water stewardship - ensuring a secure future for california agriculture
TRANSCRIPT
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1WAER SEWARDSHIP
HE VIABILIY OF AGRICULURE i Calioria is thratd by
iscr watr spplis a rslt o dwidlig spply, distribtio
challgs, ad amplid comptitio amog srs. I a ra o srios
ad ar-rachig viromtal, social, ad coomic isss actig
agricltr ad th broadr socity, wi-wi soltios that brig mltipl
bts mst b soght. Agricltral watr stwardship is o dr-
xplord ara with th pottial or makig valabl cotribtios.Agricltral watr stwardship th carl ad rsposibl maagmt
ad s o availabl watr rsorcs ca hlp islat armrs agaist
tr crtaity i watr spply, bolstr ood scrity, hac
viromtal qality, ad cotribt to ovrall appropriat watr
maagmt i Calioria.
Water Stewardship
Ensuring a Secure Future forCalifornia Agriculture
june
GaryKramer/NrCS
i
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2 WAER SEWARDSHIP
jItrodctio
AGRICULURE is a damtal hma activitythat srvs th pblic good by providig ood, orishmt,
ad a coomic drivr or rral aras. Do sstaiably,
it ca also or viromtal bts sch as protctigop spac, sqstrig carbo, ad cratig wildli habi-
tat. Agricltr also has associatd costs i trms o ipts,
o o which watr s is th ocs o this papr. Agri-
cltr rprsts th largst hma s o watr i Calior-
ia, makig it a atral ocs i tims o watr scarcity.
T prssrs comig to bar o watr s i agricl-
tr ar itsiyig. T cost o both watr ad th rgy
dd to dlivr it ar risig, whil watr qatity ad qal-
ity ar dcrasig. No log-trm soltios to chroic aqir
ovrdrat ar orthcomig. Urba dvlopmt cotis to
dmad mor agricltral watr trasrs ad th lgal sys-
tm is icrasigly allocatig scarc watr rsorcs to th
viromt rom agricltral ss. Both somtims lad to
idlig or rtirig armlad.
It is i th log-trm itrsts o agricltr to b proac-
tiv i advocatig or policis ad procts that bt arm-
rs ad mt th ds o both th rba ad viromtal
sctors. A risk maagmt approach is dd or idi-
vidal armrs, ad th sctor as a whol will b bttr o i
it dmostrats ladrship i proposig iovativ soltios
bor big orcd, throgh rglatios or th corts, to
mak chags.
Rctly, a grop o orgaizatios ocsd o th itr-
sctio o agricltr ad th viromt has b mt-
ig to xplor pro-armig soltios to Caliorias watr
challgs. W hav also solicitd ipt rom mor tha
thirty xprts i watr policis ad programs rprst-
ig stat govrmt agcis, agricltr orgaizatios,
watr advocacy grops, prodcrs, ad tchical xprts.
T divrs prspctivs that iormd this docmt ar
grodd i practical armig xpric ad a thorogh
drstadig o agricltral watr isss.
Spcically, w hav b xamiig ways i which
agricltr ca, whil rmaiig protabl, b a bttr stw-
ard o availabl watr rsorcs throgh improvd watr
maagmt, hacd o-arm watr rttio, rdcd
o-arm dmad, ad/or improvd cicy. W hav id-
tid both th d ad th opportity to dvlop watr
stwardship stratgis that bt ad protct armig whil
also sstaiig th halth o th cosystms po which w
all dpd. It appars icrasigly obvios that thr ca b
o coomically, agroomically, ad cologically sstaiabl
agricltr systm withot a sstaiabl watr stwardship
stratgy.
Tis docmt is itdd as a startig poit or discs-sios amog armrs, spportig orgaizatios, rba watr
advocacy grops, viromtal orgaizatios ocsd o
watr isss, ad othr stakholdrs i Caliorias watr. It
otlis th cas or agricltral watr stwardship i th
crrt political, viromtal, ad coomic cotxt. It
proposs a st o pricipls to gid ogoig agricltral
watr stwardship orts. Fially, this docmt ors a
stratgic ramwork or o-arm practics, policis, ad th
mlti-stakholdr collaboratios cssary to implmt
maigl soltios.
Why Watr Stwardship?
Attmpts to grappl with watr isss grally all ito
o o thr catgoris: improvig watr qality, icrasig
spply ad improvig storag ad dlivry, ad rdcig
dmad. No o ths alo provids th soltio to Cali-
orias watr wos ad all hav a rol to play.
O cors, o way to icras th qatity o watr
availabl or s is to improv watr qality by rdcig or
prvtig watr polltio. For yars atr th passag o
Caliorias Cla Watr Act, agricltral practics wr
xmpt rom complyig with th rglatios rsltig rom
passag o th Act. Howvr, ths agricltral waivrs
coti to b challgd i cort, ad whil som gais
hav b mad i crtailig agricltral cotribtios to
poor watr qality, thr is room or improvmt.
O th spply sid, proposals to bild w watr storag
ad dlivry mchaisms coti to b dbatd ad advo-
catd i th lgislatr ad i som sctors o agricltr.
T liig o dlivry caals is big codctd whr ap-
propriat to dcras watr loss drig trasport ovr log
distacs to both agricltral ad rba cstomrs. O
crrt partrship i this ort is th Mtropolita Watr
Districts agrmt to pay or caal liig i th Imprial
Irrigatio District i xchag or a portio o th rights to
th savd watr. Optios or bildig larg dams ar limitd,
vry costly, ad ca rqir icrasigly xpsiv rgy
to pmp ad dlivr watr. Togh it is otsid th scop
o this papr, w ar itrstd i xplorig watr storag
soltios (icldig grodwatr storag) that ar smallr,
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3WAER SEWARDSHIP
Watr cosrvatio has bcom a viabl
log-trm spply optio bcas it savs
cosidrabl capital ad opratig costs or
tilitis ad cosmrs, avoids viromtal
dgradatio, ad crats mltipl bts.
Caliornia Water Plan Update 2005
rgioally oritd, ad cologically sod.
Tr is clarly a d or a divrs st o coordiatd
soltios to Caliorias watr challgs, icldig dalig
with agig irastrctr, assssig th d or w storag
ad dlivry systms, ad improvig watr qality. Tis pa-
pr ocss o watr stwardship th rsposibl ma-
agmt ad s o watr rsorcs or svral rasos:
A stwardship approach is i kpig with th pricipls
o agricltral sstaiability wh it coms to limitd
atral rsorcs availability ad spportig virom-
tal goals whvr possibl.
Watr cosrvatio is th most coomical ad cit
way to maag comptig ds across sctors i th ac
o dimiishig spply.
I th ac o iscr watr rsorcs, rdcig rliac
o this icrasigly scarc rsorc mst b a compot
o a log-trm agricltral stratgy.
Sic most o th rct ocs o watr cosrvatio i
agricltr has b o irrigatio tchology, thr is
cosidrabl room or w idas ad approachs.
Watr stwardship holds th pottial or mros
othr bts, sch as lowr rgy costs ad rdcd
agricltral ro.
A dcras i watr availability whthr d to
droght, addicatio, or cost has alrady b a grat
motivator or armrs to tak a stwardship approach. Asotd by Uivrsity o Calioria rsarchrs, [as] watr
bcoms mor scarc, armrs act to miimiz thir losss
by adoptig watr-cosrvig tchologis, shitig rom
mor watr-itsiv crops to lss watr-itsiv crops,
or icrasig thir rliac o grodwatr.1 Svr watr
shortags i Astralia ad xas, or xampl, hav rsltd
i th adoptio o iovativ watr cosrvatio soltios.
