“Rice uses a lot of water to grow…” As a water manager in the Sacramento Valley, I hear this mantra from those outside of our region who see rice lands as the last bastion of water users who have yet to sincerely conserve water. As our region is close to the source of supply and as long-time water right holders, we have been fortunate to have a stable and affordable water supply compared to other areas of the state that have suffered from conveyance limitations and high transportation costs. However, in November 2009, Governor Schwarzenegger and the Legislature passed a Comprehensive Water Package that includes actions such as water rights enforcement and water conservation that could directly affect our region.
The true facts about water use in rice often get lost in the debate. According to figures from the State Department of Water Resources, the crop itself consumptively uses (ET) about 39 inches of water per acre, which favorably compares to many other crops. In reality, rice as a crop is a median water consumer compared to other crops. The perception, though, is cultural practices associated with farming rice use too much water and this is where the debate seems to occur. Rice critics will say, “flood irrigation is not efficient,” or “water leaving a field is equivalent to waste,” yet what the critics fail to understand is how water is managed within water agencies and basins within the Sacramento Valley.
As a water manager and as other water managers would agree, it is our job to deliver water to landowners so they can grow their crops, maximize their yields and revenue, while providing economic and environmental benefits to our region. Our expectation as water managers is that landowners will also be stewards of the water resource. In reality, we must be our own toughest critics so that we can demonstrate to others outside of our region that both water agencies and landowners are working cooperatively to best manage our water supplies. In my experience, rice farmers are focused on using water as efficiently as possible, understanding how valuable a resource it is, both for food production and environmental benefits.
University of California researchers continue to find water management and conservation measures, ranging from new varieties to alternate irrigation schedules that landowners should have implementing while improving yields and wildlife habitat. This research takes years to complete, and their findings are of great interest to rice growers.
The California Rice Commission has a wealth of information about water efficiency in rice and the environmental benefits from rice fields, including a comprehensive look at the 230 wildlife species in rice country and the important role these fields play for ducks.
In future blogs, I will expand on additional actions the state may take that will affect our region and how we will need to respond.
Thad Bettner has 20 years of experience with irrigation and water agencies in the planning, design, operation and management of water delivery systems on the local, state, and federal level. He has served as GCID's General Manager since 2006. Bettner is an active member of the Northern California Water Association, Association of California Water Agencies, the U.S. Committee on Irrigation and Drainage, and the Glenn County Water Advisory Committee. He currently serves as a Board member of the Power and Water Resources Pooling Authority. He is a registered Civil Engineer with the state of California and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
No comments:
Post a Comment