Agricultural Water Stewardship
Recommendations to Optimize Outcomes for Specialty Crop Growers and the Public in California
California Roundtable on Water and Food Supply June 2011 About the California Roundtable on Water and Food Supply
The California Roundtable on Water and Food Supply is a consensus-based forum to uncover obstacles, identify solutions, and take action to enhance water security for agriculture,i the public and the environment. Participants share a dedication to a healthy and balanced future for California and each bring deep experience on issues at the intersection of water supply and agriculture to the table. The Roundtable membership represents a broad and balanced cross-section of stakeholders including, but not limited to, representatives from specialty crop agriculture, water supply management, government, fish and wildlife, natural resources, stewardship, environmental justice, rural economic development, and academia. Recognizing that polarized debates on water in California often end at impasse, the Roundtable first came together in the summer of 2010 with the conviction that a creative and frank “off-the-record” dialogue could help draw out the wisdom and ideas needed to develop strong new pathways forward for water management in California. Roundtable members have found significant common ground even amidst ongoing water debates.
Roundtable members identified agricultural water stewardship as a key area of importance for sound long-term water management. The group held a series of meetings to build a common understanding of agricultural water use, develop a unified set of principles that underlie long-term solutions, and create recommendations for decision-makers and the public on balanced solutions to tough agricultural water issues. This report is the product of those efforts.
The following individuals participated in the California Roundtable on Water and Food Supply dialogue on agricultural water stewardship and contributed to this report:
CRWFS Members* Thad Bettner, Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District Mary Ann King, Trout Unlimited Juliet Christian-Smith, Pacific Institute Danny Merkley, California Farm Bureau Federation Martha Davis, Inland Empire Utilities Agency David Orth, Kings River Conservation District Brock Dolman, Occidental Arts & Ecology Center WATER Jovita Pajarillo, US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9 Institute Mark Rentz, Association of California Water Agencies Allan Fulton, UC Cooperative Extension Bruce Rominger, Rominger West Winery Corny Gallagher, Bank of America Merrill Lynch Dave Runsten, Community Alliance with Family Farmers Sarge Green, California Water Institute Steve Shaffer, Environmental Consulting for Agriculture Kamyar Guivetchi, Department of Water Resources Fran Spivy-Weber, California State Water Resources Control Martha Guzman Aceves, California Rural Legal Assistance Board Foundation Tom Tomich, UC Davis Sustainability Institute Glenda Humiston, USDA Rural Development Casey Walsh Cady, California Department of Food and Jacob Katz, UC Davis, Dept. of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Agriculture Biology Diana Westmoreland Pedrozo, Agricultural Advocate Luana Kiger, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Leo Winternitz, The Nature Conservancy
We are grateful for the support of the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and Roots of Change in making the work of the Roundtable possible. We would also like to thank Louise Jackson, UC Davis Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, and Charles Burt, Cal Poly Irrigation Training and Research Center, for their contributions to this work.
*The opinions and recommendations made by CRWFS do not necessarily reflect those of the organizations with which members are affiliated.
© California Roundtable on Water and Food Supply, a project of Ag Innovations Network. For more information, please visit http://www.aginnovations.org/roundtables/crwfs. Cover photo ©iStockphoto.com/tntemerson.
i Throughout this report, the term “agriculture” refers exclusively to production of specialty crops in California.
Water Stewardship A Lens for Sound Water Policy and Management
“Moving water is the most complex and increase economic risks for growers. Simply artful thing we do as farmers.” reducing agricultural water applications does not necessarily result in a net benefit at the –Danny Merkley farm or watershed levels.
