Ag tour helps residents understand the world of water in northern Colorado
Meagan Birely
TheFencePost.com
Drip irrigation. Those words might not mean a lot to someone living in the city, but to a farmer in Weld County, those words have become a big deal.
On Friday, the Chamber of Commerce Agricultural Committee brought farmers and city folks together to learn about the process, product, procedures and problems of sharing water.
The tour, “From Desert to Oasis: The story of how irrigation transformed the plains of eastern Colorado” took a busload of people around Weld to look at different places impacted by and using different irrigation systems.
Stephan Andrade of Evergreen said he was looking for the best ways to keep farmers farming and cities drinking water.
“We just want to see what everyone is doing in terms of best practices and how to share this limited resource we call water,” Andrade said. “You get to see firsthand what people are doing that is always helpful as opposed to just reading about it.” Read More
I just wanted to share another example of farmers and ranchers hosting tours on their places to help educate their neighbors. These types of tours are probably the best way to tell our story. The impact can be tremendous when you can stand there and physically show a consumer what you do and why you do it.
Showing posts with label irrigation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label irrigation. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
More CA Water Wars
Sierra Club Wages Water War With Growers Over Run of Carmel River
By MARIA DINZEO
SAN FRANCISCO (CN) - A long-running feud between growers and environmentalists in California is now centered at the base of the lush Santa Lucia Mountains, where the Carmel River winds through the Monterey Peninsula. Growers want water to alleviate the harsh days of drought and environmentalists are fighting to protect the flow needed by steelhead trout, whose numbers are dropping sharply.
In a federal lawsuit, the Sierra Club and the Carmel River Steelhead Association claim the California American Water Company's unauthorized diversion of water from the Carmel River is responsible for the steelhead's decline. The groups say that despite their fish-rescue efforts, they cannot "prevent the death of an unknown but presumably large number of juvenile steelhead that perish as flows decline."
Growers say that environmentalists are naïve to blame them for the decreased fish populations.
"Certain environmental groups argue that certain fish species are endangered and that requires a change in the water policy in our state. Their solution is to flush more water out to the ocean and all will be good," says Joel Nelson, president of California Citrus Mutual, a growers' association.
But restricted water flow leads to crop shortages, higher produce prices, fallow land and unemployment, said Nelson, who has been in the agriculture industry for 25 years.
"But most parties are unwilling from the environmental community to connect the dots. I have my biases, but we've always been able to work issues out before, until now. You can't stop watering certain parts of the state and expect the state to survive," he said. Read More
Arguments over water are nothing new. However, the arguments today normally pit farmers and their ability to grow food for people to eat against environmentalists that seem to value things other than people or food production. It’s important to remember that no one in agriculture is advocating letting any type of species go extinct. Obviously that’s not a good option. But neither is forcing farmers from their land and causing food shortages. People need to understand that we have a very limited supply of food on this planet. When land is taken out of production it can’t be replaced somewhere else. The world just has to get by with less available land. There is plenty of water on this planet, we just need to do a better job storing it and prioritizing how it’s used.
By MARIA DINZEO
SAN FRANCISCO (CN) - A long-running feud between growers and environmentalists in California is now centered at the base of the lush Santa Lucia Mountains, where the Carmel River winds through the Monterey Peninsula. Growers want water to alleviate the harsh days of drought and environmentalists are fighting to protect the flow needed by steelhead trout, whose numbers are dropping sharply.
In a federal lawsuit, the Sierra Club and the Carmel River Steelhead Association claim the California American Water Company's unauthorized diversion of water from the Carmel River is responsible for the steelhead's decline. The groups say that despite their fish-rescue efforts, they cannot "prevent the death of an unknown but presumably large number of juvenile steelhead that perish as flows decline."
Growers say that environmentalists are naïve to blame them for the decreased fish populations.
"Certain environmental groups argue that certain fish species are endangered and that requires a change in the water policy in our state. Their solution is to flush more water out to the ocean and all will be good," says Joel Nelson, president of California Citrus Mutual, a growers' association.
But restricted water flow leads to crop shortages, higher produce prices, fallow land and unemployment, said Nelson, who has been in the agriculture industry for 25 years.
