July 2022 - 6

WATER
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and it's extremely bleak throughout
the state, " he said. " There's just no
water in the state. It's difficult to plan
and to make long-term investments.
It's hard to know where we will be and
what will be available. "
California's water infrastructure,
which dates to the 1960s when the
state's population was 17 million
compared to today's 40 million,
needs upgrading, said Danny
Merkley, director of water resources
for the California Farm Bureau
Federation (CFBF).
" If the infrastructure was more
properly managed and maintained,
it would be in much better shape for
capturing and delivering water, "
he said.
Reloading the water bank
The drought sparked crops
competing for available water.
" We are seeing some real competition
for the crops for the water in the state, "
Cameron said.
Growers that are paid up on water
allocations may not receive all the water
they want, but are receiving a decent
supply, he said. " The higher-priced
commodities are winning out. "
Growers are doing a lot of work
recharging depleted aquifers by diverting
winter flood flows (that would otherwise
flow to the ocean) onto vineyards and
orchards during dormancy. Three
decades ago, Cameron watched his water
table drop and he realized at some point
the state would run out of water.
Since then, Cameron proved
growers can purposely flood orchards
and vineyards to recharge aquifers
without killing the crops. The state's
Department of Water Resources adopted
the groundwater recharge system and
is considering it a key component of
California's water resiliency program.
" You can't keep taking money out of
the bank, " Cameron said. " You have to
put some of it back in once in a while. "
In northern California and southern
Oregon's Klamath Basin, a prominent
potato growing region, a natural and
political drought has sliced acreage. In
the 1990s, the region's 32 packing sheds
pulled from 30,000 acres. Today, three
sheds pack from 14,000 acres, said Dan
Chin, president and co-owner of Wong
Potatoes Inc., Klamath Falls, Oregon.
For more than 30 years, the federal
government has restricted water, citing
protection of endangered fish. The
region's growers used to rely on up to
400,000 acre-feet of water a year. That
was cut to zero in 2021 and 50,000 acrefeet
this year.
" They just keep taking our water
away, " Chin said. " Not only are they
taking our water from the lake, they're
taking our water from the ground as
well. The only way we are surviving here
is through groundwater. "
In general, the outlook for Washington
remains favorable, said Nicholas Bond,
Washington State climatologist. Longterm
precipitation deficits are expected
6 | FruitGrowersNews.com
A water sprinkler system irrigates a field in the southern region of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. West Coast
growers are battling the toughest water challenges in recent history. Photo: California Department of Water Resources
Crop sprinklers near Rio Vista, California, in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
region. The Delta is the hub of the State's water distribution system. Water
shortages from drought, farm ponds drying up and extreme summer heat are
producing water deficits that challenge growers. Photo: California Department
of Water Resources
to affect areas of the Columbia Basin that
rely on rainfall, as well as dryland areas
where other crops, including grains, are
grown. The eastern part of Washington
has experienced precipitation deficits
more than in the past compared to the
western part of the state, he said.
The Walla Walla region could see
some challenges, he said, but that could
vary by field. The state should experience
less precipitation during the summer due
to warmer and drier conditions.
The Yakima Valley, a Washington
major apple production hub, should
receive its full allotment of water,
including water rights holders.
" The orchards should be fine, " Bond
said. " The important thing is the drought
conditions are not the disaster in other
parts of the state. Washington is in better
shape than most of the West. "
More Washington growers are
transitioning to drip irrigation and
implementing other practices, including
canopies to limit sunburn on apples,
ultimately reducing water demand.
" There are steps being taken, but, at
the same time, there's over the long term
an increase in acres of winegrapes and
tree fruit, " Bond said. " In some ways, that
conservation is going on, but there's also
more acreage going in. "
During drought and water shortages, some
California growers work to maximize water
use by using floodwater from rainfall or snow
melt for managed aquifer recharge in orchards,
vineyards and fields. Photo: Terranova Ranch
California growers including Don Cameron of Terranova Ranch are taking steps to
more efficiently use water. They are recharging overdrawn aquifers with water that
would otherwise flow to the ocean by moving it onto vineyards and orchards during
dormancy. Photo: Christa Harader
California is long known for having
some of the strictest business regulations
of any state. Merkley sees the main
lesson growers in other states can take
from California's situation is " don't do
the same stupid stuff they're doing here,
to be very blunt about it, " he said.
Oregon and California aren't too
dissimilar in strict water regulations, said
Chin. Oregon is also tough and restricts
drilling of new wells.
Southern Oregon and northern
California growers invested much
in conserving and using water more
efficiently.
" We have tried to get away from flood
irrigation with the use of a lot of water,
which has helped a lot, " Chin said. " We
have had programs to help us get more
efficient with the amount of water put
on. But when you don't get any water,
it's tough to make a living. "
So tough that earlier this year,
Chin closed his 92-year-old family
business by selling his land and packing
equipment.
Conservation efforts can only go so far.
" We cannot conserve or efficiency
ourselves out of this problem, " Merkley
said. " We need to change the way our
water capture and delivery system
works. " FGN

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July 2022

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