California Ag Network

Category: Weather

  • Over 70% of Farmers Report Large Impacts of Climate Change on their Farm, Global Study Reveals

    The “Farmer Voice” survey reveals the challenges facing farmers around the world as they try to mitigate the impacts of climate change and adapt for the future.

    71% of farmers say that climate change already has a large impact on their farm, and even more are worried about the impact this will have in the future. 73% have experienced increasing pest and disease pressure. On average farmers estimate that their incomes had reduced by 15.7% due to climate change in the past two years. One in six farmers even identifies income losses of over 25% during this period.

    These are some of the key findings from the “Farmer Voice” survey, published today, which reveals the challenges facing farmers around the world as they try to mitigate the impacts of climate change and adapt for the future. To conduct the “Farmer Voice”, life science company Bayer commissioned an agency to independently interview 800 farmers globally, representing farms large and small from Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, India, Kenya, Ukraine, and the United States in equal numbers.

    Farmers expect the repercussions of climate change to continue. Three-quarters of them globally (76%) are worried about the impact that climate change will have on their farm, with farmers in Kenya and India most concerned.

    Rodrigo Santos, Member of the Board of Management of Bayer AG and President of the Crop Science Division, commented: “Farmers are already experiencing the adverse effects of climate change on their fields and at the same time they play a key role in tackling this huge challenge. This is why it is so important to put their voice front and center. The losses reported in this survey make the direct threat climate change poses to global food security crystal clear. In the face of a growing world population, the results must be a catalyst for efforts to make agriculture regenerative.”

    Economic challenges are compounding farmer pressures

    While climate change is a dominant overarching theme, economic challenges are the biggest priority over the next three years. Over half (55%) of farmers placed fertilizer costs among the top three challenges, followed by energy costs (47%), price and income volatility (37%), and the cost of crop protection (36%). The importance of fertilizer costs becomes most apparent in Kenya, India, and Ukraine.

    In Ukraine, 70% of farmers named fertilizer costs as one of the top three challenges, showing that the concrete materialized consequences of the war pose big pressures on farmers in the country. In addition, 40% named general disruption due to the war as a top challenge. Apart from that Ukrainian farmers share many of the same characteristics of their global peers, for example more than three-quarters (77%) state that climate change has already largely impacted their farm.

    Farmers are taking steps to mitigate climate change and value innovation

    More than 80% of surveyed farmers are already taking or planning to take steps to apply measures that contribute to reducing greenhouse gases. The top focus areas are using cover crops (43% do so already or intend to do so), using renewable energy or biofuels (37%) and using innovative seeds to reduce fertilizer or crop protection use (33%). Alongside this, every single farmer surveyed claims to already apply or plans to apply measures to help biodiversity. Over half (54%) say they already apply measures to protect insects, such as insect hotels, or plan to do so in the next three years.

    To be ready for the future, farmers value innovation. Over half (53%) of them say access to seeds and traits designed to better cope with extreme weather would most benefit their farm. A similar number (50%) called for better crop protection technology. 42% said that better access to irrigation technology would benefit their farm. Looking at their practices, improving efficient land use, diversifying crops, and better soil health were ranked as the most important routes to success.

    Spotlight: Indian smallholder farmers are focused on mitigating risk

    In addition to the global survey where farmers were interviewed independently, Bayer interviewed 2,056 Indian smallholder farmers from its customer base. It is a unique glimpse into the perspectives of smallholders who are key to securing the world’s food supply. Currently, their biggest challenges are high labor and fertilizer costs. Yet they are also impacted by climate change: Many of them expect reduced crop yields (42%) and higher pest pressures because of changing weather (31%). Unlike large-scale growers, the smallholders interviewed in India are focused on mitigating risks, prioritizing financial security through insurance (26%) and infrastructure (21%).

    When asked about the future, 60% said they would benefit most from access to digital technologies and modern crop protection. Despite all the challenges, Indian smallholders remain optimistic: 8 in every 10 farmers feel positive about the future of farming.