"But most parties are unwilling from the environmental community to connect the dots. I have my biases, but we've always been able to work issues out before, until now. You can't stop watering certain parts of the state and expect the state to survive," he said. Read More
Arguments over water are nothing new. However, the arguments today normally pit farmers and their ability to grow food for people to eat against environmentalists that seem to value things other than people or food production. It’s important to remember that no one in agriculture is advocating letting any type of species go extinct. Obviously that’s not a good option. But neither is forcing farmers from their land and causing food shortages. People need to understand that we have a very limited supply of food on this planet. When land is taken out of production it can’t be replaced somewhere else. The world just has to get by with less available land. There is plenty of water on this planet, we just need to do a better job storing it and prioritizing how it’s used.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Drought in CA
Feds may cut water to California farms
If drought deepens, state to make drastic move; revenue, jobs affected
msnbc.com staff and news service reports
updated 2:06 p.m. MT, Fri., Feb. 20, 2009
SACRAMENTO - Federal water managers said they may have to cut off all water to some of California’s largest farms as a result of the deepening drought affecting the state.
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation officials said Friday that parched reservoirs and patchy snow and rainfall this year would likely force them to cut surface water deliveries completely. It would be the first time in more than 15 years such a move was taken.
The move would be a blow to farmers, who say the price of some crops would likely rise if they have to rely only on well water. The state estimates it would cause $1 billion in lost revenue and cost 40,000 jobs. Read More
In visiting with several friends in agriculture from California, they have said that California doesn’t have a water problem, they have a water storage problem. The state has an incredible system of catching water for future use, however, an expansion is overdue. It will be interesting to see who does get to use the available water. Because watering a golf course or filling a swimming pool is not the best us of a scarce resource when food could be grown with it.
If drought deepens, state to make drastic move; revenue, jobs affected
msnbc.com staff and news service reports
updated 2:06 p.m. MT, Fri., Feb. 20, 2009
SACRAMENTO - Federal water managers said they may have to cut off all water to some of California’s largest farms as a result of the deepening drought affecting the state.
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation officials said Friday that parched reservoirs and patchy snow and rainfall this year would likely force them to cut surface water deliveries completely. It would be the first time in more than 15 years such a move was taken.
The move would be a blow to farmers, who say the price of some crops would likely rise if they have to rely only on well water. The state estimates it would cause $1 billion in lost revenue and cost 40,000 jobs. Read More
In visiting with several friends in agriculture from California, they have said that California doesn’t have a water problem, they have a water storage problem. The state has an incredible system of catching water for future use, however, an expansion is overdue. It will be interesting to see who does get to use the available water. Because watering a golf course or filling a swimming pool is not the best us of a scarce resource when food could be grown with it.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Improving Water Use Efficiency
Laser experiment hopes to save farm water
By JOHN ROGERS
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Seventy-six years after the invention of the modern sprinkler helped revolutionize farming, lasers may revolutionize it again.
Jan Kleissl and a handful of his students at the University of California at San Diego think technology using laser beams might lead to a better way to conserve the millions of gallons of water sprayed each year on thirsty crops.
He and his team are using a large aperture scintillometer to study how much water crops lose to evaporation and the peak times that water disappears.
The hope is to give farmers a more accurate, up-to-date reading of how efficiently their crops are using water than current technology allows. Read More
I always enjoy featuring new technology that continues to improve agriculture’s ability to become more efficient and feed more people. Water is a valuable resource. Any farmer or rancher will tell you that if you don’t have water, you don’t have much. With more people demanding more water, we need to remind everyone that watering your lawn isn’t quite as important as watering crops and livestock.
By JOHN ROGERS
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Seventy-six years after the invention of the modern sprinkler helped revolutionize farming, lasers may revolutionize it again.
Jan Kleissl and a handful of his students at the University of California at San Diego think technology using laser beams might lead to a better way to conserve the millions of gallons of water sprayed each year on thirsty crops.
He and his team are using a large aperture scintillometer to study how much water crops lose to evaporation and the peak times that water disappears.
The hope is to give farmers a more accurate, up-to-date reading of how efficiently their crops are using water than current technology allows. Read More
I always enjoy featuring new technology that continues to improve agriculture’s ability to become more efficient and feed more people. Water is a valuable resource. Any farmer or rancher will tell you that if you don’t have water, you don’t have much. With more people demanding more water, we need to remind everyone that watering your lawn isn’t quite as important as watering crops and livestock.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Improving Irrigation
Farmers mend their watering ways
By Larry Copeland, USA TODAY
CAMILLA, Ga. — Water conservation hasn't always been a top priority for farmers in this southwest corner of the state. That's because water has been plentiful in the Flint River Basin.
But the Southeast has endured several droughts in recent years, and this year, 87% of Georgia is in some stage of drought. The state also is locked in a 2-decade-old water war with Alabama and Florida over two major river basins.
