Hollister
– Efforts to protect an endangered fish in the San Francisco Bay
Delta are threatening the county water supply.
Hollister – Efforts to protect an endangered fish in the San Francisco Bay Delta are threatening the county water supply.
County Water District manager John Gregg said San Benito’s already reduced share of imported San Felipe water – a major source of agricultural irrigation – could be cut by 20 percent to 35 percent, forcing farmers to make tough choices.
Some growers don’t have access to groundwater and rely on imported water from the San Luis Reservoir for irrigation, Gregg said.
“The bottom line is they may have to decide how much of their crop to allow to wilt and die,” he said.
Gregg added that many farms with groundwater systems also are in a bind because they stopped maintaining the pumps or stopped paying for power after hooking into the San Felipe system.
Kay Filice, president of the Central California Grower-Shipper Association, said the coming months are crucial for irrigation.
“Basically, the water situation is critical,” said Filice, who owns Filice Farms. “There are some row crops that can only survive a few days without water.”
State and federal pumps that transport water from the south delta to the San Luis Reservoir were shut down from May 31 to June 9 to protect the delta smelt, a 2-inch-long endangered fish. Reduced pumping resumed on June 10, but Gregg said the reservoir’s water levels are still falling by around two feet per day.
“That’s a big puddle to go down that fast,” he said.
State officials will monitor smelt intake in the pumps today and Sunday. If the intake is too high, the state could announce substantial cutbacks to the San Felipe system on Monday, said Mica Nitschke, district irrigation engineer.
San Benito County’s supply of San Felipe water already has been reduced by 50 percent, Nitschke said, forcing the district to meet only 85 percent of agricultural requests.
Even if the district gets good news Monday, Gregg said imported water still could be reduced or completely cut off later this summer.
Reduced delta pumping doesn’t just affect San Benito County because the system is a major water source for agriculture throughout the state, he said.
Other regions also are taking action. For example, the Santa Clara Valley Water District is encouraging residents to reduce water use by 10 percent.
San Benito County Farm Bureau Director George Bonacich said growers are just hoping for the best.
“We knew it was going be an issue,” he said.
Bonacich, an apricot grower, said as the apricot harvest ends, the trees are going to need more water, as will newly planted row crops.
Filice pointed out that agriculture makes up a big part of the state and local economy. San Benito’s agriculture generated $270 million in 2006, according to the annual crop report released this week.
“It’s important that politicians realize the seriousness to agriculture,” Filice said. “This has serious implications for the state economy.”
According to the National Resource Defense Council’s Web site, the delta smelt is a key barometer of environmental health and its numbers have been declining dramatically.
