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<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>New ideas for saving
ag water: Tax exemptions for irrigation equipment is one of several proposals.<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>The <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Fresno</st1:City></st1:place> Bee- 9/9/08<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>
<h3 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;letter-spacing:-.65pt'>Report:
Farmers could conserve more water<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h3>
<h3 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;letter-spacing:-.65pt'>The <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Bakersfield</st1:City></st1:place> Californian-
9/9/08<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h3>
<h3 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;letter-spacing:-.65pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></h3>
<h3 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;letter-spacing:-.65pt'>++++++++++++++++++++<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h3>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>New ideas for
saving ag water: Tax exemptions for irrigation equipment is one of several
proposals.<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>The <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Fresno</st1:City></st1:place> Bee- 9/9/08<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>By Dennis Pollock <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<!--/STORYHEADLINE--><!--STORYBODY-->
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><!--START QUICKSEARCH CAREER BUILDER WIDGET-->Farmers
in the hard-hit Westlands Water District have shelled out an estimated $500
million on water-saving measures in the past decade. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>But more can be done,
said one of the authors of a report issued this week that touts water-saving
alternatives to building reservoirs. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>"We acknowledge
there have been significant developments in efficiency, and we looked at
accelerating that trend," said Heather Cooley, who helped draft the report
by the Oakland-based Pacific Institute. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><!-- no related content to display -->The
institute came out with a laundry list of steps that would require significant
policy changes and could cost farmers and government agencies millions more.
They include: <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>*Provide sales tax
exemptions or rebates on efficient irrigation equipment. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>*Provide property tax
exemptions for farmers who upgrade to more water-efficient irrigation systems. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>*Develop new legal
mechanisms by which municipal water or state or local wildlife agencies could
invest in farmers' irrigation systems in exchange for some portion of the water
conserved. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>*State and federal
government agencies or energy providers would offer rebates or incentives to
farmers who implement on-farm conservation measures. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>*Reduce or realign
subsidies for low-value, water-intensive crops to higher-value, less
water-intensive crops. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>*Make agricultural
"efficient water-management practices" mandatory and enforceable by
the state Water Resources Control Board. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The list is lengthy, and
Cooley said the institute will issue a report early next year "looking
closer at the costs for those recommendations." <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Some of the
recommendations -- including use of more drip irrigation or micro-irrigation --
can improve productivity and increase the return on investment, Cooley said. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Farmers on the central
San Joaquin Valley's west side say they already have made considerable strides
toward saving water, notably switching in recent years from furrow or flood
irrigation to drip irrigation that puts the water only where it will benefit
the crop. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>And they say they have
gone about as far as they can in that regard and the notion of "conserving
their way out of a drought" is flawed. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>"If that were the
case, they would already have done it," says Fresno County grower John
Diener, who has become something of a poster figure for saving water on the
farm, working for about a decade with local, state and federal researchers on
an irrigation system that captures and reuses irrigation water. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Farm leaders were quick
to respond to the report. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>"Farmers will
continue to increase water use efficiency," said Jasper Hempel, executive
vice president of Western Growers in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Irvine</st1:City></st1:place>.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>"But increased
water-use efficiency is not a substitute for the needed improvements in water
storage or conveyance." <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>California Farm Bureau
Federation President Doug Mosebar said that while "improved efficiency of
water use will certainly be a key in meeting <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on">California</st1:State></st1:place> water needs," a wide variety
of strategies will be needed, including water recycling and new water storage. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>California Secretary of
Agriculture A.G. Kawamura said agriculture "is doing its part" to
address the water crisis. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>"Over the last four
decades, the amount of water used on <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State></st1:place>
farms has remained relatively level while crop production has increased more
than 85% in the same period," he said. "In fact, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on">California</st1:State></st1:place> farms use water not just once but
as many as eight times." <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Stuart Woolf, who heads
Woolf Farming Co. in Huron, told a congressional subcommittee that his father
often jokes, "We work the water so hard it has blisters."#<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white'><u><font size=4
color=blue face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:blue'><a
href="http://www.fresnobee.com/business/story/855954.html"
title="http://www.fresnobee.com/business/story/855954.html">http://www.fresnobee.com/business/story/855954.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></u></p>
<h3 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;letter-spacing:-.65pt;
font-weight:normal'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></h3>
<h3 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;letter-spacing:-.65pt;
font-weight:normal'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></h3>
<h3 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;letter-spacing:-.65pt;
font-weight:normal'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></h3>
<h3 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;letter-spacing:-.65pt'>Report:
Farmers could conserve more water<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h3>
<h3 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;letter-spacing:-.65pt'>The <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Bakersfield</st1:City></st1:place> Californian-
9/9/08<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h3>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=byline2><b><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>BY STACEY SHEPARD
AND COURTENAY EDELHART, staff writers</span></font><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=firstparagraph1 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><st1:place
w:st="on"><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Central
Valley</span></font></st1:place><font size=4><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>
