A bill from Assemblyman Luis Alejo seeking to ease restrictions on water pools for farmers and ranchers passed the Assembly floor last week.
The bill, AB 1905, next heads to the Senate Rules Committee for referral to a policy committee for further consideration, according to Alejo’s office.
Alejo, D-Salinas, represents San Benito County. His farm bill introduced in February would expand the water-rights permitting process, allowing farmers and ranchers to register small agricultural water ponds for multiple purposes.
“Facing one of the worst droughts in the last decade, it is critical that we find ways to help our farmers maximize the utility of their limited water resources,” Alejo said in a press statement. “Right now, our farmers’ hands are tied by a permitting process that restricts the functions allowed for small ponds. AB 1905 will fix this problem.”
The bill sponsored by the California Farm Bureau Federation passed unopposed.
According to Alejo, as it stands now farmers have to obtain a permit and register their intended water use with the State Water Resources Control Board. Each permit restricts the amount of water and types of uses allowed. For pond registration, there are permit categories for domestic, irrigation and livestock use. Without altering these distinctions, AB 1905 would improve farmers’ abilities to manage fluctuating water needs by allowing a livestock pond to be dually registered for domestic and irrigational use.
“Prohibiting the use of water resources to protect crops compromises our farmers and ranchers’ ability to maximize their production,” stated Danny Merkley from the California Farm Bureau Federation. “AB 1905 makes it easier for our farmers to withstand extreme weather conditions, be it frost or drought.”