Whil w cold wait ad lt th orcs dtrmiig watr
availability play ot, agricltr wold b wll-srvd by
proactivly discssig ad advacig policis, practics, ad
programs that corag bttr agricltral watr stward-
ship, thrby prsrvig th log-trm viability o agricl-
tr.
Evisioig ad implmtig sccssl ad sstai-
abl watr stwardship stratgis will cssitat ovl
collaboratios ad wi-wi soltios. Tr is grat pot-
tial i stratgis that addrss mor tha o problm at th
sam tim. For xampl, agricltral prodctio mthods
that cosrv watr ad maximiz prodctivity, bild soil
halth, ad provid wildli habitat shold b coragd.
It is possibl that o-arm practics that accomplish ths
goals may soo qaliy or carbo sqstratio oststo rdc grhos gas missios, thrby providig a
rv stram to ictiviz th shit towards gratr watr
ad lad stwardship. Aothr xampl o soltios ml-
tiplirs is th Nitrat Maagmt Program o Motry
Coty Watr Rsorcs Agcy, which dcats growrs
o irrigatio maagmt as a mas to rdc itrats i
grodwatr, icras rtilizr cicy, rdc rosio,
ad icras watr cosrvatio. I short, idas that both
protct th itrsts o agricltr, ad ar rsposibl b-
yod ths itrsts, ar calld or.
It is or ittio is to s th idas prstd i thispapr to op a dialog ad provok discssio that will
mov agricltr towards spcic proposals that rslt
i sstaiabl, watr-cosrvig o-arm practics ad
policis, ad bttr commicatio ad collaboratio
btw stakholdrs. Tis papr is itdd as a workig
docmt to gid stratgy dvlopmt ad actio to
achiv ths goals.
StoCKxpert.C
om
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4 WAER SEWARDSHIP
Caliorias pricipal watr covyac systms wr
bilt dcads ago, ad Caliorias poplatio ad agri-
cltral prodctio hav icrasd sic th, with w
improvmts to that systm. T spply o watr has otkpt p with th dmad, cratig srios costraits or
agricltr.
Rsorc limitatios ar likly to itsiy i th or-
sabl tr, with dirt orcs at play i dirt
rgios, d to trds sch as icrasd saliity, chagig
pattrs o prcipitatio, rdcd sow pack, risig sa
lvls likd to climat chag, ad grodwatr ovrdrat.
Icrass i th cost o rgy will also play a rol i th cost
o watr sic trasportig watr is o o th stats largst
ss o rgy. Political ad lgal costraits ar also likly
to tight, icldig prssr to rstor watr to th vi-
romt ad divrt agricltral watr to rba aras, vary-
ig stimatios o watr availability, madatd rdctios
i watr allocatios, cotstd watr rights, ad prssr
to rdc or limiat th Agricltral Waivr o th Cla
Watr Act.
Vry rct vts srv as warigs ad xampls
drscorig th timliss o a call or a visioary watr
stwardship pla:
I mid-Fbrary 2008, rsarchrs at UC Sa Digo a-
ocd that thr is a 50 prct chac that Lak Mad
will b dry by 2021 i th climat chags as xpctd ad
tr watr sag is ot crtaild.2
Also i Fbrary 2008, sothr Calioria avocado arm-
rs bga stmpig halthy trs i a dsprat attmpt
to tak thm ot o prodctio i ordr to spply s-
cit watr or th rst o thir orchards. T 2008 watr
shortag i th Mtropolita Watr District o Orag
Coty marks th rst tim that armrs, who i 1995
agrd to b th rst to tak watr cts i tims o short-
ag i xchag or discotd rats, hav had to taksch drastic cts i spply, i this cas makig do with 30
prct lss watr.
I mid-April 2008, dral ocials closd th salmo sh-
ig saso alog th Wst Coast rom sothr Calioria
to orthr Orgo, citig a prcdtd collaps
i adlt chiook rtrig to thir spawig grods i
th Sacramto Rivr watrshd.
I J 2008, th U.S. Bra o Rclamatio aocd
it wold hav to ct watr spplid to Ctral Vally
arms to 40 prct o th amot growrs cotractd orwith th dral govrmt.
O J 5th, 2008, Govror Schwarzggr issd th
rst droght dclaratio sic 1991. H also dirctd th
Calioria Dpartmt o Watr Rsorcs to hlp spd
watr trasrs to aras with th worst shortags, to hlp
local watr districts with cosrvatio orts ad to assist
armrs srig losss rom th droght.
T iscrity o agricltral watr spplis is clarly
a sigicat iss. I additio to watr shortags, cas law
ad lgislatio will likly coti to rthr sqz watr
availability or agricltr i th tr. T rmaidr o
this sctio otlis th lgal cotxt, xamis som rct
proposd targts or agricltral watr s rdctios, sm-
marizs maor achivmts i watr s cicy, ad
ds by dscribig opportitis availabl or rthr gais
rom applyig a watr stwardship approach.
jT Opportity ad Nd or Agricltral Watr Stwardship
Regional water storage model: Georgiasconstructed wetlands
Cyton County n Geog s deveoped sees
o constucted etnds tt ugents tdton
stete tetent, ecs te te o use
n te county, eps nge stote, povdes
btt o de, nd ncopotes ste esto-
ton nd pubc educton.3
SuzaNNeBrowN/ClaytoNCouNtywaterauthority
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5WAER SEWARDSHIP
Lgal ad Lgislativ Cotxt
Watr is typically th topic o dozs o stat bills ach
yar, ad thr is cosidrabl cas law o rcord rgard-
ig all aspcts o watr s i Calioria. T Dpartmt
o Watr Rsorcs (DWR) Watr Pla Updat 2005 sm-
marizs mor tha 50 bills ovr a v-yar priod thatprodcd rglatios to improv watr maagmt, food
cotrol, ad watr spply plaig at th local lvl ad also
addrssd rcyclig, dsaliatio, ad grodwatr pot-
tial or icrasig spplis.4 A sapshot o th 2007-2008
lgislativ sssios shows dozs o watr bills , th maor-
ity dalig with watr qality, food cotrol, rba watr
cosrvatio, or storag ad dlivry systms. T Stat o
Calioria has committd to sigicatly rdcig its global
warmig missios i AB 32, th Calioria Global Warmig
Soltios Act o 2006. As yt, th implicatios o AB 32 or
agricltral watr srs ar clar, bt will likly cotribtto icrasig prssr o watr rsorcs.
Whil thr ar may lgal ad lgislativ idicators o
th costraits acig agricltr, th ollowig or lad-
mark xampls illstrat th kid o dcisios that stad to
act agricltr i th log-trm.
Central Valley Project Improvement Act (1992) Tis
ladmark lgislatio markd a damtal shit i th
balac btw th comptig watr ds o agricltr
vrss cosystms, dictatig that sigicat Ctral Vally
watr mst b rallocatd rom armig to th viro-
mt. T CVPIA idtid sh ad wildli protctioad rstoratio as primary prposs o th Ctral Vally
Proct (CVP), which also irrigats 3 millio acrs o Calior-
ia armlad. It ordrd a rallocatio o 800,000 acr-t
o CVP watr (600,000 i dry yars) rom armrs to th
viromt. T CVPIA also limitd agricltral watr
cotract rwals to 25 yars, ad st p a viromtal
rstoratio d o $30 to $60 millio, dd primarily by
CVP cstomrs.
