Public meeting in California to focus on groundwater management

Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, October 6th

By Diego Flammini, Farms.com

The California State Board of Food and Agriculture is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, October 6^th where its board members will discuss important topics related to California agriculture including groundwater management.

"The current drought has exacerbated the need for groundwater and these precious water reserves are reaching historic lows," said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross in a release. "The purpose of this meeting is to discuss how farmers and landowners can contribute to solutions that minimize the impacts of subsidence and excessive groundwater pumping."

Reports by the California Department of Water Resources and NASA say that parts of California’s San Joaquin Valley are sinking at a rate of two inches per month in some spots. Sinking land in California isn’t a new phenomenon as droughts force farmers to pump groundwater to irrigate their crops.

"The effects of subsidence (sinking land) and groundwater overdraft have tremendous implications that extend to agriculture and beyond," said Craig McNamara, president of the California State Board of Food and Agriculture in a release. "This is a unique opportunity for the Board to engage in further discussions on the impacts of subsidence on our state, and where they are occurring regionally."

The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 6th at the California Department of Food and Agriculture, 1220 N Street – Main Auditorium, Sacramento.

For people who can’t attend but wish to take part, the CDFA will also be streaming the meeting online.

Tell us if you’re planning on attending the meeting regarding groundwater and land sinking in California. What concerns you the most about the two?