News on Water
California Water Policy Conference, Mar. 8-9
This 21st Water Policy Conference will take the leading water issues of our time and engage all participants in debate and problem-solving. Featured speakers include Marcia McNutt, Dr. Peter Gleick, and Brian Fagan. More information available on the California Water Policy website.
CRWFS testifies before State Board of Food and Agriculture
Oct. 2011 On October 26, 2011, the California State Board of Food and Agriculture met on the subject of water transfers for agriculture. Katy Mamen, of Ag Innovations Network, presented to the Board about the progress the multi-stakeholder collaboration has made in the water supply space, and shared lessons learned about building bridges among various interests to craft collaborative policy that serves a variety of needs.
California WaterBlog: Water Storage
September 2011 Jay Lund’s water storage blog was published just in time for the Roundtable’s first water storage meeting on October 3.
Water Recommendations in the News
August 2011 The recent recommendations on Ag Water Stewardship have garnered attention throughout the California water and agriculture communities. Coverage includes Aquafornia, CalCAN, ACWA Water News, California Water Plan E-News, and a Q&A session with Juliet Christian-Smith of Pacific Institute.
Ag Water Stewardship Recommendations Featured in Ag Alert
July 2011. The Ag Water Stewardship recommendations of the California Roundtable on Water and Food Supply were featured in the July 6 edition of the California Farm Bureau Federation’s Ag Alert in an article entitled Report recommends a focus on farm water stewardship.
Read More »CRWFS Releases Ag Water Stewardship Recommendations
June 2011 On June 22, the California Roundtable on Water and Food Supply released a set of recommendations to shift thinking and spur appropriate action to balance the water needs of both farms and aquatic ecosystems.
$9.1 million to Fund Collaborative Projects for Bay-Delta Water Use Efficiencies
May 2011 Deputy Secretary of the Interior David J. Hayes and Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan announced on May 18th that by working together to leverage monies for water delivery agencies and agricultural producers in California’s Central Valley, agencies of the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture will provide $9.1 million in funding to five water/power delivery districts to save water, improve water management and create new supplies for agricultural irrigation. Click to see the full press release.
CRWFS Submits Water Stewardship Recommendations to CCST
Apr. 2011 On April 29, CRWFS submitted a set of ag water stewardship recommendations to the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) for consideration in the Water Action Plan.
Read More »Dry Farming in Sonoma County
May 2011 Dry farmed vineyards, apples, tomatoes, potatoes, and more are thriving in Sonoma County. Learn more in a recent article in the Bohemian, How Dry am I? You may also download a pdf of the article.
Ag Water Stewardship: Online Resource Center
The Agricultural Water Stewardship online resource center is a clearinghouse of information and resources on important on-farm practices for sound water management, many of which have been overlooked for their potential to help growers and ranchers thrive while being good stewards of the water that flows through farms. Each listed practice includes an overview of the practice, the associated water savings, additional benefits, applicability in different production scenarios, case studies, and additional resources.
Ag Water Stewardship Symposium
Feb. 2011 On February 9, 2011 representatives from a range of agricultural research and technical assistance organizations and agencies gathered at the California Endowment’s Oakland Conference Center to share best practices, support systems, and lessons learned; to provide feedback and input to a policy platform to enhance programs that support sound on‐farm water management; and to build a stronger network and ongoing collaborations in service of agricultural viability through smart farm water management. They heard from leading practitioners about model projects and practices. They learned about the policy work that CAWSI and its partners have been doing and helped to shape its future direction. They discussed how they might work more closely together in the future to advocate for policies and programs beneficial to ag water stewardship.
Presentations from the day can be downloaded here:
- Water Conservation, Soil Function, and Organic Matter (pdf), Rex Dufour, National Center for Appropriate Technology
- Water Harvesting, Storage & Dry Farming (pdf), Brock Dolman, Occidental Arts and Ecology Center WATER Institute
- Drought Proofing Your Farm (pdf), Michael Cahn, Monterey County Cooperative Extension
The final report is also available in pdf form.