By Todd Manley Substantial work occurs in the Sacramento Valley every year on projects to develop and enhance habitat for the region’s terrestrial and aquatic species.  In-stream salmon recovery projects, Pacific Flyway habitat improvements, floodplain reactivation and many other types of habitat projects all require environmental permits to be implemented.  There is general recognition that the … Continue reading “New Proposals to Improve Permitting for Ecosystem Restoration Work”

By Bruce Houdesheldt With an increasing focus on the multiple benefits of healthy soils, the Budget Act of 2021 recently appropriated $50 million in one-time funding from the General Fund to the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) for implementation of the Healthy Soils Program and $40 million for State Water Efficiency and Enhancement … Continue reading “Rejuvenating our Lands: Healthy Soils in the Sacramento Valley”

By Jeff Sutton, General Manager, Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority Vice Chair, Sites Project Authority In California, we have experience with droughts.  Drought is an inevitable and predictable reality for our state.  In 2021, after back-to-back critically dry winters, California’s farms and our rural communities are facing a real and imminent threat as we approach the hottest, driest … Continue reading “Sites Reservoir: California’s Drought Insurance Policy”

By David Guy We support an orderly water rights priority system in California and appreciate the State Water Board’s recent efforts to implement this system through emergency regulations adopted yesterday. These regulations are based on the unavailability of natural flows throughout the Bay-Delta watershed, including the Sacramento Valley. The emergency order for the Sacramento Valley … Continue reading “The Importance of Implementing the Water Rights Priority System in a Dry Year”