State Water Board proposes extension on drought regulations through 2023

May 4, 2022

Liz Writes Life

Last week, the newly formed grass-roots Scott Valley Agriculture Water Alliance learned that the State Water Resources Control Board is threatening to re-adopt its current 2021-2022 “emergency” regulations for the following 2022-2023 year. This is a major concern for local farmers and ranchers, who are trying to stay in business through the next six months of 2022.

The Water Board is holding a zoom meeting on Wed., May 4, 2022 and is taking verbal public comments on the re-adoption of its water curtailment regulations.

Theodora Johnson, a spokesman for the Scott Valley Alliance, told me that she and several others will be on that zoom meeting to provide a voice for local farmers and ranchers.

In my observation, the crux of the problem is that the Endangered Species Act listed coho salmon population numbers are doing well in Scott Valley, but the Water Board continues to threaten to demand all agricultural irrigation stop – in the name of protecting coho.

“Water curtailment re-adoption is not supported by the State’s own data on Scott River salmon,” said Johnson. “Re-adoption of the regulations for the Scott River is unfair, unreasonable and unneeded,” Johnson added.

Scott Valley is the only place in California where all agricultural wells are being threatened with this unprecedented action of a total State-demanded stoppage of irrigation water because of a fish species listed to the ESA.

More information from the Scott Valley Alliance’s most recent press release follows:

Salmon data from California Dept. of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW) does not support the damaging regulations: Coho salmon were surviving and thriving without the minimum flows and irrigation reductions required in the 2021 curtailment.

Adult coho spawners in 2020-21 were the 2nd highest on record, at 1,766 adults, and all were able to reach their preferred spawning habitat in the upper watershed—despite statements by CDFW that irrigation curtailments were needed due to the low-flow conditions in 2020.

Coho juveniles from that run reared successfully in the drought summer of 2021—before the curtailment went into effect—as evidenced by record number of outmigrants in Spring 2022: over 42,000 emigrating out of the Scott River to date.

This high survival rate of young coho is evidence of Scott River's freshwater production and improving in-river conditions—without the need for major curtailments.

Coho salmon trends are positive since adult data collection by CDFW began in 2007. Run size now averages about 800 coho, similar to CDFW’s estimates from the early 1960s.

Only in the Scott Valley is the State requiring that all ag wells be curtailed, despite the aquifer in the Scott Valley (like the Shasta Valley) not being in overdrafted condition. Meanwhile, those groundwater basins in California that are critically overdrafted are not having their ag wells curtailed under State emergency regulations.

But if the Water Board is using Scott Valley as a test for this new expansion of its authority, groundwater pumping in other basins could soon be in jeopardy, too.

It should be noted that, even though our aquifer is stable, locally-driven aquifer recharge projects and other water storage projects are a high priority in the Scott River basin as a win-win option for fish and farms.

Farmers are expected to cut back the use of their wells by 100% if minimum fish flows are not met throughout the summer, unless they can document a 30% reduction plan to the State Water Board. The economic impact of this significant decrease in irrigation during the valleys' short growing season for alfalfa hay and pasture is harmful to the family farmers, ranchers, and dairies as well as to the local communities and food consumers.

Regarding the future of farms and ranches, Johnson finished with, “If agriculture can’t survive here in Scott Valley, where fish numbers are strong and our aquifer is stable, then how can it survive anywhere in California?”

To contact Johnson, call 530-598-3081.

Dahle pushes for local schools

Recently, CA. Dist. 1 Assemblywoman Megan Dahle announced some possible good news for rural school districts. Dahle authored Assembly Bill 2337 and it has unanimously passed the Assembly Education Committee and on the Assembly Floor‚ which means it moves to the Senate next.

Dahle said, “This bill will ensure California’s smallest‚ rural school districts receive proper recognition by defining Frontier School Districts in the California Education Code. Frontier school districts will be defined in alignment with federal grant requirements as school districts that have annual average daily attendance of less than 600 students and are located in a county with a population of less than 10 persons per square mile.

“This will help level the playing field‚ allowing California’s smallest schools to have a better chance at funding opportunities and‚ subsequently‚ providing better education opportunities for our students.

“The time and effort it has taken to get to this point has been immense‚ but absolutely worth it. I am grateful to my staff and education representatives from the first Assembly District for contributing to these bills‚ and I look forward to what they mean for our school districts. Stay tuned!”

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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