Drought Forcing California Growers To Rely On Groundwater
October 31, 2014 Water is a precious commodity — and even more-so in the drought-stricken state of California where growers must make every drop count. Because everyone in the state wants his or her share of the “water pie,” so to speak, a system has to be set in place for citizens, corporations, growers, and other entities to receive it in a fair and orderly manner.
This is where water rights come in. According to the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) in California, water rights are defined as “A legal entitlement authorizing water to be diverted from a specified source and put to beneficial, non-wasteful use.”
The system — dating back to 1850 when California first entered the union as the 31st state — is comprised of a blend of riparian rights, appropriative rights, reserved rights, and pueblo rights. At this point you may be thinking “That’s all well and fine, but how exactly does this affect me, a grower?” Good question.
The Curtailment Process
As a response to the seriousness of the drought, in early 2014 the state conducted a water availability analysis to determine water allocations for water rights holders. In these pre-curtailment analyses, as they were called, the State Water Board assessed the Sacramento-San Joaquin Watershed (basin-wide), The Russian River, and The Eel River for their projected water supplies.
Based on the estimated water supply for those specific areas, they issued curtailment notices in order of water rights holders’ seniority, with priority given to those with riparian rights, or those whose property is tied to the body of water in question. Those with more “junior” rights are the first to be curtailed.
More than half the total river flow in California passes through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. As surface water is depleted by the drought, growers in this usually productive region are relying on groundwater in increasing numbers.
Photo credit: By Decumanus, licensed under CC BY 2.0.
On May 27, the state issued curtailments to junior water rights holders in the aforementioned areas. Junior water rights holders are defined as those with permits, licenses, registrations, and certificates issued after 1914 by the State Water Board and its predecessors, also referred to as “post-1914 appropriative rights.”
However, because the system is so complex and because this is the first time many growers have had to navigate the finer details of water rights, Brenna Aegerter, farm advisor at the University of California Cooperative Extension suggests that growers consult a professional for more targeted advice.
“When it comes to legal issues about rights, people will, of course, want to consult their lawyer,” Aegerter says. “From what I see, the curtailments are creating a lot of uncertainty. People don’t know how much acreage they should plant and if they will be able to irrigate all season long.”
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Reliance On Groundwater
While sifting through the red tape associated with water rights may be a task better suited for a lawyer, there are other factors at play here that are more within your control, and a heightened awareness of groundwater use is one of them.
To make do with the water they have available to them, growers in areas where surface water rights are being curtailed must rely on groundwater to irrigate their crops. Groundwater, however, presents its own set of challenges, Aegerter says.
Specifically, Aegerter expresses doubts about the quality of water coming from the water table near the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.
“There’s a shallow water table but it’s not good quality,” Aegerter says. “It’s salty water. I think right now the main concern is what the water quality is going to be — whether it’s going to be salty, and whether that will affect the crops.”
In the Westlands Water District, growers are using a combination of increased reliance on groundwater and fallowing for their water management plans, according to Tom Turini, University of California Advisor in Fresno County.
“The groundwater is lower quality than the district water — with levels of total dissolved salts and toxic ions varying from well to well — but generally higher than ideal, ” Turini says.
“Most growers are already deficit irrigating and using drip irrigation. Fallowing is the primary means of reducing the quantity of water used. Within this very large, historically productive district, there have been reductions in garlic, lettuce, and onion production along with many other crops. Without a surface water allocation in 2015, the percent of land fallowed is very likely to increase.”
Resources For Groundwater Management
In response to the drought and the increasing reliance on groundwater in the state, the University of California (UC) developed its Groundwater Cooperative Extension Program, to provide educational and technical support on groundwater resources and quality issues through different mediums including research projects, a webinar series, and events.
In one of UC’s publications in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), author Thomas Harter, a UC-Davis cooperative Extension hydrogeology specialist, provides tips on sampling and monitoring groundwater.
Harter begins by saying that to get the most accurate analysis, growers must first collect a good sample. An improperly executed sample, or one that has been contaminated as a result of inappropriate transport or storage, may result in an inaccurate test.
The report outlines sampling procedures, beginning with sampling preparations, which include a proper sanitization and calibration of the sampling equipment.
In addition, make sure your field kit includes equipment for preserving sample containers (such as ice, filtration equipment, and reference materials). The full report can be read here: http://bit.ly/1qWjeBD.
According to a study by the Legislative Analyst’s Office, in average precipitation years, groundwater supplies close to 30% of California’s water. In drier years, that number increases statewide to 40%. During years where surface water is scarce, groundwater may provide nearly 100% of irrigation water in certain areas.
Reliance on groundwater will be a reality sooner rather than later for many growers, so proper management is a must. For a full list of resources on how best to manage your groundwater, visit https://groundwater.ucdavis.edu.
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