Search Results for: moratorium

I spent much of 2015 urging the State Board to issue a moratorium on planting new almonds (although I myself was too timid. I said to only restrict them in gw basins with declining water levels, although that is all … Continue reading →

When I observe that we are holding 2MAF of 2021 and 2022 water in stored almonds, I have some thoughts. You know, I don’t fault growers for mis-reading the first year. The shipping situation was extreme and odd and we … Continue reading →

I cannot help but notice that all of the growers interviewed for this article on new wells in the San Joaquin Valley are servicing permanent crops (wine grapes, almonds). During the crisis, Ralph Gutierrez, manager of Woodville’s utility district, said that because … Continue reading →

Fresno Bee reporter Ryan Sabelow did a nice job discussing the difficulties the new Groundwater Sustainability Agencies are going to have as they begin to manage groundwater.  But his interview on Take Two adds something he didn’t write in his … Continue reading →

The Legislature knows the standard recommendations, so here I only offer less-conventional drought resilience recommendations. Immediate payoff: Moratorium on new permanent crops in basins with declining groundwater levels.  This would give the groundwater basins some breathing room before the sustainability … Continue reading →

I am among the almond blamers, and I am happy to explain my reasons for pointing at almonds (again). As always, I find that greater precision in speech would make additional explanations nearly unnecessary. Mr. Del Bosque says: A smart … Continue reading →

The title gave me great hope, but this post about saving our precious groundwater didn’t go anywhere useful. Any regulation works best when those being regulated agree with the premises and objectives of the regulation. If most of the population … Continue reading →

As this photographer struggles to convey the sheer immensity of removing one thousand acres of almond trees, her commenters make some helpful points. *** An article on local resistance to measuring individual wells. That resistance needs some counterweights. I can … Continue reading →

The 2014 California Almond Acreage Report tells of 50,000 new acres of almonds.  The projections are for more almonds acreage. Fairmead, CA is one town of a few hundred people who lost their wells to the deep almond wells next … Continue reading →

Feel free to use it anytime.  No worries about attribution. We are announcing a moratorium on permanent crops in groundwater basins with declining groundwater levels until the drought ends.  As you know, we have been staunch defenders of the many … Continue reading →