Tag: water

Groundwater depletion has been an acknowledged fact in California for decades, but for a long time it was stuffed into a thick file labeled “Something Somebody Oughta Do Something About Sometime.”

The big news of the day—at least in agricultural circles—is the long-awaited May 25 Supreme Court ruling in the highly publicized Sackett v. EPA suit, limiting Waters of the United States (WOTUS) regulation by the Environmental Protection Agency.

One of the most confusing things about present-day dilemmas is that each solution to a problem leads to a different set of problems. Particularly when it comes to technology.

Of late much of the media conversation about water use has focused on California, but Texas, with its own multiyear drought, faces similar pressures.

I contacted Ian LeMay, currently president of the California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA), to congratulate him on his new appointment as incoming president of the California Table Grape Association (CTGA).

California has won an intense game of brinksmanship with the weather. For the time being.

The Congressional move was to a large extent symbolic, because it would have required President Biden to sign legislation overturning regulations issued by his own administration—which was very close to unthinkable.

Monday, March 20, was a significant date in at least one respect: it was the day when the revised Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule took effect. At least it did in 48 states. The exceptions are Idaho and Texas.

The astonishing amounts of water dumped on California by a series of atmospheric rivers have been national news for weeks now. The state’s longstanding drought has been pronounced to be over. But just how over?

As storms continue to hit the state, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order on March 10, 2023 to temporarily lift regulations and allow floodwater to be diverted to groundwater basins.