Based on a snow survey conducted by the California Department of Water Resources, California already has 108 percent of its typical water supply for the entire year. In response to the findings, Western Growers, California Farm Bureau Federation and California Farm Water Coalition distributed a joint press release asking the state to use the survey data to improve water supplies for the state’s farmers and ranchers.

“You would think that a snowpack in the range of 175 percent of average would assure plentiful water supplies, but that link has long ago been severed. Wildlife agencies often hold the key to determining how much water is available, because endangered-species laws reserve water for protected fish,” said Tom Nassif, president of Western Growers, in the press release.

The Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, which included short-term provisions to increase flexibility of the state’s water system, also invests in California water storage and desalination projects. The three ag agencies are urging the California Water Commission to put that money to work as quickly as possible to build new storage facilities that can capture more water during future winters.

The California Water Commission will decide later this year on water projects to be funded through the bond. Western Growers is encouraging members to tell the California Water Commission to fund new storage. Comments to the Commission can be sent to [email protected].

For questions, contact Cory Lunde at (949) 885-2264.