Water
Madera County, California, farmers feel the pain of groundwater rules
The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act is not a new topic, but it is new territory for some. In Madera County, California, the harsh consequences of this new California regulation have been reality for the last... more »
USDA announces $420M investment in watershed infrastructure projects
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was joined April 21 by White House Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu and Congressman Sanford Bishop of Georgia to announce the USDA will invest $420 million in 132 infrastructure projects in 31... more »
Russian River water curtailment likely to continue in California
Due to ongoing drought and a limited water supply, farmers and ranchers in Mendocino and Sonoma counties, California, are awaiting adoption of an amended emergency order that would extend last year's curtailment of water rights... more »
Klamath Basin farmers facing water cuts in California
Food production along the California-Oregon border will likely be significantly curtailed after the federal government announced April 11 that it intends to allocate 50,000 acre-feet of water to Klamath Basin irrigators in California this year.... more »
Small wetlands adjacent to farms can reduce runoff
Wetlands built next to farms can dramatically reduce excess nutrients reaching vital waterways, according to a study. Crops need nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus to grow and thrive. However, excess nutrients from farms can wash... more »
Judge halts curtailment for Siskiyou County, California, irrigators
Irrigators in Siskiyou County have won a court ruling to temporarily block a state water curtailment order that would have prevented area farmers and ranchers from tapping into percolating groundwater supplies they have relied on... more »
MDARD, USDA to implement conservation program in Michigan
Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) announced April 5 a pivotal conservation agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Services Agency (FSA), which reinstates Michigan’s Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). The... more »
Funds allocated for repairs to Friant-Kern Canal
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) allocated nearly $30 million this month to repair segments of the Friant-Kern Canal, which delivers water to 1 million acres of farmland from Fresno to Bakersfield. “Through this... more »