Governor's letter calls for drought relief
Drought relief for water-strapped farmers in the Orland-Artois Water District could be just weeks away.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday formally requested the state Bureau of Reclamation take immediate action to provide assistance to areas most impacted by the state’s drought.
The Orland-Artois Water District would be the most immediate beneficiary, the governor said in a prepared statement.
In June, Schwarzenegger declared a statewide drought and issued orders to address water shortages statewide. Schwarzenegger cited two straight years of below-average rainfall, low snowmelt runoff, and the largest court-ordered water transfer restrictions in state history, as the primary causes of the drought.
This year, the district is considered a “water-short” district, according to District Manager Sue King. Which means there is not enough water to meet the needs of district growers.
She said all water supplies in the Central Valley Project, which includes the Orland-Artois district, have been cut by 60 percent.
“Being a ‘water-short’ district means our local cut is (about 80 percent),” King said. “So, we’re only getting about one-fifth of the water we need.”
King said many growers have turned to groundwater supplies to keep crops alive this year, but many of those pumps are now going dry. She said more than 20 wells have reportedly gone dry already this year countywide and the situation could get worse next year if the drought continues.
“I’m very concerned for next year because our groundwater supplies have already been depleted, so it could get very ugly next season,” she said. “The cities of Orland, Artois, and Willows all rely on groundwater, so really everyone should be concerned.”
King said the district proposed a water transfer from the Orland Unit Water Users to meet demand. King called the proposal critical for the survival of permanent crops like orchards and vineyards. Without a sufficient water supply, she said, many young trees would die and the older trees may not produce a crop and may never fully recover.
The district is asking for about 5,000 acre-feet of water to start and could request up to 10,000 acre-feet later in the season, King said.
The state Bureau of Reclamation supports the transfer proposal, according to Brian Person, area manager for the state BOR. He said the transfer could take several weeks while officials wait for permits from the State Water Resource Control Board.
“The Drought Relief Act of 1991 allows us to transfer waters from areas with a relative surplus, such as with the Orland Unit Water Users, to an area of extreme shortage,” Person said Tuesday.
King said the district would absorb any additional costs incurred from the transfer without raising prices for district growers.
She said she is hopeful water will begin to flow within the next two weeks.
Contact Rob Parsons at 934-6800 or at rparsons@tcnpress.com
The Governor's Letter:
Mr. Robert Johnson
Commissioner
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Dear Mr. Johnson,
Pursuant to Title I of the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991, I am requesting drought assistance for California. As provided for in Title I, authorities established in the Act become operative only after a Governor’s request for temporary drought assistance and the approval of that request by the Secretary of the Interior or his designee.
The Act provides broad authority to the Secretary to address drought conditions in the Western states. Water year 2007 - a dry year in California overall, and the driest on record for parts of Southern California - was followed by a dry 2008. Last month, I issued an executive order about response to these drought conditions, followed by a proclamation of emergency covering drought-affected Central Valley counties. Drought impacts are felt by agricultural water users, especially those served by the Central Valley Project. In my executive order, I called for immediate measures to respond to the current conditions and, importantly, to prepare for a potentially dry 2009. My emergency proclamation directs the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the State Water Resources Control Board to expedite the processing of water transfer requests. The Bureau’s support could be critical in assisting with water transfers and well drilling.
I urge you to determine that federal financial and technical assistance for drought is merited. DWR stands ready to work with Reclamation in assisting the affected water users, and I look forward to working with you to solve the problems imposed by drought conditions. Please do not hesitate to call DWR Director Lester Snow at (916) 653-7007 if you have any questions about this request or need further information.
Sincerely,
Arnold Schwarzenegger
