water Management In California

“The program advanced today represents a fundamental change in how state agencies, federal agencies, public water agencies, and other interested groups approach efforts to protect the environment and provide water for cities, industries, and farms,” said Thomas Birmingham, general manager of Westlands Water District. “This program will take a comprehensive approach to restoring healthy rivers and ecosystems, improving the viability of native fish populations, and providing water supply reliability to communities and farms in nearly every region of the state. This is vitally important to California agriculture, which provides more than two-thirds of the nation’s fruits and nuts and more than one-third of the nation’s vegetables.”

To read the Voluntary Agreements MOU and term sheet, click here.

To read the California Natural Resources Agency’s and California Environment Protection Agency’s joint press release, click here.

Westlands High School Scholarship Period Is Now Open.

Westlands is now accepting applications for the District’s high school scholarship program. The District will award $1,000 scholarships to ten seniors graduating from westside high schools who plan to attend an accredited post-secondary institution. Applications are due May 22.

For more information or to download the application, please visit the District’s website.

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WATCH: “Study Shows What Westlands Water Means to Local Economy”

“All we want is water to work… provide food to the world and live the American dream and provide for our family,” said Mendota Mayor Rolando Castro . Click here to watch and read the full story.

READ: “Westlands Sounds The Alarm About Valley Farm Jobs. California’s Leaders Need To Listen.”

The Fresno Bee Editorial Board writes: “The economic viability of farming in Westlands and throughout the San Joaquin Valley is tied to water availability. That is a problem not just for farmers to figure out; it requires good-faith work of all of California’s elected leaders and state regulators. In the list of top issues to deal with, the future of farming must be near the top. Click here to read more.

October 1 marked the beginning of a new water year and, unfortunately, all signs point to yet another difficult year ahead.

In the 2020-2021 water year, the water year that just ended, Westlands’ water allocation was reduced from 5% to 0% in May 2021. The impact of the zero allocation has reverberated across Westlands with countless jobs lost and fields left fallow. Because of the low carryover levels in reservoirs and concerns for the aquatic environment resulting from the dry conditions the past couple of years, this new water year may well bring another low or 0% allocation for Central Valley Project repayment and water services contractors. The Department of Water Resources has already warned State Water Project contractors, who received a 5% allocation this past year, that, at least initially, they may not receive any allocation.

According to a report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the dry conditions in 2019-2020 alone caused between $515 million and $1.3 billion in economic losses in the Western United States – figures that will only grow as we account for the impacts of conditions in 2020-2021 and if the drought conditions worsen this water year.

Resolutions for the New Water Year

Just as people set resolutions for the start of the calendar year in January, we hope that at this beginning of the water year state policymakers will join us in resolving to negotiate and implement the Voluntary Agreements (VAs). The VAs are a collaborative, modern, and holistic alternative to the State Water Resources Control Board’s Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan update. The VAs are the type of comprehensive, balanced, science-driven approach that will help protect and restore the Bay-Delta ecosystem while improving reliability for the 35 million people, nearly 8 million acres of farmland, and remaining California wetlands dependent on the Sacramento-San Joaquin watershed and its water supply.

Westlands continues to advocate in support of robust infrastructure investments to ensure a more reliable water supply. Unfortunately, State Senator Melissa Hurtado’s Senate Bill 559 – The State Water Resiliency Act of 2021, which would have provided $785 million to repair canals, roads, and bridges that have been damaged by subsidence – was shelved during the final weeks of the legislative session. We hope it can be revived when the state Legislature reconvenes in January.

We continue to stand in strong support of Senator Feinstein’s and Congressman Costa’s Canal Conveyance Capacity Restoration Act, a bill seeking to secure federal infrastructure funding to help repair sections of the Friant-Kern Canal, the Delta-Mendota Canal, the San Luis Canal, and the California Aqueduct, which will not only help provide water to farming communities in the Central Valley, but also to disadvantaged communities across much of the state. 

NOTEWORTHY

On Friday, the United States Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) announced that, after coordination with the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), it has requested re-initiation of consultation on the Long-Term Operation of the Central Valley Project (CVP) and State Water Project (SWP) under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. While the new consultation is occurring, Reclamation indicated it will continue to operate the CVP pursuant to the existing consultation, as analyzed by the 2019 Biological Opinions, and Record of Decision, issued in 2020, as modified by interim measures, if any, required by ongoing drought conditions or ordered in conjunction with any ongoing litigation. On Friday, Reclamation, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, DWR, and CDFW also announced that they would provide sufficient time to allow public water agencies and others to fully discuss the potential for interim measures.