The challenges associated with water supply, Furthermore, agricultural water conservation distribution, and use are the subject of has varying definitions,1 which can impede substantial conflict and widely divergent collaboration on appropriate and effective perspectives. Yet there is broad agreement solutions. For example, that demands on water supply in many regions conservation may be of California increasingly exceed availability, interpreted to refer to Agricultural water stewardship particularly given the constraints of current reductions in applied can be definedas the use water infrastructure and use patterns. Clearly, a water, a decrease in broad set of solutions will be needed to address consumptive water use, a of water in a manner that the growing problems associated with water decline in the amount of optimizes agricultural water management. In addition, the inherently regional freshwater flowing to salt use while addressing the co- nature of these problems mandates different sinks and polluted water benefits of water for food approaches in different contexts. bodies, or the elimination of wasted water through production, the environment, One common call has been for the agricultural greater water use and human health. sector to improve water management and efficiency by agricultural reduce overall consumption of water. Practices crops. While each of that reduce applied water to agricultural lands these objectives has a role to play in good represent a powerful and broadly supported water management and policy, the California solution set. For example, water conservation Roundtable on Water and Food Supply can help to protect the quality of groundwater recommends “agricultural water stewardship” and surface water, save farmers money, augment as a more useful concept to guide thinking stream flows, reduce tailwater runoff, conserve and decision-making for agricultural water use energy, and store water for subsequent drought within California. periods.
But these outcomes are not universal. Reducing Agricultural Water applied water may have undesirable outcomes. In some cases, the benefits of water applied Stewardship Builds over and above a crop’s needs include availability Agricultural and Ecological for on-farm re-use, groundwater recharge, the Resilience provision of wildlife habitat, or supply of runoff Agricultural water stewardship can be defined for possible use downstream. Eliminating farm as the use of water in a manner that optimizes runoff may be beneficial or detrimental to other agricultural water use while addressing the water users, depending on several factors, such co-benefits of water for food production, the as water quality, water source, crop rotation, environment, and human health. Agricultural location of the farm within the watershed, and farm inputs. There is added concern in some cases that water conservation will reduce flexibility in the system, decrease yields, and 1 See Glossary on page 9 for the definitions of key terms used in this report.
Agricultural Water Stewardship 1 water stewardship is premised on the notion Beneficial Management Practices that water management decisions cannot be made independent of ecological, social, and Many practices that could enhance performance on a economic contexts. It takes into account wide range of water stewardship indicators are already local biogeographical considerations such as known, but their application should be expanded. soil type, soil ecology, topography, agronomic Examples* of beneficial practices include: inputs, and terrestrial and aquatic ecology. Agricultural water stewardship emphasizes On-farm stewardship practices whole-farm approaches that acknowledge the • Use of irrigation systems that are designed for role of agriculture in the local watershed and optimum “distribution uniformity,” with appropriate community. Effective stewardship results in management to also achieve a high efficiency for the provision of multiple types of ecosystem each irrigation and location services—the human benefits garnered from • Improvement of relative timing of water applications well-functioning ecosystems, including agro- and chemical and nutrient inputs to minimize aquifer ecosystems. In summary, the local and regional pollution context in which a farm operates will determine • Tailwater ponds and return systems the best water management approaches to • Vegetated filter strips maximize water use efficiency, minimize adverse • Efforts to reinstate natural flows and hydrograph environmental impacts, and balance trade-offs cycles for society as a whole. • Restoration of riparian corridors and other waterways for multiple ecosystem services (e.g., Agricultural water stewardship takes into infiltration, soil and water quality, wildlife habitat, etc.) account a broad range of variables in identifying • Soil management regimes to enhance infiltration balanced solutions. Importantly, it embraces the and retention of water in soils, including cover crops, full spectrum of solutions, from cutting-edge amendments, minimum tillage technology to the cultural and agro-ecological • Soil moisture and crop water status monitoring practices that enhance the ecological integration • Wind turbines for frost control of farming and lead to improved water quality • Dry farming and supply management. Agricultural water stewardship should guide dialogue and decision- Supply management making for agricultural water management in • Off-stream storage ponds for irrigation and frost California. protection • Managed groundwater recharge using surplus irrigation water when chemical or nutrient (e.g., nitrate) runoff is low • Wetlands for improving water quality and wildlife habitat • Recycling of municipal water for agricultural use, with proper attention to water quality • Measures to better match quality of water with intended use, including drinking water for rural communities • Modification of conveyance capabilities to move flows to recharge areas
*This list is intended to illustrate the range of possible practices and is not an exhaustive or prioritized list.