Mono Lake Decision (1994) Tis historic dcisio
od that Los Agls log-hld watr rights had to b
balacd with viromtal protctio, ad rqird ardctio i th citys watr divrsios. Tis cas has broad
implicatios or both agricltr ad rba watr srs,
brigig ito play th comptig ds o th viromt.
Accordig to a lgal bri or th cas, it brigs togthr or
th rst tim two systms o lgal thoght: th appropriativ
watr rights systm which sic th days o th gold rsh
has domiatd Calioria watr law, ad th pblic trst
doctri.5
Friant Dam Decision(2004) Tis cort cas ad
Public rust Doctrine
Sic 1928, th Calioria Costittio has
rqird that watr b pt to th highst
bcial s, ad has prohibitd wast or
rasoabl ss[I th Moo Lak dcisio]
th doctri rcogizs that govrmt has
a lgal rsposibility to protct rsorcs with
viromtal ad asthtic vals; sch
rsorcs ar hld i trst or th pblic
David Carle6
rst tim i 55 yars. Sic th dam was bilt, arly 95
prct o th Sa Joaqi Rivrs fow had b divrtd
or irrigatio, with sigicat impacts to sh ad wildli, aswll as watr qality, or th arly two-thirds o Caliorias
citizs who dpd o th rivr. wo yars atr th lgal
dcisio, a sttlmt agrmt was rachd to rstor
watr fows ad salmo to th Sa Joaqi Rivr blow Fri-
at Dam whil drtakig o o th Wsts largst rivr
rstoratio orts.7 Most rctly, th Sa Joaqi Rivr
Rstoratio Sttlmt Act (still dr cosidratio by
dral lgislators) wold act th agrmt as law ad
also athoriz dral mois to match ds rom watr
sr paymts to covr th costs o rivr rstoratio, salmo
ritrodctio, ad watr maagmt.North Coast Instream Flow Policy As madatd i
2004 by AB 2121, this policy is targtd or adoptio by th
Stat Watr Rsorcs Cotrol Board (SWRCB) by th d
o 2008. It has pottial widsprad impacts, primarily or
agricltral ad rral watr srs o th North Coast (ad
across Calioria i it srvs as a prcdt) bcas it will
sbct w watr prmit applicatios ad chags to xist-
ig prmits to icrasd scrtiy ad rglatio. As x-
crptd rom th SWRCB wbsit, th drat policy cotais
sbsqt lgislatio stablishd viromtal prioritis
or watr i a spcic rivr systm ad dcrasd th watr
availabl or agricltr. T dcisio i a lawsit broght
by th Natral Rsorcs Ds Cocil (NRDC) rqird
th rlas o watr rom Friat Dam ar Frso or th
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6 WAER SEWARDSHIP
gidlis or valatig whthr a proposd watr divr-
sio, i combiatio with xistig divrsios i a watrshd,
may act istram fows dd or th protctio o
shry rsorcs. T drat policy stablishs pricipls ad
gidlis or maitaiig istram fows or th protctio
o shry rsorcs [It] provids or a watrshd-basd
approach to valat th cts o mltipl divrsios o i-stram fows withi a watrshd as a altrativ to valat-
ig watr divrsio procts o a idividal basis.8
Dvlopmts sch as ths i th lgal ad lgisla-
tiv ara will coti to b a actor or agricltr. Ty
ar blt istrmts or rspodig to th problm, ad
ca airly impact armrs who hav tak masrs to
cosrv watr. Covrsly, a widly dorsd watr stw-
ardship policy platorm dvlopd by agricltr has th
pottial to ifc th dirctio o stat policis i a way
that rwards ad spports stwardship practics ad ss-
tais armrs ad armig i Calioria.
Watr Cosrvatio Stratgis & argts
Watr cosrvatio targts ca srv as a rallyig cry
ad a bchmark or valatig sccss. I a ra o co-
strictd watr availability ad icrasig dmad, w bliv
that a ambitios targt or agricltr (as wll as rba ad
idstrial sctors) is both cssary ad possibl, ad i thlog-trm sl-itrsts o armrs.
Proctios or watr s rdctios orcast i th
DWR Watr Pla Updat 200510 wr cosrvativ v o
th high d o thir rag. Ty proctd a 5 to 10 pr-
ct (1.9 to 3.5 millio acr t) dcras i agricltral
watr s by 2030 withot th d or adoptio o ay w
practics, programs, or policis, pls a additioal 0.6 to 2.6
prct (0.2 to 0.9 ma), achivabl throgh a modst st o
watr cicy improvmts. T Plas rcommdatios
or acilitatig a wid rag o stwardship practics call
o th stat to collaborat with local Rsorc Cosrva-tio Districts, crat a dirctory to aid i stat ad dral
coordiatio, dirct dral ds to o-arm orts, ad
codct bttr assssmts o th cacy ad bts o
stwardship practics. T Plas watr s cicy rcom-
mdatios icld calls or mor dig ad tchical
assistac or varios programs ad tchiqs, as wll as
th collctio o watr s data or varios crops, corag-
ig rat strctrs that bill by volm o watr dlivrd,
ostrig bttr partrships, ad codctig otrach ad
dcatio.
A mor ambitios high cicy scario has bprstd by th Pacic Istitt i thir 2005 rport, Cali-
oria Watr: 2030: A Ecit Ftr.11 It lays ot a gra
scario or savigs o p to 23 prct, or 8 ma, by 2030,
achivabl primarily throgh mor widsprad adoptio o
xistig irrigatio tchologis ad othr o-arm practics
coragd i part throgh chags i agricltral watr
prics. As otd i thir rport, th dirc btw thir
scario ad thos o th DWR ar th rslt o makig
dirt assmptios abot a rag o watr-s cicy
optios, policis, tchologis, ad dcisios.12
W bliv that v th Pacic Istitts high -cicy scario is cosrvativ i that it ocss o broad
adoptio o alrady-xistig tchologis. O prpos o
or call or dvlopig watr stwardship stratgis is to
provid savigs i additio to thos acqird throgh xist-
ig practics ad tchology.
I th political ralm, o Fbrary 28th, 2008, Govror
Schwarzggr calld or a 20 prct rdctio i watr
s pr capita by 2020, ctivly issig a political madat
or th qivalt o a Global Warmig Soltios Act (AB
Calioria armlad lost to rba adidstrial sprad ach yar = 1.5 percent(122,000 acres)
otal lad ara crrtly irrigatd iCalioria = 7.6 million acres
Amot o watr dd to prodc 1pod o grai i Calioria = 250 gallons
Caliorias wtlads that hav bdraid ad/or altrd to provid morroom or hma activitis = 91 percent
David Pimental & Kelsey Hart9
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7WAER SEWARDSHIP
32) or watr cosrvatio. Whil this proclamatio is wid
op to itrprtatio, it crats a opportity to rprst
th itrsts o armrs, ifc th may rsposs likly
to s, ad mov towards a sstaiabl agricltral tr.
W bliv that agricltr has th rsorcs, capacity, x-
prtis, ad sl-itrst to ris to th challg o ambitios
watr s rdctio goals ad stratgis, withot drmi-ig protability.
