Aug 11, 2022

Western Growers supports California water plans

Dave Puglia, Western Growers president and CEO, praised California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s water supply strategy.

Responding to Newsom’s Aug. 11 announcement, Puglia said the plan is “bold and comprehensive.”

“Our farms are in distress due to water insecurity, increasingly placing millions of Californians in our agricultural regions at great risk of economic harm,” Puglia said. “To adapt to climate realities, the governor’s plan recognizes the urgent need to build new and improve existing infrastructure and to streamline and improve the practicality of the regulatory processes that govern them.”

New and expanded surface and groundwater storage are needed to capture wet year flood flows that are too infrequent to be missed, Newsom said in a news release.

“While we have only seen this plan for the first time today and are certain to have many questions about it, Governor Newsom has given us reason to move forward with optimism,” Puglia said in the statement. “This is clearly not just nibbling around the edges. We echo the Governor’s sense of urgency and look forward to working with his administration in good faith to turn this plan into action.”