2 California Roundtable on Water and Food Supply Recommendations
The members of the California Roundtable on scale water balances, particularly empirical Water and Food Supply have identified three measurements of water use, return flows, key solution sets in the effort to improve and and groundwater percolation. These data promote agricultural water stewardship: are necessary to comprehend the risks 1. Improve our knowledge base; and benefits of management practices 2. Build stronger support for growers; and and determine the most appropriate 3. Foster smarter regulations. and efficient means for enhancing groundwater recharge and water quality. Specific recommendations for each of these This effort should include building a better themes are provided below. understanding of the conditions under which agricultural water use efficiency and water conservation approaches (that may Create a Stronger cause overall reductions in applied water) Knowledge Base are beneficial to overall watershed health, and where they are detrimental. ii. Design and generate an effective system 1A clear picture of the factors affecting water of data dissemination regarding water use, distribution and use in California is important delivery, and quality to support effective to decision-making at the policy and farm policy decision- levels, but is currently lacking. There is a need making. Ensure that for better data collection and demonstration data collection does of water supply and distribution at basin scale, not unduly burden “Good water management” and better baseline data on water use to farm operators. is a moving target: knowledge guide decision-making. However, in keeping iii. Develop clear and with stewardship principles, a one-size-fits-all and technologies are broadly supported approach is impracticable and insufficient to indicators of success constantly evolving. address today’s challenges; a watershed-by- for agricultural water watershed approach is required to identify stewardship that appropriate and effective management solutions. increase the resilience of agriculture to We recognize that “good water management” fluctuating water supplies while maintaining is a moving target: knowledge and technologies or improving watershed health. These are constantly evolving, as is the biophysical indicators are needed to help guide grower and socio-economic environment within which decision-making, direct funding and technical agricultural systems operate. Furthermore, support, measure the effectiveness of because of the complexity of water supply relevant activities, policies and regulations, issues in California, a concerted effort is needed and ultimately influence widespread to facilitate data interpretation and decision- adoption of agricultural water stewardship making. The following activities support and practices. address these needs. iv. Undertake regional-scale research efforts to assist the agricultural community in solving A. Research Priorities or minimizing the magnitude of local water We recommend that the research, academic, supply and quality challenges. Research and water information and management should involve regional stakeholders in communities collaborate to address the developing their own set of meaningful following needs: protocols, questions, and performance i. Collect better data for understanding basin- measures.
Agricultural Water Stewardship 3 v. Enact a more efficient and effective in-stream flows required to sustain information exchange system, including aquatic ecosystems to inform and guide place-based guidance tools to provide agricultural practices that may provide agricultural producers with information clear contributions to adequate in- about water management practices that stream flows. work toward solving or mitigating identified problems at the farm and watershed levels. B. Research and Data vi. Develop empirical data and models to Communications Improvements better quantify beneficial on-farm water We recommend that research initiatives, stewardship management practices by whenever possible, involve agricultural and region, basin, and, where possible, farm type. local communities early on to help identify vii. Evaluate the extent of conversion of research questions and priorities. We also irrigated lands from flood and furrow encourage the research and education irrigation to drip and micro-sprinkler community to clearly communicate irrigation and how this has influenced emerging research findings on practices demand for, or reliance on, surface water and technologies to practitioners and and groundwater for irrigation. In turn, the public. A targeted effort is needed assess how this has affected, or may to more effectively bridge new research potentially affect, groundwater depletion findings on sound irrigation management, and recharge of specific groundwater basins technology, and cultural practices with or sub-basins in California. Identify potential policy and practice. Furthermore, given the implications this may have on future highly complex and fragmented nature of conjunctive water management efforts. agricultural water use and management viii. Determine and clearly communicate the
Agricultural Water Stewardship: Guiding Principles In an effort to achieve sound solutions to agricultural water management, decision-makers at all levels should consider the following guiding principles to maximize co-benefits of agricultural water use. Effective agricultural water stewardship approaches:
1. Sustain an efficient and competitive agricultural industry in California;
2. Contribute positively to the protection of farmland, local communities, and the environment;
3. Are cost-effective for growers to implement, and incentivized where appropriate;
4. Result in shared costs of implementing agricultural water stewardship practices, on the basis that everyone benefits from such practices (e.g., through maintenance of open space, improvement of water quality, increasing water quantity) and the water embodied in California specialty crops;
5. Do not undermine growers’ water rights;
6. Are selected and applied based on local watershed conditions and needs, including protection of public trust resources and the needs of the broader societal system; and
7. Integrate into existing and ongoing planning processes and frameworks, including state and regional water quality control board planning (e.g., CV-SALTS) and Integrated Regional Water Management Planning, as suited to local conditions.