    The survey results are a valuable indicator of smallholder priorities and needs in India, contributing to Bayer’s smallholder farming strategy with the goal to support 100 million smallholders by 2030. In 2022, the company reached 52 million with its products and services.

    Farmers agree on global challenges

    Overall, the “Farmer Voice” survey shows that farmers around the world largely share a common view about the challenges of today and the prospects for the future. While there are slight differences between countries, the overarching issues of climate change and economic pressures are of similar concern to all.

    “Farmers are facing multiple and related challenges. But despite this, we found that they are hopeful – almost three-quarters say they feel positive about the future of farming in their country,” said Rodrigo Santos. “This is impressive and encouraging. The views expressed by farmers in the report need to be widely seen and understood. They are a call to action for the entire food system to innovate, collaborate, and deliver the solutions farmers need – and we as Bayer are eager to play a leading role in these efforts. There is little time to waste.”

    The Farmer Voice is a survey among 800 farmers equally split between Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, India, Kenya, Ukraine, and the United States. The survey was conducted independently by Kekst CNC. Farmers were selected randomly from each market. The respondents did not know that the survey was being conducted on behalf of Bayer until it was complete, and Bayer had no input on the sample selection. Interviews took place between April and July 2023. Additionally, 2,056 smallholder farmers in India were surveyed with a shortened questionnaire. These farmers were associated with the Better Life Farming ecosystem, farmers of Bayer-supported Farmer Producer Organizations, and farmers enrolled in Bayer’s Sustainable Rice Program. These interviews were conducted between May and June 2023.

    The Farmer Voice report is available at: www.bayer.com/en/agriculture/farmer-voice

    About Bayer

    Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to help people and the planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to driving sustainable development and generating a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2022, the Group employed around 101,000 people and had sales of 50.7 billion euros. R&D expenses before special items amounted to 6.2 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

  • Agriculture and Science vs. Climate Change

    An ancient proverb states that the longest journey begins with a single step. Now, a group with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has taken one such step in the worldwide struggle against climate change.

    Roger Thilmony, molecular biologist with the ARS Crop Improvement and Genetics Research unit in Albany, CA, and his team have developed a new variety of wheat that has shown modest improvements in the plant’s ability to withstand drought.

    “Global climate change is a grand challenge for agricultural production,” Thilmony said. “Drought is one of the primary stresses that limit crop productivity and cause economic losses. The creation of drought stress-tolerant crops, like wheat, is important to mitigate these problems and enable good agricultural yields, despite environmental challenges.”

    Thilmony’s team used advanced gene editing technology, known as CRISPR, to locate, isolate, and inactivate wheat’s six Sal1 genes. Sal1 encodes a protein that acts as a sensor of plant stress. When the gene is inactivated in some plants, they appear to have increased tolerance to drought, he explained.

    The result was a moderately successful crop of test plants.

    “The process was relatively efficient at producing the desired [results],” he said. “The modified wheat plants stayed green longer than unmodified wheat plants, but they did not produce more seed than the unmodified plants under drought conditions. That could be interpreted as a form of drought tolerance.”

    Wheat is one of the most widely grown crops in the world and is a critically important food source for its nutritional and health benefits.

    CRISPR gene editing technology is often used to speed up the process of selecting for agriculturally beneficial traits, cutting years – even decades – from the time it would take to produce them using traditional animal husbandry and plant breeding programs.

    “Gene editing can be applied to a wide array of crops, and it is possible that editing can be used in other plants to make them more drought stress-tolerant,” Thilmony said.

    While the project did not produce the “giant leap” of a lunar landing, it was a successful step in the right direction toward mitigating the effects of climate change.

    “Although we did not produce wheat plants that were more productive under drought stress, the research does demonstrate how gene editing is a powerful tool in testing ideas and determining if specific genes [like Sal1] play a role in the tolerance of crops to environmental stresses,” Thilmony said. – By Scott Elliott, USDA-ARS Office of Communications

  • CA Water Commission to Host Three Public Drought Workshops in July

    California’s changing hydrology has led to extreme weather patterns that affect the amount of rain and snow the state gets, impacting how we can capture and distribute water. Following three years of severe drought, California recently experienced a winter of extreme wet weather. Being able to endure the next severe drought is dependent upon making smart, preemptive water management decisions during non-drought years.

