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Nearing crisis state

BY STACEY SHEPARD, Californian staff writer
e-mail: sshepard@bakersfield.com | Wednesday, Jun 13 2007 10:50 PM

Last Updated: Wednesday, Jun 13 2007 11:14 PM

Kern County could suffer more than $100 million in economic impacts due to crop failures and job losses if water deliveries from the State Water Project don't return to normal within three weeks, local water officials said Wednesday.

"We see ourselves being at a near crisis state for water supplies," said Curtis Creel, water resources manager for the Kern County Water Agency, which contracts for state water on behalf of agricultural, municipal and industrial water districts in Kern County.

The agency held a special meeting Wednesday to declare an emergency water situation in the county after being told that state water deliveries will drop to about one-third of Kern County's current demands. Agency officials have also arranged to meet with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger when he visits Bakersfield today to encourage him to take action on the issue.

The shortage is due to the shutdown of pumps on May 31 that export water from Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to Southern California, the San Joaquin Valley and the Bay Area. The pumps have been blamed for the decline in Delta smelt, a threatened fish species.

The pumps were turned on Sunday but only to supply drinking water to some areas in the Bay Area. Meanwhile, the state is diverting water from the San Luis Reservoir to water districts at the southern end of the State Water Project.

But those supplies will be restricted because drawdown in the reservoir could compromise safe operations of the reservoir's earthen dam.

For now, state water officials do not know when the delta pumps will be turned back on, local water officials said.

State water also supplies some of the drinking water in Bakersfield but that supply is not expected to be affected due to extensive groundwater banking reserves.

However, city residents are being encouraged to conserve because any water saved can help offset shortages for ag users and users in other parts of the county.

Groundwater will make up for another one-third of the water needs for farmers, Beck said. But the cutback comes at a critical point because summer is the peak water demand time for growers.

Farmers who don't have access to additional water sources could face crop losses.

"If we're short water, that means crop loss, job loss and less food produced for citizens of Kern County and the world," said Robert Kunde, assistant engineer manager for the Wheeler Ridge-Maricopa Water Storage District, which supplies state water for about 75,000 acres of crops.

"If the (delta) pumps don't come back on soon, we're going to have damage in Kern County," Kunde said.

A series of other factors is expected to pose major financial difficulties for farmers. Groundwater pumps require fuel or electricity to operate, driving up their costs.

"It puts a strain on really the whole community and the state at large ... because we're using more fuel or putting more pressure on the grid," said Mike Young, an almond farmer. "It makes our costs go up , which down the line makes the costs of the product go up."

In addition, the shortage comes at a time when more farmers are moving from row crops, like cotton, to permanent crops like grapes, fruit and nut trees, because they bring higher profit margins.

Row crops can be abandoned in bad water years because water in those years costs more than the price the crop would bring in. However, permanent crops can't be abandoned without severe financial consequences for a farmer in future years.

The emergency declaration made Wednesday enables the Kern County Water Agency to:

* suspend water transfers out of the area,

* implement a voluntary conservation campaign among agricultural and urban water users and

* pursue additional measures to mar supply shortages.

The agency also plans to pressure the governor to take action.

"One of our concerns is the lack of seriousness and consideration given to this situation by the state and the governor's office," said Jim Beck, general manager of the Kern County Water Agency. "We think he ought to turn the pumps on immediately."

Beck and other water managers are frustrated by what they see as the State Water Project being solely blamed for the precarious situation of the Delta smelt.

Many believe other factors could affect the smelt's decline, like invasive species, toxic events in the Delta that have led to fishkills and other water pumps that continue to operate. But those factors haven't been scrutinized the way the state pumps have, Beck said.

Ways to conserve water

The best way to conserve water is to cut back on landscape watering. At least half of the urban water supply goes to water grass, plants and trees in the yard.

• If water is running into the driveway or onto the street, you’re overwatering. Shorten up watering times.

• Water between midnight and 4 a.m. when water demand is lowest.

• Fix leaky toilets or sinks.

• Install shower heads and toilets designed to conserve water.

• Plant drought-resistant or native plants in your yard.

Source: Tim Treloar, district manager of Cal Water in Bakersfield