Coordinated operations of the CVP and SWP are critically important to the health of California’s economy and environment, including at-risk species. The stakes are particularly high as California enters potentially another critically dry year. We’re encouraged that the Federal and State agencies are allowing for the time needed to engage the public water agencies and others in the interim measures discussion.

Above all, we hope these efforts will continue upholding the principles of operational flexibility based on real-time species risk, science-based adaptive management to ensure that operations meet water quality and contractual requirements while also protecting at-risk species and allowing for a collaborative watershed-wide management approach. These principles are central to effective operations of both Projects as well as for continued progress toward the Voluntary Agreements. The District looks forward to engaging in these processes in a robust way.

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WATCH: TOM BIRMINGHAM JOINS THE SACRAMENTO PRESS CLUB’S VIRTUAL EVENT: “CALIFORNIA’S FOREVER DROUGHT”

On August 25, Westlands General Manager Tom Birmingham joined California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California General Manager Adel Hagekhalil and State Water Contractors General Manager Jennifer Pierre to discuss the impacts of California’s drought and the future of the state’s water delivery supply. You can watch the hour-long panel, which was moderated by Los Angeles Times reporter Ian James and Sacramento Bee reporter Dale Kasler, on the Sacramento Press Club’s Facebook page.

READ: “CALIFORNIA’S VITAL CANALS ARE CRUMBLING. A PLAN TO FIX THEM JUST DIED IN THE LEGISLATURE”

Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee writes about SB 559: “The major arteries of California’s water-delivery system are crumbling, but a proposal in the state Legislature to spend $785 million fixing them is dead for the year … The failure of SB 559 infuriated farm groups and rural advocates in the San Joaquin Valley, who argue that fixing the canals would help shore up California’s water supply at a time of staggering drought that’s already dramatically reduced water deliveries to most farmers.” Click here to read the full story.

READ: “DROUGHT HAS FARMWORKERS DREAMING OF ESCAPE FROM CALIFORNIA’S BREADBASKET”

Priscilla Vega of the Los Angeles Times writes about the devastating impact drought has had on communities in the Central Valley – and how the state’s ongoing water reliability issues and driving these families out. “For decades, farm labor has kept unincorporated communities alive throughout the Central Valley. But the drought is making it hard to stay. The dearth of essential resources — clean water, adequate housing and fair employment wages — has crippled towns that are easily overlooked and triggered a slow exodus to bigger places.” Click here to read the full story.

If you’ve noticed that your grocery and restaurant bills are higher today than they were a year or two ago, you’re not alone. Food prices are on the rise, and it’s putting a strain on Californians across the state. While COVID-19 and inflation both play a major role here, the scarcity of water across the West has also forced farmers to cut crop production. This will undoubtedly impact prices across the food and agriculture supply chain in the months to come, given that California’s $54 billion agriculture industry provides over 400 key commodities, including a third of the country’s vegetables and two-thirds of the country’s fruits and nuts, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

Last month, the Biden Administration announced key findings from the reviews called for under Executive Order 14017, designed to assess the vulnerabilities in the nation’s supply chains and develop strategies to strengthen their resilience. As part of the announcement, the Biden Administration pledged more than $4 billion toward initiatives through the U.S. Department of Agriculture to rebuild the nation’s food system by strengthening and diversifying supply chains and established a new Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force that will focus on, among other topics, agriculture and food.

It’s a reminder that the food and fiber grown in Westlands play a critical role in not just our local economy, but in national and global supply chains, too. That makes mitigating the impacts of the current drought – and taking proactive steps to prepare for the next, inevitable drought through infrastructure and other investments – all the more important. Ensuring the stability of our food supply requires allowing our farmers to be as productive as they can, and that starts with an adequate and reliable water supply

The Impact of Science-Based Policymaking

One silver lining amid the devastation of the current drought is that between the amended 2018 Coordinated Operations Agreement and the recently updated science-based decision making incorporated into Central Valley Project (CVP) operations, more water can flow South-of-Delta without further harm to native fish species. In particular, the real-time monitoring strategy outlined in the 2019 Biological Assessment for the Long-Term Operations of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project incorporates a number of robust protections for native fish species based on expert opinions from career bureaucrats and scientists, which were all reviewed by independent scientific peer reviewers. This means that the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation now uses real-time monitoring strategies to ensure CVP operations are tailored to meet the biological needs of native fish species while moving water South-of-the-Delta.

