COLL A BO RAT IO N S WI TH OTH E R D E PA RTM E N TS
CAL POLY RELEASES ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY FOR PROPOSED GROUNDWATER-USE CUTS IN PASO ROBLES
By Professor Lynn Hamilton and Associate Professor Michael McCullough, AGB Department, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo County’s sustainability plan proposing blanket cuts in groundwater use for farming in Paso Robles could reduce that area’s economy by $458 million annually and erase 3,351 full-time jobs across all sectors, according to a new study conducted by Cal Poly researchers. Additionally the study says that the water cuts could wipe out a quarter of Paso Robles’ wine industry, or $216 million annually, and severely impact the region’s diverse agriculture economy. The state’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act requires California’s 127 overdrafted groundwater basins be
sustainable by 2040. The Paso Robles Subbasin is one of those deemed critically overdrafted. The county’s sustainability road map, called the Paso Robles Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan (PRGSP), proposes sweeping cuts for irrigated agricultural use beginning as early as this year. The plan, however, does not include an economic impact analysis of the cuts. Cal Poly’s research study was conducted to fill that void. “The economic implications of water reductions are sizable and would cause a restructuring of the local business environment,” writes study co-authors
Lynn Hamilton and Michael McCullough, both professors in the Agribusiness Department. “This analysis may provide impetus for local officials to pursue alternatives for additional water supplies and find creative solutions to pursue groundwater sustainability.” To compound matters, the economic impact study was finalized shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Given the economic impact of the crisis and the region’s significant unemployment, enacting drastic water-cutting measures could prove even more disastrous to the economy and further hamper the region’s rebound. To read the full study, go to Cal Poly Digital Commons.
REGIONAL SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS HIGHLIGHTED IN LEADING WINE PUBLICATION Cal Poly alumna Erin Amaral (Plant Protection Science, ’99), and Paragon Vineyard, a frequent collaborator with Cal Poly, were featured in a cover story in the March 2020 issue of Wine Business Monthly. The story looked at the management practices of Amaral and her colleagues at Paragon as part of a case study on Pacific Coast farming. Paragon Vineyard comprises approximately 700 acres in the Edna Valley AVA on a cool-climate site just a few miles south of Cal Poly. Owned by the Niven Family Wine Estate at the time of the research, the vineyard was one of the first vineyards to be certified Sustainability in Practice (SIP) — a verification program that originated on the Central Coast in 2008. The vineyard’s Chardonnay, Pinot noir, Syrah, Sauvignon blanc, Albariño, Pinot Gris, Grenache blanc and Grüner Veltliner vines have historically provided fruit for brands such as Baileyana, Tangent, True Myth and Zocker.
42
C A L POLY WINE AND VITICU LTU R E D EPARTMEN T | FA L L 2 0 2 0
The story explored how the use of SIP-certified practices is helping to create healthy vines, improve grape quality, and reduce the environmental impact of the winery. In it, Amaral shared her solutions to common viticultural challenges, such as water and nutrient management, erosion, cover crops, trellising, canopy care, and dealing with birds, weeds, mildew, mealybugs and Red Blotch. Though arduous, Amaral’s work is a testament to how sustainable vineyard management practices can contribute to both producer viability and ecosystem resilience. The article was co-authored by Hunter Francis, director of Cal Poly’s Center for Sustainability, Craig Macmillan, Ph.D., a wine industry educator and consultant, and Mike Lynch, a partner in the public relations and marketing agency Big Bang Wine of San Francisco.