Achivmts i Agricltral WatrUs Rdctio
Sigicat gais i watr s cicy ad cosrva-
tio hav b achivd i rct dcads i both Calioria
agricltr ad i rba s. I 32 importat Calioria
crops btw 1980 ad 2000, a 38 prct largr volm
o crop was prodcd with vry acr-oot o watr.13 Sch
improvmts corag acillary coomic ad viro-
mtal bts sch as mor prcis harvst dats or pak
pricig, improvd yilds, bttr tilizatio o agroomic
ipts, ad improvd watr qality throgh rdcd ro.
o b clar, irrigatio cicy improvmts allow or
largr crop yilds pr it o watr (mor crop pr drop)
ad gratr coomic rtr, bt do ot cssarily rdc
th volm o watr sd by agricltr. T cicy r-
slts rom bttr cotrol o watr losss, whil maitaiig
or v icrasig actal watr cosmptio by crops. As
watr ad its associatd rgy costs icras, armrs will
d to cosidr whthr icrasd yilds ar coomically
asibl, ad th mphasis o maximizig yilds will d to
b balacd with othr cosidratios.
T gratst improvmts i irrigatio cicy to
dat ca b gropd ito two gral catgoris: irrigatio
irastrctr ad irrigatio schdlig or maagmt.
Watr spplirs play a maor rol i both catgoris by
rdcig losss i dlivry systms ad allowig mor fx-
ibility i watr accss to growrs.
Prcisio ad iormity o i-ld watr distribtio
compris som o th most sigicat o-arm watr -
cicy gais to dat. Watr districts across th stat rportogoig trasitio by growrs rom rrow irrigatio to
spriklr ad ltimatly drip irrigatio systms, with associ-
atd improvmts i watr s cicy. Strawbrris,
may viyards,14 ad most orchards ar xampls o crops
that ar ow almost xclsivly irrigatd by drip or micro-
spriklr mthods. Flow ad prssr rglatio qipmt,
tailwatr rcovry, ad improvd covyac systms also
ld to th gais i watr cosrvatio. Amog th barrirs
to mor widsprad adoptio ar th capital costs o w i-
rastrctr, logistical coficts with ld opratios, dca-
tio ad traiig or skilld workrs, ad pottial icrasd
rgy dmads o drip ad spriklr systms.
A cit irrigatio systm rqirs ot oly good
dsig ad irastrctr, bt also good maagmt. Prs-
srizd irrigatio systms rqir rigoros maitac
practics to oprat at maximal cicy. Dcisios owh, how mch, ad or how log to irrigat compris th
art ad scic o irrigatio schdlig i rspos to soil
qalitis, climat, ad crop dmad. chiqs rag rom
th dirct obsrvatio o soil moistr to atomatd soil ad
climat ssors ad comptrizd schdlig tools. Both th
low-tch ad high-tch approachs ca b similarly ctiv
dpdig o a growrs prrc ad mas o impl-
mtatio.
A particlarly valabl rsorc is th Calioria Irriga-
tio Maagmt Iormatio Systm (CIMIS), a statwid
twork o arly 125 wathr statios, accssd by ovr
Dlayig actio o watr-cosrvatio ad
cicy icrass th prssr to d, bild, or
by w xpsiv ad viromtally damagig
sorcs o watr spply Sch sorcs o spply ar
icrasigly scarc or cotrovrsial. Whil w do ot
bliv a highly cit tr is cssarily asy to
achiv, w thik it will b asir, astr, ad chapr
tha ay othr optio acig s.
Pacic Institute15
6,000 agricltral srs. CIMIS data ca b sd dirctly,
or ipt ito atomatd irrigatio schdlig tools sch asth o-li Watright program rom th Ctr or Irriga-
tio chology at Calioria Stat Uivrsity Frso (which
had ovr 30,000 discrt visitors to its wbsit i 2007). O
idpdt stdy od that growrs sig CIMIS rdcd
watr s by a avrag o 13 prct ad icrasd yilds
by 8 prct.16
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8 WAER SEWARDSHIP
jGidig Pricipls or a Watr Stwardship Stratgy
As illstratd i th prvios sctio, importat gais
hav b mad i watr s cicy. Tr is a opport-
ity or additioal watr savigs i ach o th aras smma-
rizd abov, ad w spport ad corag this work.I additio, w ac a d or w stratgis that ag-
mt ad complmt xistig stratgis sch as improvd
irrigatio tchology or w irastrctr. For small ad
mid-siz armrs i particlar, th somtims costly ivst-
mts associatd with tchology-basd soltios may ot
b asibl or practical. Additioal stratgis that ar sol-
tios mltiplirs with coomic, social, ad viromtal
bts ar calld or. I short, thr is a d or mor
advacd rsarch, dcatio, policis, ad collaboratios
that ocs o sstaiabl or cological armig tchiqs
that cosrv watr.Accordig to th Uivrsity o Calioria Sstaiabl
Agricltr Rsarch ad Edcatio Program (UC SAREP),
sstaiabl agricltr is charactrizd by th ollowig:
Sustainable agriculture integrates three main goals
environmental health, economic protability, and social and
economic equity. Sustainability rests on the principle that we
must meet the needs o the present without compromising the
ability o uture generations to meet their own needs.
A systems perspective is essential to understanding
sustainability. Te system is envisioned in its broadest sense,
rom the individual arm, to the local ecosystem, and to
communities afected by this arming system both locally and
globally.17
Arisig rom or commitmt to assrig a coomi-
cally, viromtally, ad socially sstaiabl agricltr
systm, w hav applid ths gral cocpts to th chal-
lg o watr stwardship. W propos that th ollowig
st o pricipls gid ogoig dvlopmt o a actio
pla or o-arm practics, collaboratios, ad policy.
1.Founded in an ecological, not strictly a technological,
ramework
Dos th iitiativ provid mltipl bts, ad ca it b
implmtd withot d rliac o xpsiv tchol-
ogy or irastrctr?
I a whol systms approach, soltios ar dsigd to
solv mor tha o problm. I th cas o watr stward-
ship, maximizig soil orgaic mattr, or xampl, improvs
watr rttio, thrby cosrvig watr. It also spports
th growth o halthir, mor pst- ad disas-rsistat
crops. Ovr tim, this also has th pottial to rdc rli-
ac o ipts sch as rgy ad rtilizr, orig cost
savigs ad viromtal bts.
2.Financially easible or armers
Dos th proposd iitiativ cosidr th coomic viabil-
ity o all scals o arms ad/or provid acial ictiv
or xistig ad w armrs to adopt watr stwardship
practics?
Farmrs ar dr cosidrabl coomic prssr
rom all dirctios, ad caot b xpctd to adopt watr
cosrvig practics st bcas it is th right thig to do.
Tr mst b coomic ictivs, sbsidis, ad othr
spports to acilitat th trasitio to improvd watr stw-ardship practics.
3.Preserves armland and a sustainable economic base
or rural areas
Dos th iitiativ protct armlad rom bcomig idl
or dvlopd? Dos it protct agaist a rdctio i rral
mploymt opportitis? Dos it improv agricltral
prodctivity?
oo ot, policis pt i plac or th bt o th -
viromt or rba dvlopmt hav had th itdd
cosqc o makig armig so protabl that arm-
rs idl lad or mov it ot o prodctio altogthr. Tis
has b a particlar risk o watr marktig rls that hav
mad watr sals mor protabl tha armig or som
armrs.
4.Results in measurable water savings
Is th iitiativ xpctd to hac ad improv watr
qality ad/or qatity?
Whil w drstad that th qaticatio o im-
provmts i watr sag is challgig ad sbct to
variability ovr tim ad plac, w bliv that it is impor-
tat to attmpt to stimat th impact that a giv soltio
or iitiativ is xpctd to mak o watr s pattrs i
ordr to valat th most cacios optios.