    In support of Action 26.3 in California’s Water Resilience Portfolio, the California Water Commission is developing proposed strategies to protect communities and fish and wildlife in the event of drought, and is seeking public input at three virtual public workshops.

    Workshop dates:

    • Wednesday, July 19, noon to 3 p.m. – Register here
    • Tuesday, July 25, 2-5 p.m. – Register here
    • Thursday, July 27, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Register here

    At the workshops, participants will be asked to share drought impacts, discuss drought response, and provide feedback on four preliminary strategies:

    1. Increase Capacity and Information Needed to Manage Drought
    2. Scale Up Groundwater Recharge
    3. Conduct Watershed-level Planning to Reduce Ecosystem Impacts of Drought
    4. Better Position Communities to Respond to Drought Emergencies

    “Small, rural communities and the environment are often hit the hardest during a drought,” said Commissioner Sandi Matsumoto, who also serves as director of the California Water Program at The Nature Conservancy. “In many places, water for fish and wildlife species is already severely limited in non-drought years. During periods of drought, water for the environment is even more drastically constrained.”

    In addition to attending a workshop, the Commission encourages you to share your opinion in a drought strategies survey here. The survey will be open through July 12, 2023. For more information on the Commission’s work on drought, please visit: cwc.ca.gov/Water-Resilience-Portfolio.

    • CWC Drought Workshop Flyer.pdfThe nine-member California Water Commission uses its public forum to explore water management issues from multiple perspectives and to formulate recommendations to advise the director of the California Department of Water Resources, and as appropriate, the California Natural Resources Agency, the Governor and Legislature on ways to improve water planning and management in response to California’s changing hydrology. For more information regarding the California Water Commission visit cwc.ca.gov.

  • Governor Newsom Announces New Flood Investment Proposals

    WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Governor Newsom’s revised budget proposes another $290 million to support flood response and projects to protect communities from future floods, on top of the Governor’s $202 million proposed in January – a total of $492 million. Governor Newsom also announced that the state is providing funding to raise a levee in Corcoran that’s critical to maintaining public safety in the Tulare Basin region.

    Governor Gavin Newsom today announced his revised budget proposal will include $492 million in funding to help protect Californians from ongoing flooding impacts in the Central Valley and throughout the state. The one-time funding will support at-risk communities, including those in the Tulare Basin, respond to the impacts of this year’s winter storms and better withstand future flooding.

    What Governor Newsom said: “California is facing unprecedented weather whiplash – we just experienced the driest three years on record, and now we’re dealing with historic flooding. Our investments must match this reality of climate-driven extremes. We’re committing even more resources to support communities up and down the state as they continue responding to the impacts of this year’s storms.”

    The Governor’s May revision of the budget, which will be announced Friday, invests $290 million in new flood proposals:

    • $125 million to support preparedness, response and recovery related to the 2023 storms – funding shifted from drought contingency to flood contingency to address the weather whiplash California is facing;
    • $75 million to support local flood control projects;
    • $25 million to expand the current California Small Agricultural Business Drought Relief Grant Program to provide direct assistance to eligible agriculture-related businesses that have been affected by the recent storms;
    • $25 million for potential additional disaster relief and response costs in this fiscal year to address immediate impacts;
    • $40 million for the San Joaquin Floodplain restoration

    The $290 million is on top of the Governor’s January proposal of $202 million in flood investments to protect urban areas, improve levees in the Delta region and support projects in the Central Valley – bringing total flood investments to nearly $500 million.

    The Governor’s budget also includes proposed legislation that codifies provisions from recent executive orders that allow for the safe diversion of flood flows for groundwater recharge purposes. These provisions would make it easier to capture floodwater to recharge groundwater by setting clear conditions for diverting floodwaters without permits or affecting water rights.

