Family Farm Alliance - Important Issues

There is a rapidly growing need throughout the West to make the most out of often limited water supplies and the Family Farm Alliance has offered a new tool to help. Pat O’Toole, a Wyoming rancher, told members of the House Water and Power Subcommittee during a Washington hearing on April 13, 2005 that the organization’s recently completed Western Water Supply Enhancement Study is meant to be a beneficial means toward meeting Western water needs.

Click here for the complete Alliance news release on this topic.

Klamath Basin, Oregon / California

The siege of wet weather along parts of the West Coast in late 2005 makes a strong case for off-stream storage in the Klamath Basin.

Read a related Klamath Falls Herald & News editorial.

When the Bureau of Reclamation said it needed to use ground water for irrigation recently, the Klamath Basin got a pretty good illustration of how complex the local water situation is. It also points to the critical need for deep, long-term water storage.

Click here for the full Klamath Falls Herald & News editorial board opinion.

Klamath Basin rancher Bill Kennedy wrote an opinion piece for the Medford (OR) Mail-Tribune.

Click here for Bill's viewpoint.

Bay-Delta, California

California's largest farm water organization called on Gov. Schwarzenegger to include millions of acre-feet of excess water that flows through the Delta each year in plans to meet the State’s future water needs.

Click here for the June 23, 2006 California Farm Water Coalition press release.

California has not built a major new reservoir in more than a quarter century. The Contra Costa Times believes this has been an inexcusable mistake that needs to be corrected to protect California's Bay-Delta ecosystem and the state's economy.

Click here to see the full story.

"The idea's to prevent ecological damage to the Delta and rivers while maintaining agriculture and meeting the needs of a growing population," says the Contra Costa Times in an August 2006 editorial. "The only way to fulfill all those goals is increased water storage."

Click here for the full opinion.

San Joaquin River, California

California Assemblyman Mike Villines says that, because of environmental extremism, the subject of water storage and conveyance has been divided into an array of side arguments. He believes that the ability to capture and contain excessive river flows, snow-melt runoff and high rainfall surges should be an integral part of California's strategy for improved flood control and increased water storage.

Click here for Mike Villines' opinion that ran in the Fresno Bee.

Click here for a May 2006 Fresno Bee story about San Joaquin River storage.

Sacramento Valley, California

“It 's time for the environmentalists who have derailed past storage attempts to step up to the plate and support the construction of Sites Reservoir.”

Read the rest of California State Senator Sam Aanestad’s 4/24/07 guest column that appeared in the Redding Record-Searchlight article

“A reservoir at Sites, west of Maxwell, wouldn 't dam a year-round stream. Instead, water would be pulled from the Sacramento River during high-water events, such as during last spring 's high run-off. Sites Reservoir would come in very handy if it was full, or even half full, in a summer like this….If not for the north state 's two reservoirs that are 88 percent full, the state would be in a world of hurt this summer. Let 's hope Democratic legislators are wise enough to make the connection. "

Read the entire 4/15/07 Chico Enterprise-Record editorial

California (Other)

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is applying on pressure state lawmakers to advance his $5.9 billion water infrastructure plan, citing growing drought concerns in California. Read the May 9, 2007 Capital Press story: Governor calls for pressure on water plan

“We believe that above-ground storage in the form of new dams and/or enlarging current dams is essential.”

Read the full 4/29/07 Contra Costa Times editorial board position

Faced with an ever increasing population and greater uncertainty about water supplies, state political leaders are proposing a plan to increase surface water storage facilities. Gov. Schwarzenegger was joined at public events by state Sen. Dave Cogdill, R-Fresno, author of Senate Bill 59, which includes a bond proposal for more surface storage.

Click here for the 4/4/7 California Farm Bureau Federation story.

Former U.S. Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt Calls for More Dams to Cope with Global Warming Effect.

Click here for the full story.

When it comes to addressing California's pressing water needs, the Association of California Water Agencies believes there really is no time to waste. A recent ACWA report calls for developing additional groundwater and surface-water storage; and supporting and funding local conservation and water quality improvement projects.

Click here for an ACWA editorial that ran in the Ventura County Star.

Colorado River

The Alliance issued a press release when Interior Secretary Norton announced Colorado River operations plans in the spring of 2005. To see why the water storage projects on the Colorado River are the main reason why the Western states that rely on the river were able to weather the recent prolonged drought.

Click here for entire press statement.

Overseas

Farmers in New Zealand are also getting frustrated with the lack of progress being made on developing storage projects in that country. Extreme environmentalism has become a matter of faith damaging our prosperity, says Charlie Pedersen, president of Federated Farmers.

Click here for excerpts from an address made by Mr. Pedersen.