5.Regionally appropriate and exible
Ca th proposd iitiativ b adaptd ad modid or
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9WAER SEWARDSHIP
applicatio to varios divrs rgios ad circmstacs
across Calioria?
Caliorias agricltral cotxt is xtraordiarily divrs
i trms o gography, crop pattrs, watr availabilityad cost, ad othr actors. For istac, watr availability,
maagmt practics, ad ds ar cosidrably dirt
alog Caliorias orth coast tha i th sothr Ctral
Vally. Watr stwardship soltios mst cssarily b
adaptabl to varios coditios, ad mst avoid a o-siz-
ts-all approach. W bliv that th watrshd scal is th
most appropriat orgaizatioal it to s i orgaizig,
collaboratig, ad plaig most watr stwardship iitia-
tivs.
6.Benefts to agriculture, the environment, and urban
constituents outweigh the costs
Dos th proposd iitiativ addrss th ds ad co-
straits o mltipl sctors sch that th aggrgat bts
xcd th costs?
No o ths sctors ca b cosidrd i isolatio
wh it coms to watr ds; thy ar all itrrlatd ad
itrdpdt. As watr ds icras ad watr spply
dimiishs, w mst assr that comptitio btw th
sctors is rdcd i avor o iitiativs that ar cooprativ
ad mtally bcial.
7.Protects water quality or rural communities
Dos th iitiativ protct agricltral workr halth ad
saty ad sr accss to sa ad adqat spplis o
drikig watr or arms ad arm workr commitis?
Dos it sr that margializd ad low-icom commi-
tis ar ot disproportioatly impactd?
For arm workrs ad othr rral rsidts, agricltral
polltats, sch as itrats, rqtly xcd sa limits i
drikig watr, with pottially sigicat halth ad co-
omic impacts. Ctral Vally arm workrs rport spdig
p to 10 prct o thir hoshold icom o bottld watr
wh itrat lvls xcd lgal limits.18 Watr stwardship
iitiativs shold amliorat xistig sa coditios or
arm workrs ad gard agaist cratig w problms.
8.Wise reallocation o conserved water
Is th watr savd by agricltr wisly rallocatd to
bt th highst ds o th viromt, armrs, ad
rba costitts?
It is importat that watr s rdctios i agricltr
ar ot rallocatd to abl ithr sstaiabl rbasprawl or sstaiabl agricltral prodctio.
9.Strategic and achievable
Is th proposd iitiativ likly to garr sigicat spport
ad gagmt amog armrs ad othr stakholdrs,
ispirig thm to implmt it?
Agricltral watr maagmt stratgis ad iitiativs
mst strik a balac btw ralism ad ambitiosss.
Giv th limitatios o tim, ocs, ad acs, thy mst
also b prioritizd i trms o which iitiativs ar mostlikly to sccd ad hav th gratst impact. W wold
also lik to s a complmtary applicatio o stratgis
that ar achivabl i th short, mid, ad log trm.
For yars, dig ogh watr or popl mat
dig mor watr to s. oday, ad ito th
tr, w d to d ways to s watr i a
mor sstaiabl mar throgh a paradigm
shit that strsss icrasd watr s cicy
across all sctors. Agricltr, as th sigl gratst
watr cosmr i th world ad cotrollig th
gratst volms i th Uitd Stats, has a iq,
madatd rsposibility to maag i a sstaiabl
mar atioal ad global watr rsorcs.
...O th 147 cotris rakd or watr cicy
by th World Watr Cocil, th Uitd Stats
rakd last.
Cooperative State Research, Education, and
Extension Service19
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10 WAER SEWARDSHIP
joward a Watr Stwardship Framwork or Calioria Agricltr
I this sctio, w propos a mlti-actd ram-
work to gid th dvlopmt o a bold yt ralistic watr
stwardship stratgy. T ramwork is orgaizd ito thr
itrrlatd ad itrdpdt catgoris:
A. O-arm sstaiabl practics
B. Collaboratio ad commicatio
C. Policy
For ach o ths catgoris, w sggst a otli or
rsarch, valatio, ad assssmt, as wll as som idas
or advacig spcic procts ad iitiativs. All o th
idas hr ar grodd i th crrt cotxt o costraits
ad opportitis ad iormd by th gidig pricipls
idtid abov.
Maigl atttio shold b giv to ach catgory.
Whil idividal iovatio o arms is valabl as a modl,
it mst b commicatd or gratr impact ad somtims
coragd by ictivs ad tchical spport to rpli-
cat it. Covrsly, policy that is ot grodd i o-arm
ralitis ad costraits rs th risk o big miimally
ctiv or prodcig gativ itdd cosqcs.
Fially, collaboratio ad commicatio is th cssary
drpiig o sccssl orts i both policy ad o-
arm practics.
Giv th divrsity that charactrizs Calioria agricl-
tr, th ramwork prstd hr rqirs a fxibl ad
rgioally appropriat approach. W bliv that th most
appropriat scal or dvlopig ad implmtig a watr
stwardship pla o actio is withi watrshd bodaris,
ithr thos o Caliorias i watr districts or prhaps
smallr sbsts withi thos districts. Whil this docmt
has ocsd o th dmad rdctio sid o th qatio,
a comprhsiv watrshd-basd watr stwardship pla
wold cssarily also addrss isss o watr qality ad
watr storag ad dlivry. T sam gidig pricipls laid
ot abov cold b applid to watr qality ad spply to
dvlop a sstaiabl watr stwardship approach.
Ts idas ar prstd i a attmpt to ostr
dialog ad partrships towards a vtal stratgic
actio pla or advacig watr stwardship i Calioria
agricltr. W do ot itd to imply that what ollows
is a comprhsiv otli o what is possibl ad dd,
ad w look orward to a voltio ad matratio o this
ramwork as th covrsatio is broadd ad dpd
with varios stakholdrs.
A. O-Farm Sstaiabl Practics
May armig tchiqs allig dr th broad cat-
gory o sstaiabl agricltr hav th pottial to rdc
watr s whil achivig othr bts. W kow that co-
omic drivrs ar th motivators or most bhavior chag,
so cost-bt aalyss mst b applid to all proposd
practics to tst or th liklihood o widsprad adoptio
ad impact. W mst prioritiz soltios that mov armrs
away rom a ractiv, short-trm cost miimizatio ap-
proach to a proactiv modl that corags ivstmts i
log-trm sstaiability.
W propos that as a rst stp or advacig sstaiabl
o-arm watr stwardship practics, a stratgic rsarch
agda (ad a proposal or dig it) b cratd that
aswrs a sris o qstios. Car mst b tak to com
p with aswrs appropriat to arms o dirt scals, i-
com lvls, cltral cotxts, ad divrs rgioal cotxts.
Som o th rst qstios shold icld:
Which crrtly availabl sstaiabl or cological arm-
ig tchiqs t th gidig pricipls or watr stw-
ardship, ad shold thror b cosidrd i a toolkit
o o-arm practics? Is it possibl to qatiy th watr
cicis o ach practic, as wll as othr bts sch
as improvd yilds?
What lssos ca w lar rom othr rgios or co-
tris that ar rthr dow th road o watr stwardship
(.g., Astralia, Isral, xas, Arizoa)?
What ar th acial ad tchical barrirs to adop-
tio o watr-cosrvig tchiqs (icldig, bt ot
limitd to, irrigatio tchologis)?
