Restoring California’s waterways can be controversial, difficult and expensive. Nevertheless, for state agencies, including the State Water Resources Control Board, it is an important part of our responsibility. Budget limitations however, are changing how we fulfill these obligations, whether it is on the Colorado River, on the Klamath River, or on one of the richest … Continue reading “Yuba River Plan Provides Valuable Lessons on Teamwork”

We grow rice and walnuts and pretty much know how much water needs to grow the crop. It is dependent on weather because it uses more if it is hot, and less if it is mild. Growing food is much like feeding a baby. If you do not feed the child it will become sick … Continue reading “Taking Water Away From Food Production Will Not Necessarily Save The Fish”

Springtime, Planting Season, Time to Seed; whatever name you chose – it is crunch time on our rice farm. The window for planting rice in California begins about April 15th and ends about June 1st. However the optimal time to plant rice is from May 1st to May 15th – a very short window to … Continue reading “Spring Time Can Be a Real Crunch”

As I sit here watching the graphs of the various rivers and reservoirs, I am amazed at how much water we have received this year and how little of it we will be able to put to good use, be it for irrigation, domestic (read drinking water), generation or even the environment. I recently found … Continue reading “Water Water Everywhere”