As shown by the chart below, this represents a significant improvement from the previous, rigid calendar-based fish requirements included in the previous regulations. And, as validated by the 2019 Biological Opinions from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service, this approach effectively assesses and mitigates risks to fish in real time and allows that scientific analysis to guide pumping operations.

This is just one example of the benefits of thoughtful policymaking rooted in science. As California continues seeking both short- and long-term solutions to mitigate the current drought and improve climate resilience, collaboration around issues relating to water storage, Voluntary Agreements and comprehensive management of the watershed will be critical to ensure California can effectively maximize every drop of water.

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WATCH: WESTLANDS JOINS RALLY IN SUPPORT OF SB 559

On June 28, Westlands General Manager Tom Birmingham joined a broad coalition at the State Capitol in support of The State Water Resiliency Act of 2021, Senator Melissa Hurtado’s bill to allocate $785 million to repairing vital water delivery systems that provide drinking water to communities throughout California and water that supports the state’s leading agricultural economy. You can watch the video of the event here and read the press release here.

READ: IT’S SOME OF AMERICA’S RICHEST FARMLAND. BUT WHAT IS IT WITHOUT WATER

Somini Sengupta of the New York Times talked with farmers from around California about the difficult choices they are being forced to make as a result of the lack of water. As it stands now, Westlands anticipates that an estimated 210,000 acres of land within Westlands will be fallowed this year. Click here to read the story.

Every year on March 22, the United Nations celebrates World Water Day to highlight the importance of safe, reliable water all over the world. This year’s theme is valuing water for all its uses – including agriculture, food security, employment, and economic growth – and valuing water infrastructure that helps move water where it’s needed. Water is the lifeblood of all we do as humans; however, there are new and old concerns when it comes to water availability that must be addressed.

Water scarcity continues to be of concern, and these concerns will only be exacerbated by climate change and population growth. The impacts of dry years will be felt by the families across the state and around the world who are relying on the food produced in Westlands.

No one can control how much water falls from the sky, but Westlands does its best to ensure that the water that reaches the District is not wasted. Westlands works closely with farmers and farming communities in the District to maximize the use every drop of water. This includes investing more than $14.2 million since 2017 in the District’s water infrastructure to support continual improvements by replacing pipeline and upgrading metering technology. Westlands also encourages farmers to deploy innovative water conservation practices, including investing in irrigation efficiency technology and adjusting planting and harvesting techniques to increase yield with less water and land.

Despite all these efforts, the impact of climate change and drought are still felt by farmers and communities served by Westlands.

Prioritizing Water Infrastructure 

Since the inauguration, the Biden Administration has begun tackling a wide range of issues, from COVID-19 response to immigration to racial equity. These are all incredibly important issues to the Central Valley, as is the Administration’s push to “invest in modern and sustainable American infrastructure.”

Unfortunately, the reality is that the ailing water infrastructure in California threatens access to water for the Central Valley, including water for many of the state’s most vulnerable communities. Parts of the Central Valley Project infrastructure, which carry water to Westlands, have lost up to 30% of their conveyance capacity over time due to subsidence; this subsidence results in higher operational and power costs, ultimately requiring millions of dollars in higher costs to convey less water through the system every year.

That’s the reason Westlands is among a broad coalition of water agencies pursuing legislation to address this issue. Infrastructure investment – unlike the weather – is something on which policymakers can have a meaningful impact. Westlands looks forward to continuing to work with state and federal officials to build back better.

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SENATOR HURTADO INTRODUCES THE STATE WATER RESILIENCY ACT OF 2021

Last month, California State Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) introduced Senate Bill 559, the “State Water Resiliency Act of 2021,” to improve California’s water resilience and restore critical infrastructure from the impacts of drought and climate change. The bill would fund repairs to the Friant-Kern Canal, Delta-Mendota Canal, San Luis Canal and California Aqueduct – the main water conveyance infrastructure South-of-the Delta. 

MULTI-AGENCY COLLABORATION RESTORES HABITAT CRITICAL TO NATIVE SPECIES

The Lower Yolo Ranch Tidal Restoration Project is a collaboration between multiple agencies including the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and Westlands Water District (Westlands) which serves western Fresno and Kings counties, Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Marine Fisheries Service. The agencies are working together to meet a portion of state and federal requirements to restore 8,000 acres of tidal wetland habitat in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The project has been in the works for 13 years and restores a total of 1,682 acres of tidal marsh. Click the links to read the blog and watch the video.