Which Calioria crops cold most bt rom im-
provd watr s cicy? Which crops ar bst sitd
to th availabl watr spply i varios rgios o thstat? How ca w achiv th gratst cost-bt bal-
ac by growig high val crops whil miimizig watr
s?
Basd o th rsarch crrtly availabl ad ay that
ariss ot o th proposd rsarch agda, sl prod-
cts cold icld bst maagmt practics docmts,
rgioal or crop-spcic gidbooks or dvlopig a arm
watr pla, or wb-basd rsorcs.
W corag rsarch o, commicatio ad promo-
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11WAER SEWARDSHIP
Case Study: Minimum Till Technique
American Farms, Salinas, California
ise moes s ny specty cops on ove 2000 ces us-
ng 80-nc se-penent sed beds, educed tge, nd sod
set spnkes. Te de beds od ostue onge ong to
gte ess equenty. Te go o educed tge s to nze so
copcton nd keep te ognc tte nd nutents ne te su
ce to suppot te pnts nd cobes tt cobt pnt dsese.
hs s ve ost no uno becuse te so eectvey bsobs
te te, nd e conseves ue nd bo by usng ee tng psses
s e s educng geenouse gs essons. Te dvntges o set
spnkes s te bty to pecsey scedue te ppctons bsed
on so ostue needs te tn scedung nd bo dends,
nzed so copcton nd educed ekges cused by ovng
gton equpent, nd te ddton beneft o oe bo costs.2
tio o, ad ictiv-gratio or, th watr-cosrvig
pottial o a bld o divrs stratgis that icld, bt ar
ot limitd to, th ollowig:
Manage soil for maximum moisture retention. Soil or-
gaic mattr, cosrvatio tillag, ad soil srac protctio
all icras th ctio o th soil as a o-arm rsrvoir
o watr to hlp rdc ro, icras fxibility i irriga-tio schdlig, ad improv droght rsistac. o what
xtt ca watr dmad b mt by sch soil cosrvatio
practics?
Capture and retain available water on the farm. D-
pdig o sit charactristics, srac watr ca b r-
taid by pods, kyli systms,20 swals, ad strctrs, or
iltratd withi wtlads, basis, ad riparia zos. How
do sch o-arm ad rgioal procts, wh applid widly
across th ladscap, compar agaist larg, ctralizd
irastrctr procts?
Utilize sources of water other than surface and ground-water.Ts cold icld procssig ad tratig localagricltral ro, ad rsig watr o-arm (thogh
ood saty isss may hav to b addrssd i som cass).
Frthrmor, brackish grodwatr holds th promis o
wllhad tratmt ad o-arm s.
Favor crops that complement available water supply.Crop rotatio ad divrsicatio stratgis sch as thos -
coragd i prmacltr22 attmpt to match crop slctio
with sasoal ad ladscap variatios i watr availability.
o what dgr ca a scalig p o sch stratgis rdc th
watr dmad o Calioria agricltr?
Consider innovative irrigation regimes that reduce
actual consumptive use in appropriate settings.Rglatddcit irrigatio, partial root zo dryig,
23
o-till, ad dryarmig ar crrtly practicd with sccss i spcic
crops ad dr spcic coditios. o what xtt ca
ths practics b mor widly adoptd withi Caliorias
viyards, orchards, ad othr crops?
Closely monitor soils and climate to inform irrigation
decisions.Irrigatio schdlig ca b rd with dbackrom svral lvls, icldig dirct obsrvatio i th ld,
atomatd soil moistr ssors, ad climat-basd modl-
ig tools. Ca gratr ivolvmt o arm maagmt
across th board hlp to r irrigatio maagmt i
sigicat ways?Adopt precision water delivery technologies to the
extent practical.Existig tchologis allow or vry spciccotrol o watr prssr, fow, timig, ad locatio. Which
o ths tchologis ar at th sam tim most accssibl
ad last xtsivly adoptd amog growrs, ad why?
Encourage water measurement and water use account-
ing. Qaticatio o irrigatio as ichs o applid watr
Case Study: Integrated Watershed Management Program
Murray Darling River Basin, Australia
as n Con, pts o aust ve stugged o decdes t
te sccty, ove-octon o te, dougt, ncesng snty,
nd ped qutc nd pn speces nd btt. aust s
dopted n ntegted ctcent (tesed) ngeent p-
poc tt s stong epss on decentzton nd ptc-
ptoy decson-kng. Te muy Dng rve Bsn, coveng
ove one on sque koetes, s ptcuy successu
ngeent ode tt ddesses te suppy octon, te
consevton, estng nd evesng te quty degdton, nd
ecoogc estoton nd potecton. Toug tee e soe sg-
nfcnt deences beteen gcutue n aust (t ts ge
cege o ess dvese nds) nd Con, tee y be soe
potnt essons to be ened.21
JohNo'Neill
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12 WAER SEWARDSHIP
provids a mor prcis masr i compariso to mor
commo mtrics sch as th mbrs o hors a systm
oprats. How ca watr sag data bst b collctd ad
rportd to growrs i a ormat that hlps thm to mak
adstmts that ca sav costs ad maitai or improv
yilds?
Gttig watr stwardship toolkits basd o practicssch as ths ito th hads o armrs, ad providig th
cssary tchical ad acial spport or implmta-
tio, will qit likly rly o th collaboratio ad comm-
icatio o idas that volv i th ollowig sctio. Pblic
policis, dscribd i sctio (C) blow, may also b dd
to acilitat th adoptio o som o th tools .
B. Collaboratio ad Commicatio
A trly sccssl modl o agricltral watr stward-
ship will rqir a odatio o ral coopratio amog
actors. Tr ar svral aras that cold bt rom
hacd coopratio ad bttr commicatio i th
shard itrst o th goals o watr stwardship. T growth
o th local ood ad watrshd rstoratio movmts, or
xampl, brig with thm th pottial (ad challg) o i-
corporatig divrs prspctivs ad covrig w allis
or agricltr.
T watrshd is a wll-dd it o orgaizatio
appropriat or dvlopig watr stwardship plas, som-
tims kow as Itgratd Rgioal Watr Maagmt
Plas. T dvlopmt o agricltral watr bdgts at th
watrshd scal is a cssary tool or gidig ad impl-
mtig sch plas, ad collaboratio is rqird to stab-
lish ralistic ad maigl bdgts ad targts or watr
s rdctio.
W sggst sig dd watrshd bodaris to
implmt th ollowig st o tactics or improvig rgioa
collaboratio:
Explor xistig orgaizatioal ad dcisio-makig
modls or watrshd basis.
Idtiy th stakholdrs i th watrshd that ar, or
cold b, ivolvd i dvlopig a rgioal watr stw-
ardship pla.
Idtiy th cotxt, opportitis, ad barrirs acig
th watrshd rgio rlvat to agricltr ad log-
trm watr rsorc sstaiability.
Toroghly map th orgaizatios, acadmic istittios
ad rsarchrs, associatios, ad ladrs throghotth stat that cold b rsorcs or watr stwardship
soltios.
Orgaiz a sris o rodtabl listig sssios with
divrs agricltr stakholdrs i th watrshd to
xplor th idas rprstd i this papr ad rthr
dvlop th stratgic ramwork. Som o th catgoris
o stakholdrs cold icld armrs, watr district
maagrs, rsarchrs, Cooprativ Extsio agts,
allid trad grops, amily arm ad miority armr
rprstativs, citiz watrshd grops, ood systms
advocats, rba watr cosrvatio grops, tc.Idtiy dig opportitis to hac th ability o
xistig titis (as idtid i th mappig xrcis) to
provid tchical assistac ad advac th dissmia-
tio o th o-arm practics idtid i th prvios
sctio.
