Blog post by Sandy Denn- Conservation is in the eye of the beholder

Farmers get painted sometimes as “wasting too much water.” While some entities would have you believe that if agriculture in California would just practice conservation when it comes to water use, we wouldn’t have water shortages. Well, as a third generation California rice farmer, let me tell you that we not only conserve water wherever possible, we also put it to multiple uses as we water our crops with it! You won’t see giant egrets feeding themselves on the local Walmart parking lot, black tipped pelicans dipping their beaks into the waters being used on the courthouse lawn, or giant garter snakes making their summer home in suburban neighborhoods. But guess what, you will see them feeding and breeding in the rice fields of Northern California’s Sacramento Valley. So if you think rice wastes water, maybe you need to take a look at who else is benefitting from that water use.

As farmers we try hard to plant according to soil type using the most efficient crop amenable to that particular soil. In rice fields, we level our ground to minimize the amount of water needed to cover the crop and prevent weed growth (thus cutting down on chemical controls needed) and plant in the more clay type soils where water only soaks down a few inches. Water is no longer allowed to run in one end of the field and out the other as was done when my parents grew rice.

If you account for the changes in culture of rice growing and the multiple uses of the water by wildlife while it is in the fields, I consider our usage to be quite reasonable compared to watching it run off a blacktop parking lot in a big city.

---

Sandy Denn and her husband Wally own and operate Snow Goose Farms near Willows in Glenn County. She holds a law degree and has served on numerous boards and committees dealing with water in the North State. Sandy and Wally have six grown children. Her passions include hunting and fishing, and she used to fly a hot air balloon and a stunt plane for relaxation.