    Also today, the Governor announced that the state will fund raising the Corcoran Levee in the Tulare Basin, which is key to protecting critical infrastructure, including large correctional and medical facilities, and public safety for the immediate surrounding communities. This marks the third time the state or federal government has intervened to raise the levee. Due to over-pumping groundwater, the ground beneath the levee has subsided. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) made repairs to the levee in 1969 and again in 1983. The state’s funding will allow the local flood control district to raise the levee to 192 feet.

    The state’s funding will be contingent upon on locals’ ability to meet a set of criteria to ensure the work is done efficiently and at the lowest possible cost to taxpayers.

    BACKGROUND:

    State officials have been on the ground since storms first started hitting, supporting and coordinating emergency response. California has since shifted to focus on flood prevention and recovery efforts, while continuing to respond to lingering drought impacts, and will support local response in the coming weeks, months and years.

    The state response to flooding, both in the Tulare Basin and across California, includes:

    • Over 1.7 million sandbags and roughly 21,700 supersacks distributed to help prevent flooding;
    • 12,000 feet of muscle walls constructed;
    • Over 54 million pounds of rock and sand used to shore up rivers and levees;
    • Over 60 shelters opened for folks who got displaced by flooding and snowfall;
    • Over 600 comfort kits distributed to impacted families;
    • Over 3.5 million miles of California roads plowed or maintained.

    Governor Newsom joined state and local officials and community leaders in the Tulare Basin at the end of April to survey recent flooding. Also last month, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and USACE met with county officials and emergency response personnel in the Tulare Lake Basin to help organize local flood response plans to prepare for snowmelt in the coming months.

    The state, in partnership with USACE and local entities, is prioritizing snowmelt forecasting, reservoir operations, flooding assessments and flood response support. California is also working closely with county and other local government partners to share the latest advance planning tools DWR has used to support other flood prone areas of the state and to help local agencies in the basin prepare for flooding. DWR has also launched a $5 million program to provide temporary pumps to local water districts to increase flood diversions.

    In late March, Governor Newsom signed an executive order to support the ongoing response to flooding by expediting levee repairs, floodwater diversion and other emergency response activities. California also secured a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration to support storm response and recovery in Tulare County and other impacted counties. Following the Disaster Declaration, Disaster Recovery Centers across the state are now open, serving as central hubs to connect community members and businesses with support.

  • 100,000 Dairy Cows Relocated Due to Central Valley Flooding

    March Madness was taken to a whole new level this year when torrential rainfall and snowmelt caused unprecedented flooding in the Southern San Joaquin Valley, necessitating the evacuation of homes, communities and about 100,000 dairy cattle.  Watch this brief video with Anja Raudabaugh, CEO of Western United Dairies as she clarifies what really happened and how this tragedy has impacted the local dairy community.

  • Q&A Session on USDA Disaster Assistance to Help CA Farmers Recover, April 20

    Was your California farming operation impacted by a natural disaster? Or do you live in a California agricultural community that was impacted? Join us for a virtual question-and-answer session to learn more about programs and resources that may be available to you.

    What:              Question-and-answer session with USDA and California Department of Food and Agriculture about Disaster Assistance in California

    When:            Thursday, April 20, 2023 at 8 a.m. PT

    Where:           Virtual via Microsoft Teams. Click here to join.

    This session builds on the California disaster assistance webinar hosted last week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) that covered programs that can help farmers and agricultural communities impacted by current disasters.

    In this session, you’ll be able to submit questions to USDA’s Farm Production and

    Conservation Deputy Under Secretary Gloria Montaño Greene and CDFA’s Undersecretary Christine Birdsong.

    If you weren’t able to attend the webinar, you can watch the recording here.

    Additional Resources

    Other resources are available to producers, including the online Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Loan Assistance Tool. For rural communities, there are USDA Rural Development (RD) programs and services that can help rural residents, businesses and communities impacted by disasters and support long-term planning and recovery efforts. Please visit the Resource Guides that are availableinEnglish and Spanish.

    For more information on resources to recover and rebuild, visit your local USDA service center.