Establish a wb sit to provid iormatio o xistig
wb-basd rsorcs, watr stwardship tchologis,
icldig promisig rsarch, iovatios, ad ds,
ad rlvat rsorcs or th watrshd.
W s th d or hacd collaboratio ad com-micatio particlarly i th ollowig or catgoris:
Amog all sctors o agricltr
Btw armrs ad viromtal advocats
Btw armrs ad rba costitts
Between various researchers, institutions, and agencies (e.g.,
Cooperative Extension, California State Universities, Califor-
nia Department of Water Resources, and others) and farm-
ers seeking tools to achieve their water stewardship goals.
Case Study: Watershed Collaboration
Agriculture Water Quality Alliance (AWQA)awQa s n nnovtve coboton o gcutue, esouce con-
sevton gences, eseces, nd envonent ognztons
okng to potect bot te monteey By tesed ecosyste
nd gcutue. awQa s okng to pove te quty usng
gcutu ndusty-ed netoks to educe nonpont-souce po-
uton, pove tecnc ssstnce nd outec, se eness,
stene egutoy coodnton, denty undng ecnss
nd ncentves, nd pove te ntennce o pubc nds nd
u ods.
alBa
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13WAER SEWARDSHIP
I additio to hacig collaboratio ad comm-
icatio rgioally, it will b importat to strgth
statwid alliacs to dvlop ad advocat or stat
policis that dvlop rom a policy platorm sch as th
o proposd i th ollowig sctio.
C. PolicyWhil a grat dal ca b, ad has b, accomplishd
o a idividal or istittioal lvl to implmt watr
s rdctio practics, pblic policy chags ar rqird
to provid ictivs, mltiply sccsss, ad istittioal-
iz programs. Viabl policy optios will idtiy mltipl
bts (.g., watr, rgy, ad viromtal bts) that
assr th log-trm sstaiability o watr rsorcs.
W propos th dvlopmt o a policy platorm that
advacs th goals o a sstaiabl agricltr approach to
watr stwardship, ad that is ramd by th gidig pri-
cipls otlid prviosly. W sggst th ollowig stps to
mov towards a policy platorm:
Assss th crrt policy cotxt ad political obstacls,
icldig isss o watr rights ad prmittig, watr
rats ad watr marktig, ad idtiy gaps.
Evalat pblic policy modls i othr stats ad co-
tris that hav grappld with agricltral watr isss.
Usig th gidig pricipls i th prvios sctio o
this docmt, dvlop a spcic st o paramtrs or
th lmts o th policy platorm.
Dvlop a policy platorm ad prioritiz th lmts.
Som arly cocpts or lmts o th policy platorm
that warrat rthr discssio ad xploratio icld:
Establish or improv ictivs, sbsidis, ad dig
or rsarch that spport th adoptio o o-arm watrstwardship practics idtid i sctio (A) abov,
ad spport th typs o watrshd basi tworks ot-
lid i sctio (B). O pottial sorc o rv may
b carbo osts that may bcom availabl to arm-
rs mployig carbo sqstratio practics, may o
which wold also rdc watr sag.
Dscrib th rlatioship btw smart agricltr,
smart rba growth, ad viromtal dmads that
lik watr stwardship policis to matchig rba watr
cosrvatio orts.
Balac th ds o growrs or crtaity abot thir
accss to watr with th d or adaptability to or-
s circmstacs ladig to shortags.
Explor ways that armrs cold bt acially rom
cosrvig watr.
Idtiy accptabl ad accptabl agricltral ss
ad practics o watr cosrvatio ad maagmt.
Propos ictivs or a systms approach to o-arm
irastrctr sch as o-sit rgy gratio systms
(.g., solar powr t-mtrig systms) that ca ost
th capital ad opratig costs o irrigatio systms.
Case Study: Dry Farming
Frogs Leap Vineyard, Napa Valley
Dy ng s te pctce o gong cops tout gton
unde coptvey s nnu n. Fnk leeds t Fogs
lep esttes tt te dy ng opeton sves n estted
16,000 gons o te nnuy pe ce. ancy benefts ncude
oe concentted, bnced ut, ncesed vne ongevty nd
educed eed got, de pessue nd susceptbty to ne-
todes nd gopes. in ddton, toug poducton nd bo costs
e equvent to conventon vneyds, te cost o estbsng
dy vnes s oe.
Case Study: Water Recycling
Straus Family Creamery, Marshall, California
at ts dy , ost o te ppoxtey 5,000 gons pe dy
o te used to cen te kng bns s ecyced. Tey cobne
te te used to cen te kng nd ee-st bns t ste-
te o te ceey, nd pocess t n sees o ponds. Ts
te s ten ecyced to cen te ee-st bn. Te etne gs
o te stete stoge ponds s cptued nd used to gene-
te 90 pecent o te dy s eectcty.
SuNliGhteleCtriC
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14 WAER SEWARDSHIP
Ackowldgmts
Tis papr was sposord by th Polaris Istitt ad dvlopd by
th ollowig orgaizatioal rprstativs:
Agricltr ad Lad-Basd raiig Associatio Craig
Ficc, Cosrvatio Program Maagr
Calioria Istitt or Rral Stdis Ro Strochlic, Exctiv
Dirctor ad Lisa Krsg, Rsarch Associat
Commity Alliac with Family Farmrs Dav Rst,
Exctiv Dirctor
Ecological Farmig Associatio im Slliva, Exctiv
Dirctor
Polaris Istitt Rata Brilligr ad Katy Mam, Proct
Coordiators
WAER Istitt o th Occidtal Arts & Ecology Ctr
Brock Dolma, Dirctor
j
W ar gratl or th gidac ad ipt o th ollowig
advisors ad rviwrs o this docmt who gav grosly o
thir tim ad xprtis. Tir assistac with th dvlopmt
o this papr dos ot cssarily imply a dorsmt or
agrmt with all o th prspctivs rprstd hri.
Calioria Associatio o Rsorc Cosrvatio Districts acy
Crry
Calioria Associatio o Wigrap Growrs Kar Ross
Calioria Dpartmt o Food ad Agricltr, Oc o
Agricltral & Eviromtal Stwardship Stv Shar
Calioria Farm Watr Coalitio ad Agricltral Watr
Maagmt Cocil Mik Wad
jA Ivitatio to Participat
acklig th crrt ad proctd watr isss i Cali-
oria rqirs a mltitd o complmtary soltios ad
th collaboratio o may stakholdrs i th agricltral
ara, which will coti to b sigicatly impactd bywatr shortags ad comptitio. Ts soltios mst c-
ssarily addrss ad itgrat coomically ad cologically
sstaiabl ad cost ctiv proposals or srac storag,
grodwatr rcharg, salt maagmt, covyac, ad
improvmt o watr qality.
O dr-xplord ara with th pottial or makig
valabl cotribtios is what w hav calld watr stward-
ship cologically, coomically, ad socially sstaiabl
o-arm practics, collaboratio, ad policis appropriat
or implmtatio at th scal o watrshd basis across
Calioria.
Tis docmt is itdd to lach a covrsatio
to ispir stratgic actio ad implmtatio o policis,programs, ad armig practics odd i a watr stw-
ardship ramwork. Dvlopig a maigl, ralistic, ad
ambitios actio pla will rqir th participatio o di-
vrs prspctivs ad sctors, ad w ivit yo to bcom
ivolvd.
