- Author: Mark Lundy
This is the description of the groundwater situation from Professor Richard Howitt, the lead author of a recent study put out by the Center for Watershed Sciences at UC Davis. It is estimated that two-thirds of the state's water supply will be pumped from wells in 2014, as in previous dry years.
I know that people are seeing well water levels drop in the Sacramento Valley. This ‘overdraft' (pumping more out of the aquifer than is being recharged) is clearly not sustainable on a year-in, year-out basis. Even though groundwater and the regulations that may eventually accompany its use make for thorny conversation, it is a conversation that is happening, and one that we all need to engage in (as politely as we...
- Author: Mark Lundy
A report released in July from the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences summarized the impacts of the 2014 drought:
“The 2014 drought will result in a 6.6 million acre-foot reduction in surface water available to agriculture. This loss of surface water will be partially replaced by increasing groundwater pumping by 5.1 million acre-feet. The resulting net water shortage of 1.5 million acre-feet will cause losses of $810 million in crop revenue and $203 million in dairy and other livestock value, plus additional groundwater pumping costs of $454 million. These direct costs to agriculture total $1.5 billion. The total statewide economic cost of the 2014 drought is $2.2 billion, with a total loss of 17,100 seasonal and...
- Author: Mark Lundy
I recently recorded a presentation for the California Water and Drought Seminar video series:
on Managing corn under California's drought conditions.
The slides from the presentation as well as the text are available here: Corn_Drought_Lundy_wNotes
Feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss further.
- Author: Mark Lundy
Based on an up-to-date application of the thrips population model, Professor Neil McRoberts has recommended spraying for thrips in the Sacramento Valley between now and June 19th in order to reduce the incidence of TSWV. To read more on the projections for Colusa and Yolo Counties, see this post:
http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=14168
- Author: Mark Lundy
Professor Neil McRoberts at UCD updated the thrips population outlook for Yolo/Colusa today. See the additional information here:
http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=13913
The 3rd generation egg hatch peaked on Sunday, 5/11, and adults will peak on May 25th, which is a few days earlier than previously projected, according to the model.
Therefore, we are currently in the window for control of 3rd generation thrips in Yolo/Colusa.