  • Digging Deeper into Climate Change Data

    As the world’s leading agricultural export market in the nation, California has a lot at stake in the climate crisis. According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, California’s agricultural production is valued at $50 billion with exports totaling $20.8 billion in 2020. The ever-changing weather patterns that climate change is causing could lead to significant farming challenges. Fortunately, California farmers now have a web-based tool to help them navigate through difficult conditions due to climate change.

    “There are other types of these tools around the United States that are kind of region-specific for the commodities and those regions, but we didn’t have one in California,” said Steven Ostoja, director for the USDA California Climate Hub. “Essentially CalAgroClimate is a free online compendium, if you will, of tools and resources to help growers or crop consultants make better decisions about what they might need to do or want to do to address the concerns of climate change.”

    CalAgroClimate is a web-based and mobile-friendly decision support system that translates high-resolution gridded weather data and forecast information into decision support tools designed to provide both location and crop-specific information for managing risks. It was developed by the USDA California Climate Hub and the University of California Cooperative Extension.

    CalAgroClimate currently has four tools available for users: heat advisory, frost advisory, crop phenology and pest advisory. The heat and frost advisory tools work in similar ways: users are given a map where they can select certain locations and temperature thresholds based on specific crops. Temperature thresholds for heat range from 90 F to 100 F while frost thresholds range from 35 F to 28 F. Farmers are also able to determine heat and frost risk for the next 7 days for a given location, including the number of consecutive days with temperatures above or below thresholds for selected crops.

    The crop phenology tool is used for crop-specific and location-specific purposes, where the user can monitor growing degree accumulations and estimates when the crops reach certain growing stages. It can even advise users about past crop developments and compares growing seasons from previous years. The pest advisory tool helps users track projections based on past generations of pests and diseases using temperature and heat unit accumulations.

    Ostoja said he believes CalAgroClimate can provide stakeholders with science-based data to help reduce the risk associated with climate change.

    “Ultimately, our hope is that there is a reduction in indemnity and crop insurance claims.  CalAgroClimate provides users a means to evaluate risks and make decisions to protect against economic and bottom-line losses due to weather and climate events,” he said. “What we’re really hoping to do is just let people have that comfort, knowing that they’re able to make decisions that are based on the best available science that’s readily available and that’s accurate, so that they feel more comfortable and confident.”

    Ostoja and his team continue to search for ways to make CalAgroClimate even more useful for its users. They are collecting more user feedback, improving the user interface, and holding workshops for potential users. Ostoja said that they also hope to add a user feedback tool to the website soon to allow users to share their feedback, impressions and suggestions.

    “This spring we also plan to take CalAgroClimate to do focused workshops with specific groups to both facilitate and better understand this tool,” he said.

    USDA Climate Hubs were created in 2014 to develop and deliver science-based, region-specific information and technologies to agricultural and natural resource managers that enable climate-informed decision-making, and to provide access to assistance to implement those decisions. — By Andrew Casas, USDA-ARS Office of Communications

  • The Grower Experience with Groundwater Recharge Workshop, April 12

    With the recent Executive Order from California Governor Newsom and record rainfall and snowpack brought on by recent storms, California farmers have a short window of opportunity through the spring and early summer to take their water future into their own hands through groundwater recharge.  California farms and rural communities have been devastated by the effects of a relentless drought, and now is the time to make a difference.  But how?  There are several methods of on-farm groundwater recharge available to landowners.  To find out where to start, the Madera/Chowchilla Resource Conservation District is holding a groundwater recharge workshop in partnership with Sustainable Conservation,  NRCS, Madera Irrigation District, the Almond Board of California, and California Ag Network.

    This Grower Experience with Recharge Workshop will be held on April 12th from 9AM-12PM. Topics covered in this workshop include how to prepare for on-farm recharge and recharge basins, obstacles and challenges faced as well as the successes reached by growers who are implementing recharge.  Wendy Rash from the Natural Resources Conservation District, Amy Siliznoff from the Chowchilla Resource Conservation District and Dina Nolan from the Merced Irrigation District will be present to address and assist growers. Six growers with direct experience with groundwater recharge will also be featured in a Q&A session to discuss these topics, including: Nick Davis, Cavin Markarian, Steve Pistoresi, Mark Hutson, Karun Samran & Case Vlot. Between the six local growers, they farm a host of fruit and nut crops as well as forage and annual crops from Fresno to Merced Counties.  See the flyer for additional information regarding this event. Registration for this workshop can be found by visiting www.maderachowchillarcd.org

  • California Storm Response and Recovery Update

    As California weathers the twelfth atmospheric river since late December, the state’s all-of-government emergency response (including CDFA) continues to deploy personnel and resources to protect communities and support recovery efforts across the state.

