California Agriculture and Drought: No Rain, No Rainbow

The political landscape for agriculture is rapidly evolving and is characterized by intense conflict on a range of topics: Delta pumps, new conveyance and storage facilities, water transfers, jobs, and the environment. This panel brings together some of the leading thinkers and actors in the realm of agriculture and water. They will share their perspectives and ideas for building a positive water future for California agriculture.

1. From your perspective, give us a sense of what are the major impediments to a healthy agriculture economy. Why is agriculture in trouble? How dire is it? What is your assessment?
2. What is your bottom line assessment of the new water legislation? Will it provide assistance to farmers and fish, create a sustainable system, and help balance the demands on water?
3. Surface water and groundwater are intrinsically connected and pressure is mounting to regulate groundwater to help manage the state’s water supply. What would a proactive response from agriculture look like that meets the needs of farmers and also society’s need to monitor and manage groundwater resources?
4. Can we create a system that achieves balance among the competing needs: farmers, fishers, and urban? What would that look like? Is there the political will? What sacrifices might be necessary?
5. What is the role of water markets in a healthy future for California water management?
6. Will new surface storage projects reliably add a significant increment of water supply, given climate change, expected regional variations in total and temporal precipitation, and declining snow pack?
7. What is contributing to job losses in the Central Valley? How can we distinguish the impacts of the economic recession and a three-year drought from water restrictions?
8. Does the increase in rainfall this year to date, make any difference in water allocations to farmers? Does it make the situation less problematic? Why or why not?