Voluntary Agreements: A New Era of Collaboration

Voluntary Agreements (VAs) have been proposed as a collaborative, modern and holistic alternative to the State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWRCB) staff proposed update to the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan (WQCP). From August 2018 until early 2020, state and federal agencies, public water agencies, and non-governmental organizations were engaged in robust discussions to identify the best path forward regarding the WQCP update. Westlands and other public water agencies are eager to reengage in the process to finalize the VAs, as they offer the best path forward for California water.  

The VAs are aimed at protecting and restoring the Bay-Delta ecosystem while improving reliability for the 35 million people, nearly 8 million acres of farmland, and remaining California wetlands dependent on the Sacramento-San Joaquin watershed and water supply.  

Westlands supports the VAs, an effort begun by Governor Jerry Brown and continued by Governor Gavin Newsom, as the best path forward for the SWRCB’s Bay-Delta WQCP update. This approach is supported by Governor Newsom’s 2020 Water Resilience Portfolio (Portfolio), which outlines more than 100 policy priorities in support of California’s water future. Of importance, the Portfolio emphasizes the completion of the VAs to manage water flows, restore habitats, and protect California’s largest rivers and the Delta. 

Westlands View: Portfolio Underscores the Importance of Completing the VAs 

Westlands Water District commends the work of Governor Newsom and his administration in developing the Portfolio. Among the actions included in the Portfolio, several highlight the importance of completing the VAs:

• Action 9.3: “Bring together regulators, tribes, water users, public water agencies, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders to develop innovative, voluntary solutions to water supply, water quality, and ecosystem protection.”
• Action 13.7: “Identify opportunities to meet legal standards in creative, collaborative ways, such as through Voluntary Agreements that enhance flows and habitat.”
• Action 18.2: “Complete the update to the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan for San Francisco Bay and the Delta, as required by law, and implement the Plan, potentially through Voluntary Agreements.” 

Westlands believes the VAs will ultimately provide the best path for fulfilling these actions. In fact, Westlands has long advocated for solutions that include alternatives to an unimpaired flows approach, which has not only failed to provide reliable water supplies for urban, agricultural, and environmental uses but has also failed to effectively protect native species.

The VAs include a combination functional flow and non-flow measures, including habitat restoration, and adaptive management.  The benefits of functional flows was recently supported by a new study from the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), which recommends a “functional flows” approach to managing water for the environment. Rather than mandating unimpaired flows, functional flows focus on maintaining the components of a river’s flow (e.g., sediment movement, water quality) that ultimately protect the health of native species. 

The VAs will also implement a sound and innovative science program that will provide adaptive management of water supplies to best serve the needs of the ecosystem and will establish a governance program rooted in cooperation and collaboration to manage and deploy flows and habitat.  

The stakes are too high to let this moment pass as the state struggles after another dry year. 

Through a collaborative, science-based approach, the VAs will help improve the Bay-Delta watershed and its tributaries by creating a comprehensive program of habitat enhancement projects coupled with a robust adaptive management process that will meet the needs of native fish and wildlife species. Importantly, the VAs will provide long-term funding to ensure water is available, habitat is restored, scientific uncertainties are reduced, and collaborative, strategic decision making occurs.  All of which will improve our ability to restore the health of the watershed and improve the reliability of water that California’s people, farms and wildlife depend upon. 

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ACWA DELIVERS ROADMAP TO ACHIEVING VAS TO STATE OFFICIALS

On October 15, ACWA submitted “A Roadmap To Achieving the Voluntary Agreements” to Gov. Gavin Newsom and top members of his Administration that calls on the State to take the necessary steps to re-engage on Voluntary Agreements (VAs) regarding the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay-Delta and its tributaries. 

NEW APPROACH NEEDED TO PROTECT HEALTH OF CALIFORNIA’S RIVERS

In a recent commentary piece in CalMatters, PPIC’s Ted Grantham and Jeffrey Mount propose that a “functional flows” approach – one that “focuses on preserving key functions that maintain ecosystem health and are broadly supportive of native fish and wildlife” together with physical habitat improvements – will yield a better result for the environment and for communities across California.

WATCH: LET’S TALK ABOUT THE 27R PIPELINE REPLACEMENT

Check out our new “Let’s Talk About It” video featuring Westlands’ Director of Operations and Maintenance, Bill Pierce, discussing how Westlands is proactively replacing pipe across the District to eliminate loss and ensure every drop of water is put to use.