[Water_news] 2. DWR'S CALIFORNIA WATER NEWS: SUPPLY - 3/13/09

 

Department of Water Resources

California Water News

A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment 

 

March 13, 2009

 

2. Supply –

 

February storms provide relief

The Western Farm Press

 

North Coast grape growers getting ready for short water year

The Western Farm Press

 

Salinas Valley grape growers counting on groundwater

The Western Farm Press

 

Lake Mendocino critically dry, yet more water being released

The Santa Rosa Press-Democrat

 

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February storms provide relief

The Western Farm Press – 3/12/09

 

The series of February Pacific storms did not end California’ three-year drought. Nevertheless, it was more than welcome to California grape growers.

 

“The soil had gotten so dry that some growers were beginning to irrigate in the middle of winter,” says Mark Chandler, executive director, Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Commission, Lodi, Calif. “As of Feb. 23, we have had about 11 inches of seasonal rainfall, about 75 percent of normal. We still have a ways to go. Looks like the next 10 days will continue to be wet. So far, the pattern has been very beneficial with a series of moderate storms, allowing the soil to absorb the water with not too much runoff. We are also accumulating snow in the Sierras, but are well below normal.”

 

Nevertheless, water for irrigation in the season ahead is still a major concern.

 

Overall, grape growers are fairly optimistic about the season ahead. Growers are finishing up pruning with bud break about a month away in most areas.

 

Bill Thompson, PCA, Four Seasons Ag Consulting, Livingston, Calif., “The vines are still dormant. Some of the wood that has been pruned looks good. Price is key, and the market is looking better.”#

 

http://westernfarmpress.com/chemtura_grape_newsletter/february-storms-0312/

 

North Coast grape growers getting ready for short water year

The Western Farm Press – 3/12/09

 

North Coast grape growers are look at water conservation options.“Water supplies for irrigating many vineyards are likely to be reduced in 2009 due to lower than average winter and spring rainfall the previous two years coupled with less than 1 inch of rainfall in January,” says Nick Frey, president, Sonoma County Winegrape Commission, Santa Rosa, Calif.

 

Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA) projections for summer reservoir storage prompted a reduction to instream flow rates in the Russian River in early February to reserve sufficient water in Lake Mendocino. North Coast growers farming in the Russian River watershed or nearby will most likely be affected by water shortages.

 

The first step is to conserve soil moisture in the profile. That can mean early removal of cover crops (except near streams), disking, repeated mowing to limit cover crops, herbicide treatment or a combination of methods. Delayed initial irrigation is a second conservation measure.

 

Although frost protection is critical, growers are advised to watch dew point as well as air temperature. High dew points might warrant delaying the start of frost protection measures closer to temperatures approaching 32 degrees.

 

At the time when Lake Mendocino levels are projected to drop below 15,000 acre-feet, Chinook salmon will begin to migrate and spawn in the upper Russian River.

 

“Projections indicate that if water demand is not reduced and no more rain falls in our region, Lake Mendocino will run out of water and result in a lack of water in the upper Russian River by early fall,” says Dave Manning, SCWA principal environmental specialist. “We must have at least 15,000 acre-feet in Lake Mendocino by early fall for migrating and spawning Chinook salmon.” #

 

http://westernfarmpress.com/chemtura_grape_newsletter/north-coast-0312/

 

Salinas Valley grape growers counting on groundwater

The Western Farm Press – 3/12/09

 

Grape growers in the Salinas Valley are not yet feeling the pain of the rest of the state when it comes to water.

 

”We have an abundance of underground storage in the Valley and have no immediate concerns of not being able to irrigate,” says Jason Smith, general manager of Paraiso Vineyards, Soledad, Calif. “Our concern with the drought is actual rainfall. Although drip irrigation is great for saving water in a drought situation, it is not good for driving salts out of the root zone. We are at about half of our annual rainfall total which is currently about 5 to 6 inches. We have been irrigating before and during storms to help fill the soil profile so that when a good rain does come we are able to drive water and salts through the top 3 feet where a lot of the roots are.”

 

Mark Battany, San Luis Obispo UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor will host a vineyard salinity conference March 10, in Templeton, Calif., to address issues on the Central Coast.

 

“We are lucky to be where we are and can have that as a management tool,” Smith says. “Of course a prolonged drought would definitely start to see our water tables drop in our existing wells. But at this point we have not seen that happen to any significant level.”#

 

http://westernfarmpress.com/chemtura_grape_newsletter/groundwater-salinas-0312/

 

Lake Mendocino critically dry, yet more water being released

The Santa Rosa Press-Democrat – 3/12/09

By Bob Norberg

The Sonoma County Water Agency on Thursday increased the amount of water it was releasing from critically low Lake Mendocino, aggravating what is shaping up to be a serious water shortage for the North Bay.

 

The increase is necessary to keep enough water in the Russian River to meet state requirements, which in a quirk of state law are based on how much water is in the Eel River system.

 

“You are releasing water now that we are going to need later,” said Nick Frey, president of the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission. “That is just the way dam management is. They could not allow thoughtful management on the ground; they are required to meet arbitrary requirements and that is unfortunate.”

 

Lake Mendocino, the primary source of water for agriculture and 150,000 residents from Ukiah to Healdsburg, is 59 percent full, enough water to meet half the demand.

 

“I would say water conservation will be between 30 and 50 percent,” said Roland Sanford, general manager of the Mendocino County Water Agency. “We are still far from out of this mess.”

 

Lake Sonoma is more than 90 percent full, but restrictions on how much water is allowed to flow down Dry Creek limits how much can be delivered to the cities and districts from Windsor to San Rafael.

 

Conservation for those 600,000 residents is expected to be as much as 30 percent, depending on how the cities and districts use wells and reservoirs as a supplement.

 

“We are in a serious water supply condition in the Russian River system, but the water year is set by inflows into Lake Pillsbury . . . we are operating as in a normal year when it should be dry to critically dry conditions,” said Don Seymour, the Water Agency’s principal engineer.

 

The Water Agency on Thursday doubled the amount of water it was releasing to 100 acre-feet a day and will have to start releasing more unless there is more rainfall.

 

Seymour said the agency will ask the state Water Resources Control Board to allow much lower releases to conserve water in Lake Mendocino.

 

“Any additional releases are critical,” Seymour said. “We could lose a chunk of water that is critical for us later in the year.”#

 

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090312/articles/903120973

 

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