Hollister
– The National Drought Mitigation Center announced this week
that San Benito County is experiencing its first drought in 15
years.
Hollister – The National Drought Mitigation Center announced this week that San Benito County is experiencing its first drought in 15 years.
Most San Benito residents aren’t likely to be affected right away. But farmers and ranchers are already feeling the pinch.
Greg Renz, owner of Agco Hay Company, said this year’s lack of rain has hit him hard.
“There have been years that were collectively pretty bad in the ’70s and ’90s, but this is the worst single year I can remember,” Renz said. “It’s a train wreck.”
Renz said the dry weather cost him about 80 percent of his hay crop this year. His cattle herd has also been affected. Renz said that during a normal rainy season, a cow gains more than 250 pounds, but most of his herd gained only between 70 and 150 pounds this year.
“There just isn’t any grass out there,” he said. “We’re going to have to make some tough decisions in the next 30 to 60 days.”
According to the National Weather Service, Hollister has seen only 6.41 inches of precipitation so far this rain year. During a normal rain year – which starts on July 1 – the city would have received 13.61 inches of rain by mid-April.
The National Drought Mitigation Center released a report on Thursday showing that almost all of California is experiencing moderate to severe drought conditions. Only the state’s far north coast is not suffering from drought, according to the report.
Brian Fuchs, a climatologist with the Nebraska-based drought center, said the center tracks “a handful of different drought indicators” including rain, snow, river levels and soil moisture, to determine local and regional conditions.
This is the first time since 1992 that this area has experienced drought conditions, he said.
Although residential water users here won’t likely face any restrictions in coming months, residents of neighboring counties aren’t so fortunate.
Santa Cruz residents are being asked to cut back on watering their lawns, and other California cities may soon take similar measures.
Fuchs acknowledged that such cutbacks may not be needed right away, but he said they’re still a good idea.
“(Those cities) are planning for the worst-case scenario,” he said.
Local officials said most residents aren’t going to feel the pinch quite yet.
“It would be three to four years before it hits us hard,” San Juan Bautista City Manager Jan McClintock said. “One season isn’t going to hurt us.”
Hollister City Manager Clint Quilter also said the drought isn’t likely to affect the average Hollister resident.
According to Bryan Yamaoka, general manager of the Sunnyslope Water District, the local water supply isn’t in danger because most of the tap water in the Hollister area comes from the ground.
“The groundwater levels here are fine because we’ve had such good rain for the last several years,” Yamaoka said.
Yamaoka said the district hasn’t imposed any mandatory conservation measures on its residents. But the district is trying to remind users to be conscientious about their water usage, he said.
“Water conservation should always be an everybody’s mind,” Yamaoka said.
Fuchs said the lack of rain has already affected the region’s farmers and the environment.
Cliff Williams of the Monterey-San Benito unit of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said the lack of rain has increased the fire risk. Campfires, open flames and driving off designated roads will be banned effective Sunday on 78,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management land in southern San Benito County because of the dry conditions.
San Benito County apricot grower George Bonacich said the dry conditions mean “blue valve” water, which many local growers use to irrigate their crops, will be limited.
“Everyone’s going to have to cut back,” he said.
Bonacich, who is also the president of the San Benito County Farm Bureau, said limiting farmers’ water this year will protect the long-term supply.
“(The San Luis Reservoir) could be depleted in a hurry,” he said. “What happens if you have another dry winter?”
Anthony Ha covers local government for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or [email protected].