4 California Roundtable on Water and Food Supply data, we recommend that steps be taken Of particular importance are mechanisms to improve coordination among all entities that disseminate information about regionally conducting research pertaining to agricultural appropriate beneficial practices2 and financing water use and management (including public, mechanisms that offset the cost and risks of private, federal, tribes, state, and irrigation implementing new practices and technologies. districts, among others). This may also include This is especially significant as securing annual an inventory of the places relevant knowledge operating capital through loans becomes more resides (e.g., academic institutions, government difficult due to mounting water and economic bodies, individual researchers, etc.), in order to challenges. create a more unified and publicly available body of knowledge to inform decision-making at all A robust and renewed technical and financial levels. investment in agricultural water stewardship is critical for the health of our farms and watersheds, and must be made a statewide Improve Support priority. While we would like to see technical Mechanisms for support programs strengthened, the recommendations below should also serve to 2 Growers bolster the adoption of on-farm and regional Agricultural water stewardship approaches stewardship practices. represent a key element of drought mitigation, climate adaptation, and flood management. The Department of Water Resources Integrated Moreover, federal and state budget cutbacks Regional Water Management (IRWM) Planning have severely eroded the system of technical processes currently and financial support that is necessary to underway, which cover support improvements in on-farm water most of California, will We recommend that research play a leading role in management practices. For example, funds initiatives, whenever possible, for mobile irrigation labs that evaluate the implementing agricultural performance of irrigation systems have been water stewardship and involve agricultural and local cut, Farm Bill conservation programs such as closing the gap between communities early on to help Environmental Quality Incentives Program, state-level policy and local identify research questions and including the Ag Water Enhancement Program, practice. While some are suffering further dramatic cutbacks, IRWM plans have been priorities. and technical support agencies including successful in engaging the UC Cooperative Extension, USDA Natural agricultural community Resources Conservation Service, local Resource (e.g., the Upper Kings Basin IRWM Plan), Conservation Districts, and the two State agriculture has typically been represented by University systems have all suffered substantial water agencies in these processes. However, cuts in recent years, with additional cuts the funding and coordination opportunities anticipated in the future. More support staff that exist demand a broader and more direct educated in irrigation and water stewardship participation of the agriculture sector in the practices are needed. They should be trained to IRWM planning process. conduct outreach and technical assistance, as even the programs that do exist are hampered The following actions are needed to help by a lack of skilled staff. growers adopt agricultural water stewardship practices. Specialty crop producers generally recognize that agricultural water stewardship is important for both farm water security and environmental health. Growers are willing to implement sound 2 Nearly a quarter of farmers surveyed by the Agricultural on-farm practices, yet require assistance in Water Management Council said that lack of technical responding to challenges resulting from the assistance limited their ability to implement water changing environmental and social context. conservation practices.
Agricultural Water Stewardship 5 A. Expand technical, financial, and stewardship approaches. In particular, peer support for agricultural water state and federal legislators and the stewardship practices. Executive Offices should provide i. Agriculture organizations should: adequate funding and support for ¤¤ Be actively involved in documenting technical support programs such as and promoting crop-specific beneficial those administered by UC Cooperative practices; and Extension, Resource Conservation ¤¤ Foster peer-to-peer education of Districts, and others. beneficial management practices ¤¤ Develop mechanisms to make through organized field days and other permitting and accounting easier for programs. groundwater conjunctive use; and ¤¤ Ensure that adequate funding levels ii. Water Districts should: be provided to university irrigation ¤¤ Document growers’ experiences with teaching programs – not just research. alternative water management strategies along with pros and cons for various B. Enhance the ability of Integrated stewardship options (e.g., production, Regional Water Management water quality, water use efficiency, etc.); processes to advance agricultural ¤¤ Include agricultural water stewardship water stewardship solutions as part of approaches in their agricultural water their place-based focus. management plans; and i. Agencies engaged in the state’s Integrated ¤¤ Explore opportunities to connect Regional Water Management Program, growers with practices, funding, and including the California Department other resources. of Water Resources, the State Water Resources Control Board and its nine iii. Policy advocates should