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Farmland values are tumbling in California’s Central Valley, reflecting a drop in key commodity prices as well as concerns over water shortages and the state’s enduring drought.

A study released Wednesday by agricultural lender Rabobank N.A. says the price of farmland in parts of the valley will decline by as much as 30 percent between now and the end of 2017, following several years of substantial gains. The drop follows declines in the prices farmers are getting for important crops such as almonds and walnuts.

It looks like the politically powerful Westlands Water District, one of the main backers of Governor Jerry Brown’s Delta Tunnels and Congressional legislation to eviscerate protections for Sacramento River Chinook salmon and Delta smelt, is in more financial trouble. Fitch Ratings downgraded the scheduled October 26 bond sale by Westlands from ‘AA-‘ to ‘A+’. Among the issues facing Westlands Water District, Fitch cites shrinking irrigated acreage, previous financial obligations, and the potential for increased “leveraging” to pay for the Delta Tunnels,” according to Restore the Delta (RTD).

Hydropower dams are generally thought to be a clean source of electricity. By moving water through turbines, dams can generate large amounts of electricity almost continuously and without causing air pollution. It’s partly for these reasons that more than 3,700 hydroelectric dams are currently proposed or under construction worldwide. But a growing body of science reveals a dark side. It turns out the reservoirs formed by dams are a significant source of greenhouse gases – particularly methane, about 34 times more potent than carbon dioxide. In the last 10 years, dozens of studies have shed light on this problem.

 

Hydropower dams are generally thought to be a clean source of electricity. By moving water through turbines, dams can generate large amounts of electricity almost continuously and without causing air pollution. It’s partly for these reasons that more than 3,700 hydroelectric dams are currently proposed or under construction worldwide. But a growing body of science reveals a dark side. It turns out the reservoirs formed by dams are a significant source of greenhouse gases – particularly methane, about 34 times more potent than carbon dioxide. In the last 10 years, dozens of studies have shed light on this problem.

 

Backers of the proposed Sites Reservoir west of here believe they have plenty of momentum going into next year’s application period for Proposition 1 water bond funds. The number of agencies signed on to participate in the project has grown from 14 to 34, including from the San Francisco Bay area and San Joaquin Valley, said Jim Watson, general manager of the Sites Authority. And the Legislature recently passed Assembly Bill 2553, a bipartisan measure that will give flexibility in construction methods to help speed the project.