Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/498427
May 2015 WINES&VINES 17 WINE INDUSTRY NEWS S acramento, Calif.—With the smallest snowpack ever recorded and no end to the drought in sight, California Gov. Edmund (Jerry) G. Brown Jr. announced actions intended to save water, increase enforcement to prevent wasteful water use, streamline the state's drought response and in- vest in new technologies to make the state more drought resilient. For the first time in state his- tory, the governor has directed the State Water Resources Control Board to implement mandatory water reductions of 25% in Cali- fornia cities and towns. This savings amounts to ap- proximately 1.5 million acre-feet of water over the next nine months, or nearly as much as is currently in Lake Oroville. To save more water now, the order will also: • Replace 50 million square feet of lawns throughout the state with drought-tolerant landscaping; • Create a temporary, statewide consumer rebate program to re- place old appliances with water and energy efficient models; • Require campuses, golf courses and cemeteries to make signifi- cant cuts in water use; • Prohibit new homes and devel- opments from irrigating with po- table water unless water-efficient drip irrigation systems are used, and ban watering of ornamental grass on public street medians. The governor's order also calls on local water agencies to adjust their rate structures to implement conservation pricing. Meanwhile, agriculture was spared the mandatory restrictions required of urban users. Brown stated in his announce- ment that agricultural users have borne much of the brunt of the drought to date already, with hun- dreds of thousands of fallowed acres, significantly reduced water allocations and thousands of farm- workers laid off. The losses include cutbacks from state water agencies and local agencies. Brown noted that 17,000 jobs have been lost, plus a direct economic impact of $1.5 billion in losses. On top of that, 400,000 acres of land lie fallow, mostly in California's Central Valley. However, growers will be re- quired to report more water use data to state regulators, increas- ing the state's ability to enforce against illegal diversions and waste and unreasonable use of water under the state order. Brown already signed the Sus- tainable Groundwater Manage- ment Act on Sept. 16, 2014. The three-bill package collectively cre- ates a new structure for sustainable management of California's groundwater basins, providing framework and authority to ad- vance groundwater management. A central feature of the act is the recognition that groundwater management in California is best accomplished locally. However, the governor's action strengthens standards for agricul- tural water management plans submitted by large agriculture water districts and requires small agriculture water districts to de- velop similar plans. These plans will help ensure that agricultural communities are prepared in case the drought extends into 2016. For more than two years, the state's experts have been managing water resources to ensure that Cali- fornia survives this drought and is better prepared for the next one. Last year, the governor pro- claimed a drought state of emer- gency. The state has taken steps to make sure water is available for human health and safety, growing food, fighting fires and protecting fish and wildlife. Overall in Cali- fornia, irrigated agriculture used about 40% of water, cities 10%, and half went to streams, wet- lands and rivers in 2010. Vineyards are relatively light users of water compared to other areas of agriculture, and vines can be dry farmed in areas with 25-30 inches of annual rainfall, which has included parts of Napa and Sonoma counties even during the current drought. With all the talk about the cur- rent drought, Garrett Buckland of Premiere Viticultural Services pointed out that California doesn't really have a normal rainfall pat- tern. The amount of precipitation varies dramatically from year to year; few years are "average." Speaking during a seminar on groundwater during the Napa Val- ley Grapegrowers' sustainable vine- yard series, Buckland described the present situation in Napa County: "The rainfall totals are strong: above average to date in Carneros and Napa, below average to date up-valley. There was no measurable rainfall in January, four days of rain in February and one day of rain in March. We can expect 2-5 inches of rain 'average' for the remainder of April and May." He said that groundwater lev- els are holding steady and improv- ing in some areas. Rainfall from July 1, 2014, to April 7, 2015, ranged from 21 inches in Carneros to 31 inches on Atlas Peak. Other areas got mostly in the upper 20s. The same is likely true in So- noma and Mendocino counties, but clearly conditions in other areas are different. Paso Robles has been suffering from shrinking groundwater, and growers in much of the Central Valley are al- most completely dependent on imported irrigation water. —Paul Franson TOP STORY California Governor Spares Ag From Mandatory 25% Water Cuts CALIFORNIA RAINFALL—SEASON TO DATE Season to Date Average to Date Percent of Average to Date Lodi 10.33 12.76 81% Monterey 5.02 8.08 62% Napa 20.31 32.73 62% Sonoma 22.83 27.68 82% RAINFALL SEASON TO DATE—PERCENT OF AVERAGE 0 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Rainfall season July 2014-June 2015, rainfall data in inches through April 15. Source: winebusiness.com, California Irrigation Management Information System Lodi Monterey Napa Sonoma Urban Irrigated agriculture Rivers, streams, wetlands and required Delta outlflow Source: Department of Water Resources' California Water Plan, 2010