The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has released its first comprehensive Long-term Drought Plan for the State Water Project (SWP). This plan addresses the potential impacts of future droughts …
New Drought Mitigation Funding Announced
New drought mitigation funding opportunities have been announced as part of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The Department of the Interior has unveiled a new program to help ensure the …
Coalition Seeks Targeted Action on Addressing Water Supply Shortfalls
More than 20 agricultural organizations are calling for a more targeted approach to improving water supply availability. In a letter addressed to Governor Gavin Newsom, the business leaders point out …
Land Fallowing Could Reach More Than 690,000 Acres Due to Drought
The lack of available water supplies could increase the amount of agricultural land fallowing than previously estimated. Mike Wade, Executive Director of the California Farm Water Coalition, said that more …
‘More Significant Land Fallowing’ Expected This Year with Ongoing Drought
With drought conditions rivaling those experienced in 2015, there are expectations for further agricultural land fallowing this year. As of April 13, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) shows …
Continuing Resolution Includes Disaster Relief for Agriculture
The continuing resolution recently passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden includes several important provisions for agriculture. The Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act will keep …
Governor Newsom Signs $15 Billion Climate Package
Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed a climate package with more than $15 billion worth of investments to be made. The series of bills marks the largest investment of its kind …
USDA Investing $3 Billion to Address Multiple Agricultural Issues
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) plans to invest $3 billion in a comprehensive package to address a variety of agricultural issues. As part of the announcement, Agriculture Secretary Tom …
Western House Members Ask for FEMA Disaster Declaration
Several members of Congress are asking President Biden to declare a drought disaster in the western United States as record temperatures and wildfires hit several states hard. Democrats Joe Neguse …
Secretary Vilsack Talks Drought, Trade, and Labor at Fresno County Farm
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited California this week, meeting with growers, industry groups, and state officials to learn about the challenges facing agriculture. During his stop at Terranova Ranch …
High Priority Areas Identified for NRCS California Drought Assistance
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has identified six high-priority areas for drought assistance. The assistance is obtainable through NRCS’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) along with the pilot program, …
Water Concerns Conveyed to Lieutenant Governor
Several industry leaders recently expressed agricultural water concerns to California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis. After touring Fowler Packing’s facility in Fresno County, Kounalakis participated in a roundtable discussion with industry …
California Rice Acreage to Decline by One-Fifth Due to Drought
Dry conditions are taking their toll on California, with rice acreage being significantly impacted by the lack of water. Last year, a total of 514,000 acres of rice were harvested …
A Number of Factors in Declaring Drought in California
There are a number of factors to consider when declaring a state of emergency. After a dry water year, little to zero water allocations, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack declaring drought …