    “We’re continuing to mobilize an all-hands-on-deck response to protect Californians during this latest round of devastating storms,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “With communities from San Diego to Siskiyou County reeling from recent storms, the state is working closely with federal and local partners to provide immediate relief and support the ongoing recovery.”

    Since the start of severe winter storms in late February, Governor Newsom has proclaimed a state of emergency in 43 counties. At Governor Newsom’s request, President Biden issued a Presidential Emergency Declaration authorizing federal assistance to support storm response and recovery efforts.

    The Administration is working to maximize federal aid to storm-impacted communities as state and county officials conduct preliminary damage assessments and tally totals for financial losses to determine if California meets the criteria for a Major Disaster Declaration from the federal government. Earlier this year, California secured a Major Disaster Declaration in response to severe storms that began in late December.

    All-In State Response
    California’s emergency response to the widespread storm impacts has involved nearly every part of the state government. Assistance on the ground includes:

    Caltrans and CHP

    • More than 4,000 crew members mobilized by Caltrans statewide, working 24/7 in shifts to keep roads open and quickly respond to emergencies.
    • Caltrans has accelerated repairs on storm-damaged roads in nearly 200 locations statewide and prepositioned equipment at critical locations to prepare for flooding, slides and heavy snow.
    • CHP has stepped up patrols statewide and is augmenting local government law enforcement to assist with road closures and evacuations.

    CAL FIRE

    • 33 crews active statewide (including personnel from CAL FIRE, California National Guard, California Conservation Corps, and California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.)
    • Five Damage Inspection Teams statewide.
    • Two Incident Management Teams deployed to assist Inyo, Mono and Tulare counties.
    • Two engines, one helicopter and one mobile communications center.
    • CAL FIRE storm response video and photos can be found here.

    California National Guard

    • 125 Cal Guard soldiers and 48 High-Water Vehicles deployed across seven counties to support flood and rescue operations.
    • One Blackhawk and one Pave Hawk helicopter deployed and on standby for search and rescue operations across Northern California.
    • One Chinook helicopter deployed in standby support of heavy lift operations related to the Pajaro River levee breach.
    • 58 Guardsmen from Task Force Rattlesnake deployed in Tulare, Mono and Placer counties assisting with debris and snow removal.

    Cal OES and Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA)

    • Cal OES has pre-positioned Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid Resources in communities vulnerable to flooding, including:
      • 8 Swiftwater Rescue Teams
      • 10 local government fire strike teams
    • EMSA has pre-positioned ambulance strike teams as well as a California Medical Assistance Team (CAL-MAT) to aid in evacuations and support medical needs in communities impacted by flooding.

    Department of Water Resources (DWR)

    • 40 deployments of Flood Fight Specialists to rapidly respond to levee breaches and localized flooding.
    • 470,000 sandbags and 488,000 square feet of plastic sheeting distributed to local government partners. That’s enough plastic to cover eight and a half football fields.

    Department of General Services (DGS)

    • DGS is providing 24-hour support procuring goods and services to assist in the response to storms and flooding, including: 95,000 sandbags; heavy machinery; security guard services; accessible and functional needs showers; fuel; firewood, janitorial services; road materials; and additional shelter support services.
    • DGS has procured more than 70 pallets of water, various food items, diapers, and 2,400 cans of baby formula for Monterey County.

    California Department of Social Services (CDSS)

    CDSS is working with local officials to help coordinate food, water, and other supplies such as cots and blankets to ensure that people impacted by the storms have what they need.