So many farmers were willing to listen when the Nature Conservancy, the Department of Agriculture and the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District, offered to help them conserve water.
They improved the efficiency of irrigation systems by adding low-pressure nozzles that reduce evaporation loss, and they started using soil moisture monitors that eliminate guesswork about when to water. Read More
Irrigation has been used for centuries in order to take some of the risk out of producing an ample food supply. And along the way farmers have looked for more efficient ways to put water onto their crops. The technology available today has allowed farmers to water only portions of their fields that need it the most. While some people will still look at this as a waste of water, growing the food for your next meal is hardly a waste. Farmers and ranchers have always been aware of the importance of conserving the natural resources they depend on for their livelihood and will continue to do so.
By Larry Copeland, USA TODAY
CAMILLA, Ga. — Water conservation hasn't always been a top priority for farmers in this southwest corner of the state. That's because water has been plentiful in the Flint River Basin.
But the Southeast has endured several droughts in recent years, and this year, 87% of Georgia is in some stage of drought. The state also is locked in a 2-decade-old water war with Alabama and Florida over two major river basins.
So many farmers were willing to listen when the Nature Conservancy, the Department of Agriculture and the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District, offered to help them conserve water.
They improved the efficiency of irrigation systems by adding low-pressure nozzles that reduce evaporation loss, and they started using soil moisture monitors that eliminate guesswork about when to water. Read More
Irrigation has been used for centuries in order to take some of the risk out of producing an ample food supply. And along the way farmers have looked for more efficient ways to put water onto their crops. The technology available today has allowed farmers to water only portions of their fields that need it the most. While some people will still look at this as a waste of water, growing the food for your next meal is hardly a waste. Farmers and ranchers have always been aware of the importance of conserving the natural resources they depend on for their livelihood and will continue to do so.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Managing Water Resources
Water allocation puts many in bind as drought worsens
By Michael Gardnerand Mike Lee
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITERS
August 4, 2008
In the Imperial Valley, wheat farmers such as Mark Osterkamp greatly increased the acreage they planted – and their water use – with an eye toward reaping big profits this year.
Three hundred miles north, in the heart of California, nearly 50,000 acres of San Joaquin Valley cotton fields were left unplanted or abandoned by growers faced with severe water shortages, such as Fred Starrh.
As in real estate, it's all about location. Growers close to major rivers, such as the Colorado, Feather and Sacramento, routinely weather California's periodic dry spells thanks to priority water rights and, in some cases, a bountiful underground supply.
Others, dependent on California's convoluted system of irrigating its $31 billion-a-year agriculture industry through a network of state and federal water projects, find themselves far down the priority list when supplies run short.
Urban leaders in particular cast jealous eyes at farmers' water allotments, eager to secure more supplies for homes and businesses, especially during droughts.
“(Agriculture's) consumption of a very valuable resource seems out of size with its contribution to the state,” said Marney Cox, chief economist for the San Diego Association of Governments. Read More
One statement that should concern everyone who reads this is the one by Marney Cox who doesn’t believe that agriculture contributes enough to the state to deserve the water they use. It’s my guess that she probably eats on a daily basis, yet doesn’t think that agriculture contributes to anything. What good will the increased developments be if the people that live there have nothing to eat?
By Michael Gardnerand Mike Lee
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITERS
August 4, 2008
In the Imperial Valley, wheat farmers such as Mark Osterkamp greatly increased the acreage they planted – and their water use – with an eye toward reaping big profits this year.
Three hundred miles north, in the heart of California, nearly 50,000 acres of San Joaquin Valley cotton fields were left unplanted or abandoned by growers faced with severe water shortages, such as Fred Starrh.
As in real estate, it's all about location. Growers close to major rivers, such as the Colorado, Feather and Sacramento, routinely weather California's periodic dry spells thanks to priority water rights and, in some cases, a bountiful underground supply.
Others, dependent on California's convoluted system of irrigating its $31 billion-a-year agriculture industry through a network of state and federal water projects, find themselves far down the priority list when supplies run short.
Urban leaders in particular cast jealous eyes at farmers' water allotments, eager to secure more supplies for homes and businesses, especially during droughts.
“(Agriculture's) consumption of a very valuable resource seems out of size with its contribution to the state,” said Marney Cox, chief economist for the San Diego Association of Governments. Read More
One statement that should concern everyone who reads this is the one by Marney Cox who doesn’t believe that agriculture contributes enough to the state to deserve the water they use. It’s my guess that she probably eats on a daily basis, yet doesn’t think that agriculture contributes to anything. What good will the increased developments be if the people that live there have nothing to eat?
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