Stanislaus County Supervisor Jim DeMartini farms 1200 acres of prime farmland near the city of Patterson. Much of his land is bordered by the Tuolumne River. Supervisor DeMartini led the way to formation of Stanislaus County’s pioneering agricultural element, which features mitigation for loss of farmland. He has also worked with the Audubon Society to restore native riparian vegetation and wildlife habitat on his property. The Valley Citizen: You finance […]
Almond Orchards eastern Stanislaus County
Groundwater: When Regulation Fails, Part II
Though California has finally joined every other state in regulating groundwater usage, we shouldn’t believe regulation will necessarily promote groundwater sustainability. If regulation were the answer, the great Ogallala Aquifer wouldn’t be facing total depletion. If regulation were the answer, the Colorado River Basin wouldn’t have lost over 41 million acre feet of groundwater over the last ten years. That’s enough water to serve residential use for the entire US population […]
Groundwater: When Regulation Fails, Part I
Especially since the drought extended through last year’s dry winter, you couldn’t write “groundwater” and “California” without adding, “the only state that doesn’t regulate.” The assumption was that California’s groundwater problems must be due to lack of regulation. That assumption, however, fails against the realities of groundwater regulation in many states where groundwater woes are not unlike those in California. One such example is Texas, where large portions of the […]
Stanislaus County’s Water Committee on Borrowed Time?
After months of dithering and ducking, the Stanislaus Water Advisory Committee (WAC) may have finally lost its lease. It’s becoming ever more apparent the WAC’s purpose is exactly what Stanislaus County Supervisor Jim DeMartini said it was when he resigned as chair. DeMartini said almost immediately after its formation that the purpose of the committee was to provide “political cover” for supervisors unwilling to take action on the groundwater pumping […]
County May Declare Moratorium on East Side Wells
Just as it appeared Wednesday’s meeting of the Stanislaus Water Advisory Committee (WAC) was going to conclude another session of deferred action, Stanislaus County Supervisor Terry Withrow lit up the room. “I was talking to Jim and he was pretty adamant about putting a moratorium on the east side,” said Withrow. “And right now he’s got the votes to do it.” No one had to be told “Jim” was Stanislaus […]
Supervisor Dodges Hot (Ground)Water
Two things were crystal clear after Stanislaus County Supervisor Bill O’Brien met with members of the Stanislaus Water Coalition last Wednesday in Oakdale. One, Supervisor O’Brien wants no part in regulating water use in Stanislaus County. And two, members of the Stanislaus Water Coalition agree that the state’s 2040 deadline to achieve groundwater sustainability is far too distant to prevent serious and lasting harm from ongoing overdrafting of groundwater. A […]
California Fails on Groundwater
It didn’t take long for elation to turn to dismay after state legislators approved regulations on groundwater. If Governor Brown signs off, California will become the last state to enact groundwater rules. Sort of. In fact, all the fuss about groundwater has done is establish more firmly Big Ag’s unshakeable grip on water policy. The tell is in the state’s requirement that counties achieve groundwater “sustainability” by 2040. From today, […]
The Last Windmill?
With a history dating back over 2,000 years, the windmill represents one of man’s most enduring mechanical contrivances. There are few images more representative of the arid American west. It’s a clean-energy, labor-saving device older than the terms that describe it. Given 15-to-20 mile an hour winds, an 8-foot diameter windmill can pump around 150 gallons an hour. An average family of four might use 200 to 300 gallons of […]
Another Trip Down the Groundwater Rabbit Hole
“Steal a little and they throw you in jail; steal a lot and they make you king”…Uncle Bob It was big news when the Modesto Irrigation District (MID) caught six customers stealing water from MID canals. The culprits were not only fined, their names were published in the Modesto Bee. The fines, thought to be in the neighborhood of $1500, were food for thought when someone at the MID […]
Why Should Tax Payers Subsidize Water Miners?
“So maybe this is not the time to start a new orchard,” said Stanislaus County’s Geologist, August 5, 2014. In California, water has been “for fighting” since the founding of the state. That’s why it’s noteworthy when people agree on anything about it. But recently, there’s unanimity on one water fact statewide: Without surface water, nut farming in the foothills of the eastern San Joaquin Valley is not sustainable. Why […]