review Regional Water Quality Control Boards, relevant emerging policy to ensure that it Cal/EPA, the Natural Resources Agency and reflects the framing of agricultural water the California Energy Commission, along stewardship that includes a watershed with the California Department of Food and approach, and provides adequate technical Agriculture, should: and financial support for adoption of ¤¤ Foster increased participation of the practices at the farm and regional scale. agriculture sector in IRWM processes by: iv. State and federal agencies should: • Partnering with the State Board of ¤¤ Collaborate to identify possible cross- Food and Agriculture and/or the cutting funding programs and incentives California Department of Food to increase adoption of on-farm and and Agriculture to develop a plan regional agricultural water stewardship to raise awareness about how the approaches that achieve multiple IRWM processes can support the objectives (e.g., activities to improve needs of production agriculture; winter farm water retention while also • Explicitly addressing and stating contributing to flood management, the important role the production groundwater recharge, surface water agriculture community can play in storage for summer use, improved IRWM planning and implementation in-stream flows, and enhanced wildlife on the website and in outreach habitat); materials; ¤¤ Ensure that there are sufficient future • Collaborating with local growers funds for (a) data collection, monitoring, and related local support and and research, and (b) technical and service providers to identify specific financial support for the agriculture solutions informed by stakeholder sector to implement agricultural water experiences;
6 California Roundtable on Water and Food Supply • Expanding IRWM guidelines to agricultural organizations including key emphasize a stronger connection to commodity groups; agricultural stakeholders, including ¤¤ Examine and implement, where farmers, agricultural organizations, appropriate, agricultural water and commodity groups; stewardship and efficiency measures at • Including applicant scoring criteria the individual farm and regional scales; that encourage the participation of and the agriculture sector and provide ¤¤ Evaluate and implement mechanisms a focus on agricultural water for channeling funds toward technical stewardship; support and financial incentives for • Exploring performance-based adopting agricultural water stewardship scoring criteria to enhance approaches. Water suppliers, effectiveness of IRWM Plans; and Cooperative Extension, Resource • Examining other potential Conservation Districts, and other mechanisms to engage the technical support entities may be agriculture sector to broaden and appropriate conduits. diversify representation. ¤¤ Collaborate with the Department iii. Agriculture organizations should: of Food and Agriculture and other ¤¤ Evaluate opportunities for greater organizations such as the Pacific involvement in IRWM processes; Institute and the California Institute for ¤¤ Educate their members about IRWM Rural Studies to create a database of plans and their potential to integrate success stories and beneficial practices the needs of the agricultural community; of agricultural water stewardship, in and particular highlighting those fostered ¤¤ Encourage and support their through IRWM projects, that could be members in actively participating in replicated elsewhere; IRWM proposal development and ¤¤ Encourage the Regional Water Quality implementation where appropriate. Control Boards to participate in all IRWM planning and implementation processes; Move Toward ¤¤ Cooperate to bring all nine Regional Outcome- Water Quality Control Basin Plans up to date and have them recognized 3 Based Policy and within the IRWM planning process; and Regulatory Frameworks ¤¤ Urge regulatory agencies to pursue incentive approaches to encourage that Foster Agricultural agricultural actors to participate in Water Stewardship IRWM Regional Water Management Regulation of agricultural water supply and Groups to more efficiently achieve quality in California is highly complex. Examples water quality outcomes. of regulations that govern agricultural water use include the Porter-Cologne Act and California ii. IRWM Regional Water Water Code (including the Irrigated Lands Management Groups (RWMGs) that have irrigated lands within their districts Regulatory Program and a suite of amendments should: in 2009), US Bureau of Reclamation law, the ¤¤ Evaluate local opportunities to reach Clean Water Act and other protections for out to, engage, and promote leadership water quality and natural resources (including by the agricultural community in the federal and state Endangered Species Acts, planning and implementation processes, related biological opinions, and the Central including farm owners, farm managers, Valley Project Improvement Act), specific water managers, and representative regulations and guidance applied by individual
