Among the more persistent mythologies of the American west, few are as enduring and erroneous as those about water, especially here in the San Joaquin Valley. The one consistent element in all of them is that no matter what’s wrong, “It’s all government’s fault.” So it is that when California became the last state in the nation to regulate groundwater, the cry went up that water shortages are, “All the […]
Eastern Stanislaus County groundwater
Fallow Me to Water? Not Likely
For the better part of thirty years, Modesto’s Vance Kennedy has been trying to tell people we don’t have enough water. Now in his mid-nineties, Kennedy is a retired hydrologist who received the highest possible service award from the Environmental Protection Agency when he was with the United States Geological Survey. In an announcement bound to foment even more than the usual furor over water issues, the Public Policy Institute […]
Did Trinitas Leave OID Holding the Bag (Again)?
When the big-time investors from the Bay Area showed up in Oakdale saying they were ready to become farmers, the city swooned. Oakdale Irrigation District (OID) was entranced by their offer to build infrastructure for water deliveries and offered them bargain-basement water rates and a sweet annexation deal, even while it had previously denied many long-term farmers’ applications. When a few local farmers suggested Trinitas Partners was yet another “turn […]
Groundwater Extraction Needs Oversight Now, Says Kennedy
Dr. Vance Kennedy is a retired research hydrologist, with degrees in chemical engineering, geochemistry, and geology. There are hundreds of deep wells in the foothills east of the San Joaquin Valley, especially in Stanislaus and Merced Counties. They are depleting the general water table at an alarming rate. When that water table drops by several hundred feet, no one will be able to live there who relies on groundwater because […]
Parting the Waters: No Ag Miracles
They’re still planting trees. Look anywhere around the northern San Joaquin Valley and you’ll see saplings—mostly almonds—being hurled into the ground like spears. This during the worst drought in memory. Most of the new orchards will have few or no surface water rights. They will be strictly groundwater-dependent. And that’s just one reason opposition to the state’s proposals for increased flows along Valley rivers rings so false. “If you increase […]
Groundwater: Why Regulation Fails
Despite state-mandated regulation, vast stores of groundwater have disappeared from the Colorado River Basin and the Ogallala Aquifer. The water is gone for a simple reason: More has been taken out than has come in. The simple notion of overdrafting—taking more from an account than has been put in— is something people learn early on when it comes to checking accounts. “Money in minus money out” is the basis for […]
Pawns in the Water Game
Dr. Vance Kennedy was visiting Modesto Reservoir in eastern Stanislaus County last week when someone asked him what the likelihood is that almond orchards around the reservoir are pumping water from the reservoir via seepage into nearby aquifers. “One-hundred percent,” replied Kennedy. Kennedy retired from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) after winning its highest possible award. His special expertise is in tracing sediments in water, but he’s well versed in […]
Jim DeMartini: The Supervisor on Water, Land Use, and More
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]