Ground Zero For Water Rights
The San Joaquin Valley is California’s largest agricultural region and an essential contributor to the nation’s food supply. With water rights in California a hotly debated topic, the valley ends up being ground zero for a host of difficult water management problems. While many farmers use water imported from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to hydrate their crops, competition for this resource is fierce, and is leading many to rely on groundwater overdraft — a dangerous practice that can lead to numerous unsafe and unhealthy conditions.
Effective water management techniques can help to repair these problems and lay the groundwork for better practices in the future. Implementing these practices is crucial to ensuring that there is enough water for everyone, from San Joaquin Valley farmers to rural residents to urban areas like Bakersfield and Fresno. Right now one of the biggest problems is that there simply isn’t enough water to go around, and the present and future water needs are depleting supplies at rates that cannot be replaced quickly enough.
At Kern Turf Supply, we seek to assist in abating the flow of water through the use of SMART irrigation technology and services, a technical service department that is award-winning in their abilities to help manufacturers and consumers alike find innovative ways to reduce water use, selling irrigation and sprinkler control parts at affordable prices, and much more. We partner with everyone from manufacturers of sprinkler and irrigation equipment to our customers to create networks that are sustainable and useful in our communities. We have a fundamental understanding of water management, and the products and services you need to achieve your water goals. Whether you work for a public service office or live in a rural part of Southern San Joaquin Valley, Kern Turf Supply is here to help you.
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Some of the crops grown in the San Joaquin Valley include:
- Almonds
- Corn
- Lettuces
- Garlic
- Hay
- Alfalfa
- Walnuts
- Sugar beets
- Olives
- Asian vegetables
- Carrots
- Cotton
- Over 150+ varieties of fruits
- A considerable number of other vegetables
Balance water supply and demand
Use of SMART irrigation controls and practices
Careful exploration of options to control water usage
Community cooperation to reduce water use
Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) requires that local water users bring their groundwater use to sustainable levels by the early 2040s. This act creates water policy that will likely have a broad impact on the agriculture grown in the San Joaquin Valley in coming years, as well as the rural and urban non-agriculture populations’ water use. By exploring three key challenges facing the San Joaquin Valley, it offers the most promising approaches to make these changes:
Effective Water Management Through Balance
Work to balance supply and demand in order to close the groundwater deficit. At present, groundwater overdraft — the practice of using more groundwater than can be replaced at a sustainable rate — by valley agriculture is one of the leading causes of severe water depletion and poor groundwater quality. To close the deficit and restore groundwater to sustainable levels, water supplies must be augmented and demands decreased throughout the valley.
Reduction of Water Consequences
Poor groundwater quality leads to the impairment of drinking water supplies in disadvantaged rural communities valley-wide, and groundwater quality challenges must be addressed. The most urgent priority is the provision of safe drinking water. Poor groundwater quality also damages ecosystems and reduces longer-term agricultural growth. The long-term management of water quantity and quality together is vital, to produce effective synergies and reduce the risk of hefty consequences. This will prove challenging as the governing bodies for these systems are numerous and various local and regional parties, whose lines of responsibility and drawn boundaries don’t line up to create those necessary synergies and prevent negative consequences. A unilateral force by all agencies involved is essential to the success of this component.
Benefits of Effective Water and Land Management
Ensuring the effective transitions of water and land use. Addressing the land use changes that result from water scarcity in the San Joaquin Valley gives opportunities for lands that transition into a non-productive state to be put to good use, with the gain of “more pop per drop” from limited resources. Approaches to water and land management that look to create multiple benefits can help to enhance groundwater recharge and improve air and water quality simultaneously. This also promotes healthier soils, recreational opportunities, flood protection, better habitat for wildlife, and new revenue streams for landowners who engage in land management oriented towards conservation.
You Can Help
The San Joaquin Valley is in trouble from overconsumption of groundwater — the problem known as groundwater overdraft — and the lack of resources necessary to ensure enough water in the valley for safe drinking water in rural areas, and more. Steps can be taken to resolve this, but lowering water consumption is key, and everyone can help.
Kern Turf Supply works to assist everyone from manufacturers to landowners to community residents in pursuing lower water usage and smart water goals. You don’t have to own an enormous ranch to create an impact on water usage. If you reside in the San Joaquin Valley, your water usage impacts everyone else. Have you considered what you’re doing to manage this most effectively?
Ground Zero For Water Rights
The San Joaquin Valley is California’s largest agricultural region and an essential contributor to the nation’s food supply. With water rights in California a hotly debated topic, the valley ends up being ground zero for a host of difficult water management problems. While many farmers use water imported from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to hydrate their crops, competition for this resource is fierce, and is leading many to rely on groundwater overdraft — a dangerous practice that can lead to numerous unsafe and unhealthy conditions.
At Kern Turf Supply, we will work with you to effectively implement water management strategies that involve SMART irrigation and efficient water controls. Whether you’re installing a drip system for your home garden or figuring out how to best effectively water your golf course, Kern Turf Supply is here for you. We look forward to working with you, and we thank you for your patronage.