arm. You E F at. e W
April 2023 | Volume 116, Number 4
Merced County Farm News
Bureau of Reclamation weighs new options to address Colorado River water shortages
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By: Noah Wicks, AgriPulse
he Bureau of Reclamation is laying out two sharply different alternatives for future Colorado River water cuts: Prioritize reductions based on water rights seniority — California’s preferred option — or distribute cuts evenly across all Lower Basin water users. The agency included both options in a draft environmental impact statement on Tuesday amid gridlock in state discussions over plans for cutting between 2 million and 4 million acrefeet of water to preserve operations at Lake Powell and Lake Mead. The proposals highlight the fault line that has become apparent during state-level discussions over the future of the river. Officials from California, the
largest user of water on the river, have previously expressed support for using the “first-come, first-served” system that has governed water rights in the river for decades. Negotiators from neighboring Arizona, under pressure to save the low-priority Central Arizona Project, prefer for cuts to be distributed evenly throughout the basin. Deputy Interior Secretary Tommy Beaudreau told the New York Times Tuesday that he was “pretty comfortable” the equal distribution approach would protect water levels and comply with the law. But Interior spokesperson Melissa Schwartz stressed to Agri-Pulse that the department is not leaning toward any particular option. The agency has “no preferred alternative,” Schwartz says. The seven states that rely on the Colorado River were previously tasked with deciding how and where cuts should be made under the threat of unilateral action from the Bureau of Reclamation. These states, however, have already blown past two deadlines without a unanimous agreement. California is the river’s largest water user, with a 4.4-million-acre-foot allocation. Many of the state’s water users have long-standing rights to water from the river, and California water
officials have tightly guarded their current level of access in negotiations. J.B. Hamby, chairman of the Colorado River Board of California, said in a statement Tuesday that the board “remains committed” to reaching a consensus with other states in the basin. He didn’t say which approach he supported. Arizona is allocated around 2.85 million acre-feet of water annually, though it has already lost 592,000 acrefeet of that. Most of these cuts came from the Central Arizona Project, a 336-mile aqueduct system that delivers Colorado River water to central and southern Arizona. Congressional approval of the aqueduct in 1968 required Arizona’s lawmakers to make one concession: In a time of drought, the Central Arizona Project would be the first lower basin user to take cuts. But because it is a primary water source for the fastgrowing metropolitan regions of Phoenix and Tucson, as well as for tribes in the region, state officials are worried about water levels dropping low enough to cut off access to the reservoir entirely. The Arizona Department of Water Resources said Tuesday it is “encouraged” by Reclamation’s decision to release a draft environmental impact
statement, saying long-term action is “necessary” for protecting the system. “As we have said in the past, burdens associated with managing risks on the Colorado River must be shared across all sectors and by all water users,” the agency said. The “rights-based approach” also seems to have support from the Family Farm Alliance, a group of farmers, ranchers and irrigation districts focused on irrigation-related issues. The alliance's executive director, Dan Keppen, said in a statement to AgriPulse that the organization believes the use of water resources must “be based in existing state and interstate water law.” “A commitment to work within the framework of existing appropriative systems, rather than pursuing a new system that circumvents current water rights allocation and administration, provides the only certainty required to make responsible, long-term water management decisions,” Keppen said. In previous discussions, Arizona officials have called for California to take a larger share of cuts due to its large allocation. California publicly offered to make a 400,000-acre-foot reduction in January, but the state opposes larger See 'Colorado River' Page 4
Spring Snowpack Runoff Notice
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By: Merced County
pril 4, 2023 - Due to recent storm events in early 2023, areas of Merced County have been inundated with flood waters. Saturated soils and increased runoff anticipated from snowpack are expected to result in continued flooding potential as new storm events come through Merced County in the coming weeks.
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USDA Expands Eligibility, Enhances Benefits for Key Disaster Programs
Given the foregoing, the County hereby provides notice that the waterways within the County of Merced, including Mariposa Creek, Owens Creek, Burns Creek, Bear Creek, Fahrens Creek, Miles Creek, Dutchman Creek, Deadman Creek, Romero Creek, Quinto Creek and Garzas Creek are at imminent risk of flooding and inundation of land, roads, or structures due to the unprecedented recent storm
in Agriculture 9 Rooted Rewards Program
events and anticipated snowpack runoff. Waterways may be added or removed as circumstances merit. Persons or entities may divert water as provided in the Governor’s Executive Order N-4-23. After years of severe drought, Merced County welcomes the opportunity to recharge flood waters to both mitigate the effects of drought and prevent additional flooding impacts to health and safety.
Scholarship 10-11 2023 Recipients