Agricultural Water Stewardship 7 irrigation districts, and recent court decisions. that result in stewardship benefits. The many agencies and laws involved lead ii. Engage the agriculture and water to substantial obstacles hindering creation conservation communities in developing of a coherent and navigable system for the adaptive management approaches to agricultural community. State and federal enhance in-stream flows for the SWRCB’s policy must be designed to be consistent 132 priority rivers and streams. Encourage with local policy, conditions, and needs. This IRWM RWMGs to take leadership in cases regulatory conundrum where these groups overlap with priority must be resolved in streams. order to develop locally iii. Coordinate among agencies to ensure State and federal policy must appropriate, incentive- successes and progress are both be designed to be consistent and outcome-based complementary and synergistic, and result with local policy, conditions, models to support in multiple types of ecosystem services for and needs. growers in adopting water various sectors of society. stewardship approaches that do not undermine environmental and human Collectively, these actions to strategically build health. These objectives require the following the knowledge needed to make effective policy changes to regulatory processes. decisions, adequately support growers in taking action, and coordinate policy and regulations i. State government should: to meet local needs, represent an important ¤¤ Collaborate with stakeholders to set and substantial step toward a sustainable the needed legislative and regulatory water future for California. Agricultural water (as well as water resource management stewardship is a critical framework to inform plans’) goals, objectives, guidelines, and policy and practice, and serves to bridge the data standards to improve surface and gap between local on-the-ground realities and groundwater management, and then policy-making as we strive to balance various direct the IRWM RWMGs to determine water needs in the state. the mix of resource management strategies to be used to meet state objectives. RWMGs should then be required to submit implementation and finance plans describing how they will pursue appropriate strategies/actions and document compliance. ¤¤ Explore ways to foster RWMGs as a forum to achieve goals or standards required by regulatory agencies. Explore the following criteria for regulatory decision-making: • Regulatory processes that support “local” and “regional” solutions with consistent metrics of accountability, transparency, and performance standards; • Engagement of the agricultural community in collaborative development of regulations and policies to advance agricultural water stewardship; and • Regulatory processes that recognize and promote practices and projects
8 California Roundtable on Water and Food Supply Glossary
Agricultural water use efficiency* The ratio of applied water to the amount of water required to sustain agricultural productivity. Efficiency is increased through the application of less water to achieve the same beneficial productivity or by achieving more productivity while applying the same amount of water.
Applied water* The total amount of water that is diverted from any source to meet the demands of water users without adjusting for water that is used up, returned to the developed supply or irrecoverable. It is the quantity of water delivered to the intake to a city water system or factory or a farm headgate, directly or by incidental flows to a marsh or wetland for wildlife areas. For existing instream use, applied water demand is the portion of the streamflow dedicated to instream use or reserved under the federal or State Wild and Scenic Rivers acts or the flow needed to meet salinity standards in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta under State Water Board standards.
Consumptive use* A quantity of applied water that is not available for immediate or economical reuse. It includes water that evaporates, transpires, or is incorporated into products, plant tissue, or animal tissue. Consumptively used water is removed from available supplies without return to a water resource system (uses such as manufacturing, agriculture, landscaping, food preparation, and in the case of Colorado River water, water that is not returned to the river.)
Agricultural water stewardship The agricultural use of water in a manner that optimizes agricultural water use while addressing the co-benefits of water for food production, the environment, and human health. Agricultural water stewardship is premised on the notion that water management decisions cannot be made in isolation of the ecological, social, and economic context. It emphasizes whole-farm, place-based approaches that recognize the role of agriculture in the local watershed, and of local biogeographical conditions such as soil type, soil ecology, topography, and terrestrial and aquatic ecology in water management decisions.
*Definitions drawn from: “California Water Plan Update 2009 Glossary.”California Water Plan Update 2009. Vol. 4 Reference Guide.
Agricultural Water Stewardship 9 The California Roundtable on Water and Food Supply (CRWFS) is a consensus-based forum for thought leaders to uncover obstacles, identify solutions, and take action to enhance water security for agriculture, the public and the environment. Participants share a dedication to a healthy and balanced future for California and each bring deep experience on issues at the intersection of water supply and agriculture to the table. Ag Innovations Network is the convener/facilitator of CRWFS, and its mission is to promote the long-term health of the food system and in particular, of agricultural production, by facilitating critical dialogues within the food system, and between food system stakeholders and the wider public.
Convener: Ag Innovations Network 101 Morris Street, Suite 212 Sebastopol, CA 95472 707.823.6111 http://aginnovations.org http://aginnovations.org/roundtables/crwfs.