    California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)

    • Field staff in Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Stanislaus counties working with dairies to help evaluate animal evacuation needs. CDFA’s CARES program – which coordinates and protects animal safety – stands ready to coordinate resources as needed.
    • 11 fairgrounds overseen by CDFA are open for shelter or staging needs.

    Labor and Workforce Development Agency (LWDA)

    LWDA is coordinating with local partners and nonprofits to identify unmet needs and provide resources to residents in Monterey and Merced counties, including distributing information on disaster assistance for immigrants, facilitating interpreter services for outreach to Indigenous communities, and ongoing efforts to drive resources through community organizations that are mobilizing to provide assistance.

    • In Monterey, LWDA is working with California Rural Legal Assistance, Center for Farmworker Families, Centro Binacional para el Desarrollo Indígena Oaxaqueño, and Raíces y Cariño to identify support needed for those impacted in the town of Pajaro.
    • In Merced, LWDA is working with Centro Binacional para el Desarrollo Indígena Oaxaqueño and the UC Merced Community and Labor Center to identify support needed for those impacted in the town of Planada.
    • Distributing information and resources on storm recovery, unemployment insurance, food distribution and more through the COVID-19 Workplace Outreach Project (CWOP) and Statewide Agriculture and Farmworker Education (SAFE) program.

    Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) and State Water Board

    • DTSC personnel are on the ground in Monterey County to clean up household hazardous waste resulting from recent flooding.
    • DTSC and State Water Board staff are coordinating with local officials in Monterey County and other flood-impacted areas to provide expertise related to wastewater spills and water system impacts.

    Staying Safe During the Storms

    All Californians have an important role in keeping themselves and their communities safe during ongoing severe weather.

      • Visit CalAlerts.org to sign up for local wireless emergency alerts.
      • Pack a go-bag with important items for each member of your household, including pets, in case you’re evacuated.
      • In the instance that it’s safer to shelter in place, add items to a stay box to prepare for at least 3 days without electricity.
      • Please stay off roads and out of mountain areas to allow for first responders to clear roads and get communities back open.
      • If told to evacuate, do so immediately

  • Governor Newsom Signs Order to Build Water Resilience

    Governor Gavin Newsom today signed an executive order to protect the state’s water supplies from the impacts of climate-driven extremes in weather. After years of prolonged drought, recent storms resulted in the wettest three-week period on record in California. The storms have been followed by an unseasonably dry February, however, and the state could see a return to warm and dry conditions during the remaining weeks of the wet season – just as heavy rains in fall 2021 gave way to the driest January-February-March period in over 100 years.

    While recent storms have helped replenish the state’s reservoirs and boosted snowpack, drought conditions continue to have significant impacts on communities with vulnerable water supplies, agriculture, and the environment. The latest science indicates that hotter and drier weather conditions could reduce California’s water supply by up to 10% by the year 2040.

    The frequency of hydrologic extremes that is being experienced in California demonstrates the need to continually adapt to promote resiliency in a changing climate. To protect water supply and the environment given this new reality, and until it is clear what the remainder of the wet season will hold, the executive order includes provisions to protect water reserves, and replace and replenish the greater share of rain and snowfall that will be absorbed by thirstier soils, vegetation and the atmosphere.

    The order helps expand the state’s capacity to capture storm runoff in wet years by facilitating groundwater recharge projects. It also continues conservation measures and allows the State Water Board to reevaluate requirements for reservoir releases and diversion limitations to maximize water supplies north and south of the Delta while protecting the environment. Additionally, the order directs state agencies to review and provide recommendations on the state’s drought response actions by the end of April, including the possibility of terminating specific emergency provisions that are no longer needed, once there is greater clarity about the hydrologic conditions this year.

    The text of the executive order can be found here.

    Leveraging the more than $8.6 billion committed by Governor Newsom and the Legislature in the last two budget cycles to build water resilience, the state is taking aggressive action to prepare for the impacts of climate-driven extremes in weather on the state’s water supplies. In the 2023-24 state budget, Governor Newsom is proposing an additional $202 million for flood protection and $125 million for drought related actions.