For mor iormatio, backgrod, ad rsorcs, ad
to stay i toch as this iitiativ progrsss, plas rr to
th ollowig wb sit: www.agwatrstwards.org.
Calioria Farmrs Uio Ly McBrid
California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation Martha Guzman Aceve
Calioria Watr Impact Ntwork Lisa Coma, ormr Excti
Dirctor
Ctral Coast Agricltr Watr Qality Coalitio ad Roarig
Crk Rach Pal Hai
Food ad Watr Watch Noll Frdo
Calioria Stat Uivrsity, Watr Rsorcs ad Policy Iitiativ
David Zoldosk
Frids o th Rivr Ptr Frbach ad oy Bogar
Fll Blly Farm ad Commity Alliac with Family Farmrs
Jdith Rdmod
Motry Coty Watr Rsorcs Agcy Kathy Tomasbrg
Pacic Istitt Hathr Cooly
Plaig ad Cosrvatio Lag Joas Mito
Pblic Policy Istitt o Calioria Ell Haak
Rd Rock Rach Joh Dir
Rsorc Rwal Istitt Hy Johso
Roots o Chag Michal Dimock
Stat Watr Rsorcs Cotrol Board Gary Wol
Sstaiabl Cosrvatio Ladi Asgill
Uivrsity o Calioria Sata Crz Agrocology Dpartmt
Stv Glissma
Watr cosltat ormrly with th Stat Watr Rsorcs Cotrol
Board Larry Farwll
Wild Farm Alliac Jo A Bamgartr
Fially, w ackowldg ad apprciat th gros acial
spport o th Colmbia Fodatio.
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15WAER SEWARDSHIP
1 L, H., Smr, D., & Howitt, R. (2001, March-April). Pottial coomic
impacts o irrigatio-watr rdctios stimatd or Sacramto Vally.
Calioria Agricltr, 55 (2).
2 Barrigr, F. (2008, Fbrary 13). Lak Mad Cold B Withi a Fw Yars
o Goig Dry, Stdy Fids. Nw York ims. Rtrivd April 17, 2008, rom
http://www.ytims.com/2008/02/13/s/13mad.html
3 North Carolia Dpartmt o Eviromt ad Natral Rsorcs (.d.).
Clayto Coty Watr Athority Sstaiabl Watr Rsorcs Maag-
mt: T Clayto Coty Watr Athority Exampl. Rtrivd April 30,
2008, rom http://www.p2pays.org/r/03/02265.pd4 T DWR Watr Pla Updat also iclds th comprhsiv Smmary
o Sigicat Litigatio 1998-2005. S: Dpartmt o Watr Rsorcs
(2005, Dcmbr). Bllti 160.
5 Sprm Cort o Calioria (1983, Fbrary 17). Natioal Adbo Soci-
ty t al. v. Sprior Cort o Alpi Coty (33 Cal.3d 419). Rtrivd May
18, 2008, rom http://www.moobasirsarch.org/lgal/83asspct.htm
6 Carl, David (2004). Itrodctio to Watr i Calioria. Brkly, CA: UC
Prss.
7 Natioal Rsorcs Ds Cocil (2007, Sptmbr 17). Rstorig th
Sa Joaqi Rivr. Rtrivd March 10, 2008, rom http://www.rdc.org/
watr/cosrvatio/saoaqi.asp
8 Stat Watr Rsorcs Cotrol Board (2008, April 17). Istram Flows
Policy FAQ. Rtrivd May 18, 2008, rom http://www.watrrights.ca.gov/
html/istramfow_ccs_aqs.html#q39 Pimtal, D. & Hart, K.A. (2001). Rapid Poplatio Growth i Calioria: A
Trat to Lad ad Food Prodctio. Corll Uivrsity. Rtrivd May 10,
2008, rom http://www.divrsityalliac.org/docs/Pimtal-LadadFood.
html
10 Dpartmt o Watr Rsorcs, op. cit.
11 Glick, P.H., Cooly, H., & Grovs, D. (2005, Sptmbr). Calioria Watr
2030: A Ecit Ftr. Pacic Istitt. Oaklad, CA: Pacic Istitt.
12 Ibid.
13 Dpartmt o Watr Rsorcs, op. cit.
14 Howvr, o ara o xcssiv watr s i viyards is th practic o s-
ig ovrhad spriklr watr to cotrol rost damag.
15 Pacic Istitt, op. cit.
16 Ows-Viai, L., Wog, A., & Glick, P.H. (1999). Sstaiabl Us o Wa-
tr: Calioria Sccss Storis. Oaklad, CA: Pacic Istitt.
17 Uivrsity o Calioria Sstaiabl Agricltr Rsarch ad Edcatio
Program (1997, Dcmbr). What Is Sstaiabl Agricltr? Rtrivd
May 24, 2008, rom http://www.sarp.cdavis.d/cocpt.htm
18 Commity Watr Ctr, Visalia, CA.
19 Cooprativ Stat Rsarch, Edcatio, ad Extsio Srvic (2005, No-
vmbr 8). Agricltral Watr Scrity Whit Papr.
20 Kyli systms maximiz watr rsorcs throgh systms dsigd to
catch, dirct, ad stor watr i pods ad soil. For mor iormatio, s:Powll, ., Powll, M., & Moss, M. (2007). Wstr Sstaiabl Agricltr
Rsarch & Edcatio (SARE) Farm Itrship Crriclm ad Hadbook.
Davis, CA: ARA. Rtrivd April 17, 2008, rom http://attra.cat.org/
itr_hadbook/watr_harvst.html
21 For mor iormatio, s: Haisma, B. (2004, Dcmbr). Mrray-Darlig
Rivr Basi Cas Stdy Astralia. Rtrivd J 1, 2008, rom http://www.
sitrsorcs.worldbak.org; Blomqist, W. Haisma, B., Diar, A., & Bhat,
A. (2005, Fbrary). Istittioal ad Policy Aalysis o Rivr Basi Ma-
agmt: T Mrray Darlig Rivr Basi, Astralia. (World Bak Policy
Rsarch Workig Papr 3527). Rtrivd April 2, 2008, rom http://www-
wds.worldbak.org
22 Prmacltr ca b dd as th s o cology as th basis or dsigig
itgratd systms o ood prodctio, hosig, appropriat tchology,
ad commity dvlopmt. For mor iormatio, s: Divr, S. (2002).Itrodctio to Prmacltr: Cocpts ad Rsorcs. Davis, CA: A-
RA. Rtrivd J 1, 2008, rom http://attra.cat.org/attra-pb/prma.
html#dd
23 G, S., D, G., Zoldosk, D., Hakim, A., Cochra, R., Fgalsag, K., & Jor-
gs, G. (2004). Ect o irrigatio amot o watr rlatios, vgtativ
growth, yild ad rit compositio o Savigo Blac grapvis i th
Sa Joaqi Vally o Calioria, USA. Joral o Horticltral Scic ad
Biotchology, 79 (1): 26-33.
24 Amrica Farms, Stras Family Cramry, ad Frogs Lap Viyards cas
stdy matrial complimts o th Calioria Istitt or Rral Stdis.
REFERENCES AND NOES
CourteSyheDGerowF
armS
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8/9/2019 Water Stewardship - Ensuring a Secure Future for California Agriculture
16/16
16 WAER SEWARDSHIP
For mor iormatio, backgrod, ad rsorcs,
ad to stay i toch as this iitiativ progrsss,
plas rr to th ollowig wb sit:
www.agwatrstwards.org