farmers could save an amount of water equal to the annual supply of 20 new
reservoirs if they change how and when they irrigate and switch to less
water-intensive crops, according to a report released this week by the
Oakland-based Pacific Institute.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=firstparagraph1 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'>The study is one of the first to explore how better water conservation
on farms could help address statewide shortages.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'>In response, farmers say they’re already doing their part, noting
the amount of water used by the state’s farms is almost the same as 40
years ago, yet crops over that period have increased 89 percent.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on"><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>San Joaquin</span></font></st1:PlaceName><font
size=4><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Valley</st1:PlaceType></span></font></st1:place><font
size=4><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> growers alone have invested more than
$500 million in improved irrigation equipment since 2004, according to the
Agricultural Water Management Council.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'>“Farmers are increasing their efficiency all the time,”
said California Farm Bureau Federation spokesman Dan Kranz. "Certainly
given our current circumstances it’s an increasing concern, but improved
efficiency is just one key element along with recycled water and water storage
and many other strategies.”<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'>The report’s lead author, Heather Cooley, agreed conservation is
not a “silver bullet.” New dams and storage may be needed at some
point. But decision-makers should know what low-cost solutions are available
before spending billions on costly water-infrastructure, she said. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'>“The water savings from these exercises are far cheaper than any
reservoir we can build and have fewer social and environmental impacts,”
Cooley said. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'>In response to a statewide drought and court-ordered reductions in
water exports from the imperiled Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, lawmakers are
now considering a $9.3 billion proposal by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and U.S.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein to build new dams, reservoirs and possibly a peripheral
canal.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'>Jim Beck, general manager of the Kern County Water Agency, which
contracts for Delta water on behalf of local water districts, thinks the study
should have taken a broader look at causes of the water shortages.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'>“I think it unfairly targeted agriculture as the single solution
for the state’s water woes,” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'>Cooley said the Institute had previously studied urban water
conservation, finding that water use could be reduced by one-third with widely
available technologies. Given that farms use 80 percent of the state’s
developed water supplies, “we suspected there were some large savings
available there as well.”<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'>She added: “We were also struck by the fact that no one had done
a real assessment” of farm water use.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'>Overall, the study found farmers could reduce water usage by 13
percent. That equals a water savings of up to 3.4 million acre-feet each year
— enough water to fill <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Isabella</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Lake</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> six times over. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'>To do so, the report recommends switching about 25 percent of
water-intensive field crops grown in the state — such as cotton, rice,
corn and alfalfa — to vegetables, which use less water and bring in more
revenue. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'>It encourages farmers to use newer technology — weather data,
soil monitors and computer models — to schedule precisely when and how
much water to apply to crops rather than relying on visual inspection. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'>Farmers should also move away from flood irrigation by investing in
drip irrigation systems and sprinklers. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'>While some of the recommendations require up-front costs to farmers,
the study found that the strategies were cost-effective overall when you
consider water savings, improved yields and other factors.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'>Planting crops that require less water seems obvious, but that
oversimplifies the reality of agricultural economics, said retired grower
William Bolthouse Jr., whose family founded William Bolthouse Farms.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'>“If you grew all cactus, I’m sure you could save some
water, but it’s not economically feasible," he said. “Supply
and demand dictates what people grow. We used to grow a lot of cotton, but
demand dried up so people quit.”<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'>Bolthouse said he’d prefer to see available water sources managed
better.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'>The California Department of Food and Agriculture estimates
drought-related crop losses as of this month are $259.8 million, up $14.5 million
from July. Rangeland took the hardest hit, followed by cotton.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on"><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Kern</span></font></st1:PlaceName><font
size=4><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">County</st1:PlaceType></span></font></st1:place><font
size=4><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> suffered the second highest losses in
the state with $69.5 million. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Fresno</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">County</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> led the state with
$73.5 million, in losses.#<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><u><font size=4 color=blue face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;color:blue'><a
href="http://www.bakersfield.com/102/story/547703.html"
title="http://www.bakersfield.com/102/story/547703.html">http://www.bakersfield.com/102/story/547703.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></u></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:PersonName w:st="on"><em><i><font size=3 color=gray
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Byron
Leydecker</span></font></i></em></st1:PersonName><em><i><font color=gray
face="Times New Roman"><span style='color:gray'>, JCT, Chair</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Friends of <st1:place w:st="on">Trinity
River</st1:place></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:address w:st="on"><st1:Street w:st="on"><em><i><font
size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:gray'>PO Box</span></font></i></em></st1:Street><em><i><font
color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='color:gray'> 2327</span></font></i></em></st1:address><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><em><i><font
size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:gray'>Mill Valley</span></font></i></em></st1:City><em><i><font
color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='color:gray'>, <st1:State w:st="on">CA</st1:State>
<st1:PostalCode w:st="on">94942-2327</st1:PostalCode></span></font></i></em></st1:place><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>415 383 4810 </span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>415 519 4810 cell</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><a href="mailto:bwl3@comcast.net">bwl3@comcast.net</a></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><a href="mailto:bleydecker@stanfordalumni.org">bleydecker@stanfordalumni.org</a></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><a href="http://www.fotr.org">www.fotr.org</a> </span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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