In today’s Water Works, brought to you by AquiMax, a legislative compromise might be what is required to appease the State Water Resources Control Board in its efforts to improve environmental conditions in the Delta. Over a thousand community members recently came together in opposition to a proposed plan for water flows, with many speakers offering alternative solutions to the state’s water issues.
“The mantra of Sacramento is always to restrict, prohibit and denigrate. We propose to cooperate; to work together to implement positive solutions. Now we look to our state legislators here to help reclaim water for our communities,” California Farm Bureau Federation President Jamie Johansson said during the recent water rally in Sacramento. “We will start that with farm bureau introducing a bill, SB-579 with Senator Galgiani, to provide that pathway.”
The water needs of local communities and the agriculture industry have often been at odds with the regulatory provisions dictating where and how much water can be used. Over the past ten years, particularly during the period of severe drought, frustration mounted in regard to the management of the state’s water supply. Johansson expressed the need for cooperation between communities and state agencies when making decisions that affect all water users.
“There is a way to use positive, collaborative and local approaches that we know help the environment and still allow farms and communities to thrive…SB-579 forces the board to recognize that our farms and our lands can be used to create habitat and that controlling predators will also save fish,” Johansson noted.
The goal moving forward is to introduce a legislative compromise that requires state agencies to make reasonable decisions based on the latest scientific knowledge. “SB-579 forces the board to acknowledge and accept that there are win-win solutions that allow the environment, our farm, and our communities all to thrive. we know this because we do it every day on our farms,” said Johansson.
Listen to the report below.