Central Valley Archives

California Had a Plan to Bring Clean Water to a Million People. Then the Pandemic Hit

July 27, 2020/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /San Francisco Chronicleby Alexei Koseff

The water is too contaminated to safely drink, but residents of this farmworker community in the Central Valley pay $74 a month just to be able to turn on the tap at home.

Their bills are even higher if they use more than 50 gallons a day, a fraction of daily water consumption for the average California household. And when Fresno County completes a new well that has been planned for years, the price will increase again to cover the cost of treating manganese-laced water pumped from hundreds of feet below.

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Central Valley Could Get Federal Aid for Drinking Water Crisis. Will Trump Support It?

July 27, 2020/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /The Fresno Beeby Monica Vaughan

Central Valley neighborhoods are a step closer to new money to fix broken water systems and access clean, safe drinking water — if the White House and Congress agree on an infrastructure package currently moving through the U.S. House of Representatives.

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Farmers Doing More With Less Need Help From Above

July 22, 2020/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /Bakersfield.comby Dianne Hardisty

Joel Ackerknecht manages about 3,500 acres of land north and west of Bakersfield and south of Arvin for DM Camp and Sons, a more than 80-year-old Kern County farming operation that grows a variety of specialty crops, including wine grapes, nuts and sweet potatoes.

A combination of expanding global demand for California produce, stretched water resources, receding ground water levels and increasing government regulations caused Ackerknecht to search for ways to do more with less.

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Landmark Groundwater Act Enters a Crucial Period

July 15, 2020/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /The Business Journalby Edward Smith

As Covid-19 and social unrest dominates news headlines, another problem beneath Central Valley residents’ feet is coming to surface. This was the first year plans had to be submitted for many irrigation districts through the state of California as part of 2014’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.

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Money to Repair Central Valley Canal in House Bill. A Large Funding Gap Remains

July 13, 2020/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /The Fresno Beeby Danielle Bergstrom

South San Joaquin Valley farmers have a reason to celebrate this week: Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives appropriated $200 million to fix the Friant-Kern Canal. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, Chairwoman of the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, attributed the allocation to the advocacy of Rep. T.J. Cox.

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Moving Forward Act Provides Funding for Central Valley Water, Friant-Kern Canal

June 30, 2020/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /The Porterville Recorder

The U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has approved H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act. The legislative package would provide $1.5 trillion for the nation’s infrastructure needs. Included in the bill is funding for Central Valley water needs and Friant-Kern Canal repairs.

The package is expected to be passed by the U.S. House of Representatives next week. The package would then need to be passed by the Senate and signed into law by President Trump.

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Damming Up Water Progress Throws California’s Future Into Limbo

June 30, 2020/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /The Sun (Central Valley)by Wayne Western

Get ready… here comes the true California water cycle: It begins with headlines and quotes warning of pending disaster based on what could, might, maybe, or possibly happen over the state’s water infrastructure.

It follows with attacks against a single water district, then moves to a concerted effort to convince the average Joe that making a profit in farming and being successful should be accompanied by deep regret and guilt.

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Opinion: An Attempt to Steal Valley Water in the Dark of Night

June 22, 2020/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /GV Wire (Fresno)by Adam Gray

With a global pandemic, a catastrophic economic recession, and record-high unemployment numbers, one would think the state has enough issues to tackle. But proponents of a state water grab that I have been fighting since the day I was sworn into office in 2012 disagree. Where others see turmoil and anguish, they see opportunity. Apparently, they believe in the adage, “Never let a crisis go to waste.”

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Under New Groundwater Plans, Report Estimates 12,000 Domestic Wells Could Run Dry

June 18, 2020/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /Valley Public Radio (Fresno, Calif.)by Kerry Klein

The goal of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, or SGMA, is to better regulate the state’s water reserves. But as the law rolls out, a new study predicts tens of thousands of people could lose their drinking water.

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