Water

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 »

As western drought worsens, Newsom bolsters regional conservation efforts

Following the driest first three months of a year in the state’s recorded history, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced March 29 he is taking several steps to drive water conservation at the local level. Newsom... more »

California Farm Bureau urges action to achieve water promises

As California farmers and ranchers face another year of drought and cutbacks in water deliveries, a page out of history served as a reminder that the state's water problems remain urgent – and that their... more »

Resource Innovation Institute welcomes new producer-partners

The Resource Innovation Institute (RII) welcomes its latest round of producer-partners planning to benchmark their energy- and water-efficiency performance metrics as part of a USDA-funded project aimed at encouraging innovation and resource efficiency in the... more »