Water

HIgh priority areas identified as NRCS California offers drought assistance

In the middle of California’s drought, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is meeting with landowners, Tribal representatives, and agencies to assess resource concerns and offer assistance to farmers and ranchers, as well as, forest and... more »

House Republicans sound alarm on Biden administration’s plan to undo water rule

Top Republican leaders in the House of Representatives on June 25 joined House Agriculture Committee Member David Rouzer, R-NC, in=n outlining their concerns regarding the Biden Administration’s intention to undo the Trump administration’s Navigable Waters... more »

Study finds that drought hurts urban farmers, too

Extreme drought is changing agriculture across California – and urban farming is no exception. Many community farms and gardens cultivate land owned by city or county departments, schools and private landowners. Lucy Diekmann, a University of... more »

ARS scientists tackle California climate woes

A team of USDA agricultural scientists in the Golden State are helping farmers make the most out of a natural resource that is becoming ever more precious – water. California produces two-thirds of the nation’s... more »

Greater investment to improve aging California water facilities essential

Severe drought highlights the need for greater investment to improve aging California water facilities, and increases calls for allocation of federal and state resources to tackle the problem. A national coalition that includes the California... more »

Optimizing herbicide performance during droughty conditions

Many non-irrigated areas of the Upper Midwest are becoming significantly droughty as our weather prematurely enters the dog days of summer. There are several agricultural impacts of these hot and dry conditions, including on weed... more »

UMaine researchers study how changing rainfall patterns could affect strawberries

University of Maine researchers are studying how changes in rainfall patterns caused by climate change could affect strawberries in the Northeast. Principal investigator Rachel Schattman, an assistant professor of sustainable agriculture, and her research team... more »

Forecast looks at Columbia Basin water availability

Changing climate, crop needs, and population growth are among key factors influencing when water will be available and where water will be needed in Washington’s Columbia River Basin. That’s according to a new report being prepared by the... more »