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Shining Light on Farm & Food Policy for 20 Years.
Friday, April 19, 2024
When it comes to water issues in the western U.S.—specifically the seven states dependent on the Colorado River system for their lives and livelihoods—John Boelts thinks farmers are giving up more than their share.
The Bureau of Reclamation is throwing its weight behind a plan by Arizona, Nevada and California to preserve at least 3 million acre-feet of Colorado River water through 2026.
A slate of actions aimed at preparing the Pacific Northwest for a scenario in which four dams on the Lower Snake River are breached appears to be under consideration as the Biden Administration looks to resolve a 22-year-long legal dispute over declining salmon populations, according to a draft settlement document circulated by four House lawmakers.
Colorado River water users are divided over how to reduce water consumption following the expiration of current guidelines in 2026, with some calling for declines to be distributed evenly across all users and others seeking decreases based on water rights seniority.
Farmers need more assistance conserving water, Senator Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said at a hearing Wednesday where he touted new legislation that would help them do it.
There’s one week left to submit comments to the House Agriculture Committee on what should – or shouldn’t – be in the next farm bill. So far, the committee has received nearly 1,400 submissions, according to staff.
Dairy operations and cattle producers in the Southwest are bracing for potentially higher feed bills, depending on how farmers respond to a historic agreement among California, Nevada and Arizona that’s intended to slash agricultural water usage and preserve hydropower generation.
The Bureau of Reclamation is laying out two sharply different alternatives for future Colorado River water cuts: Prioritize reductions based on water rights seniority – California’s preferred option or distribute cuts evenly across all Lower Basin water users.