March 30, 2022
Liz Writes Life
Urgent help for Scott Valley farmers
With the unprecedented curtailment of all well water rights
under the State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWB) August 30, 2021 Drought Emergency
Order, farmers in Scott Valley are facing a possible 100 percent loss of water
for irrigation this summer.
But, help may be available: It is the possibility of farmers
and ranchers being able to show how they can and will reduce their normal water
usage by 30 percent. This is a voluntary option. The SWB curtailment
regulations are tied-in to the water-flow of the Scott River. As the flow goes
down in late spring, the curtailments will go up – likely sooner than later.
A few days ago, I talked with Sari Sommarstrom, who is a
retired local watershed consultant. She said this option offered by the SWB
could be what helps irrigators survive this year and maintain their
livelihoods. The paperwork process of creating a plan is certainly worth
looking into.
The Siskiyou Resource Conservation District, (RCD) is willing
to serve as a “Coordinating Entity” for what the SWB will recognize as a
“groundwater reduction Local Cooperative Solution” in the Scott River
watershed.
According to information I have gathered, the Cooperative Solution
is not a guarantee as each plan will need to be approved by the SWB. Also, the RCD
needs to obtain the funding to administer the program and will also charge a
reasonable fee to each participant as a cost-share contribution.
The next step for agricultural well users is to write a plan explaining
how they will achieve 30 percent water reduction. Development and monitoring
are important aspects of any farmer’s plan. If interested, Scott Valley
groundwater irrigators should contact the RCD office in Etna as soon as
possible for assistance. Call 530-467-3975.
There are a variety of ways to reduce water usage, it must be
acknowledged that most will also reduce income and may greatly affect
profitability.
Some of the options for water reduction are: Fallowing 30
percent of irrigated acreage; forgo a cutting or two in the hay fields; replace
a hay crop with a lower water usage crop; change from flood to wheel-line; and
upgrade from wheel-line to a center pivot.
Over the years, many center pivots have been implemented
throughout Scott Valley. It is because this irrigation system does reduce the
amount of water used. Farmers are always innovating. I also heard that some
farmers have found soil moisture sensors to be quite effective in saving water.
A note to non-agricultural well users: You as a residential
home dweller are not under this Emergency Drought curtailment. Last year, many
of us received a letter from the state demanding we report our water usage from
our residential well. Yep, it scared the heck out of us. And most of us
complied. Apparently, (this is info I have received from several reliable
sources and I have checked out the SWB website) the curtailment of water usage
was directed at agriculture not residential home dwellers.
Garden
Spring is springing! It is so nice to see the explosion of pink
blossoms on the ornamental plum trees. Several of my regular plum trees are also
striking with their bright white blossoms. And the forsythia is gorgeous with
bright yellow flowers. Unfortunately, one of my forsythia has just a few
branches with yellow blooms and my other one is dead. Yep, not enough water.
Plants and fields are suffering. That last rain was helpful,
but barely made puddles at my place. The drought is certainly causing great
havoc.
My wildflower area under the pine tree still needed clearing,
so I made a date with my 16 year-old grandson, Bryce, for some help. I picked
him up after school and we cut and chopped the old dry perennials of fever few,
iris stalks, Oriental poppies, cosmos, dahlia, Shasta daisies, yarrow, tansy, mint,
asters and daylilies. We even pruned the two rose bushes. They were way
overgrown! We even found a few blooming flowers under the dried vegetation --
violets and blue and pink bell-like blooms on lung-wort plants. The fever few,
iris, tansy, daylilies and Shasta daisies are also trying to grow.
A few daffodils are blooming, but without the moisture they
need the blooms tend to fall over. The tulip vegetation perked-up a bit from
the rain and is about six-inches high. There may be a few blooms in April.
But with this drought, these perennials are not going to do
well if I don’t start irrigating. I don’t have a system set-up that is frost
free and don’t think I have the energy to attach hoses and drag them around
throughout April and May like I did last year. Oh, to find the fountain of
youth would be wonderful. Or some good rain storms would fix the problem!
May peace and calm be with you this week. Smile – just cuz it
makes you feel better!
Liz Bowen began writing ranch and
farm news, published in newspapers, in 1976. She is a native of Siskiyou
County. Columns from the past can be found at: lizwriteslife.blogspot.com. Call
her at 530-467-3515.
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