Central Valley Farmer's Bold Water Experiment Setting Example for California

A Central Valley farmer, whose bold experiment of flooding his vineyards and orchards with floodwaters in order to replenish the underground aquifer, has led other farmers in the drought-ravaged region to follow suit. Joe Rosato Jr. reports.
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[@affordablewebsiterescue]

Why isn't everybody doing this??? It seems to just make so much sense.

[@Wirmish]

Because IQ is lower by the day.

[@georgecarlin2656]

Apparently the farmers (rightfully) thought that so much water would drown their crops, but as it turns out some perennials can sit in a lot of water for a long time.

[@ciello___8307]

not all crops can take this, but I think theres definitely a lack of education on this among farmers

[@b_uppy]

He could do better. Sun is a powerful disinfectant and kills soil biota when you have bare ground. Soil science research shows that the bare ground (counterintuitively) hampers water absorption. This makes soil collapse, and the water and wind washes away topsoil. Collapsed soil is compact and water sits on top longer instead of soaking in. If he had a living mulch that was managed by livestock instead of bareground, the ground would soak in the water much faster. Using chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, herbicides is bad. It kills diverse soil biota necessary to keep soil water-permeable. Using diverse plantings instead, and managing weeds, pests and fertility with livestock adds money to the farmers pocket instead of bills because now he can also sell livestock. Some farmers make arrangements with shepherds to have sheep come in and keep orchards and vineyards tidy while needing a lot less irrigation. This saves them time and money while allowing others to make a living as well. Rainwater harvesting can be done a lot of ways and Californians need to do more of it for better drought, flood, wildfire resilience, etc.

[@ElleryOmur]

I'd love to hear an update on this now that the west coast has gotten buckets of rain!

[@mikenyc1501]

There is one just search for his name. In short, they turned it on a few days ago. It's flooded now.

[@mr1shaggy]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jaHYpp2oeNmsaNk

[@markisherwood-tj4uo]

here in Wisconsin, we have been doing this for decades. we had our water crisis in the 80's. Bow, even new businesses and subdivisions ARE required to put aside lade for catchment basins to divert and hold any runoff. This has had a 2 fold effect. 1 being, the catchment ponds stop a LOT of the garbage from streets and parking lots to flow into rivers, the second being , it allows the rain to soak in. After years of study , they also found that they didn't need a larger storm sewer system.. . Our farms are also required to leave a 10-15" strip near any waterway. The biggest focus is on Preserving our waters and keeping them clean.. Yes the rules CAN be a pain to deal with, but when you consider what the end goal is , it pays off

[@VincentWilliams007]

I owned by a farm in the valley and would hold as much water I could. He's right on point.

[@tulefogger9327]

yup, because the State makes it really really really hard on farmers here. In fact, most small farmers have been pushed around sooooo much by the State agencies (and even that UC Davis lady's team) ... so much so that they've been pushed out of the industry all together. why you think so much historical farmland is now getting sold to international investors for residential and/or commercial zoning? nobody wants to sell. they get pushed out, destitute and forced to sell. noteworthy = if more of the federal and state buildings in SoCal (along with as many residential units as possible) would incorporate methods of solar harvesting, then our farmers would have plenty of water & so would our residential bathrooms. thing is, SoCal is waaaayyy too excessively reliant on the hydro-electricity produced predominately in Central or NorCal.

[@b_uppy]

@@tulefogger9327 The big farmers have huge water deals that excludes smaller farmer interests as well as regular citizens. Sadly it's the little farmer squeezed out by centralized government and globalist elitist types that are consolidating their wealth and power. The big, mega corporate conglomerate interests then buy out smaller farmers at a reduced price because the farmer's bank is doing the sale. These big mega corporate conglomerates also happen to own the bank... Many additional problems come with pumping water: electrical costs (water is heavy, costs a lot move it); brownouts/blackouts/electrical grid strain; building/maintaining canals and pipes; equipment breakdowns/replacement plus labor costs; regulatory fees; losses thru evaporation; centralization of water and its control; commodification of water; etc... That said rainwater harvesting is free, localizing, and can be cleverly done so that government prohibitions can be worked around. The way to do it is to 'slow it and spread it.' This happens to stop erosive forces while avoiding hording situations yet still increases the water table downstream. It has the added benefit of regreening as well. If people started building their own rainwater harvesting check dams, bunds, bioswales, swales, etc, and started insisting local city government do bioswales as well, there'd be much less drought/flood/fire/slide issues. It would lower costs due to pumping. These small, frequent rainwater harvesting catchments could be made by most people by onsite materials using logs and branches, rocks, soil and plants (the roots help hold the soil, rocks etc I place) for *their direct benefit instead of government or corporate profit.* There'd be fewer brownouts and blackouts because less electricity would be used. There'd be fewer taxes maintaining concreted infrastructure because there would be less need for new concrete and concrete maintenance. Flooding would be reduced because water would be retained higher in the landscape instead of flowing at breakneck speed to the ocean. Drought would be less problematic because the soil can hold a lot of water and reduces evaporative forces. Because stuff stayed greener longer, with a moister surface, fire danger would be lessened; etc With diverse plantings of deeper taprooted plants being kept hydrated and holding hills together there'd be fewer landslides. It is important to maintain green living plants because plant exudates feed soil biota, and soil biota are what prevents soil compaction (soil compaction reduces water's ability to soak in/ permeate). Brad Lancaster is kind of granola-ish in his approach at his home (ignore that part of it if you find it off-putting, embrace it at your home if it works for you) regarding water harvesting, but he has a lot of info that goes beyond that aspect. He gives a good start on guidelines on building bunds, checkdams, swales, rainwater gardens and bioswales, out of onsite materials, etc to building personal water resiliency. Small and frequently is less prone to failure and will need less maintenance, checking your work is important as well. Hope that made sense, that I've composed that well. I am doing this on a small screen with little showing so I am uncertain if the flow is good or that this is confusing instead... Love your name.

[@jamessang5027]

Excellent! I've been trying to convince the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency to harvest the rainwater, but I get no response from them!!

[@tulefogger9327]

i guess the initial costs can be pricey

[@safffff1000]

It's done on purpose. The Calf. bureaucrats have deliberately drained major reservoirs into the sea and gov. weather control has diverted many storm fronts away from the Calf. coast.

[@tulefogger9327]

@@safffff1000 the bureaucrats ... how to get them out?

[@safffff1000]

@@tulefogger9327 ?????????

[@b_uppy]

There are corporate interests that need a water crisis.

[@Frenetic321]

THANK YOU FOR COVERING SOMETHING INNOVATIVE AND HOPEFUL ❤️

[@99Racker]

This comes under information we knew but didn't have at our fingertips; it is so logical. Thank you.

[@2Oldcoots]

Brilliant and Long Overdue!

[@check25bid]

It's crazy that they thought that was a crazy idea

[@truebluebluetick]

It is but it also isn’t, as a farmer I understand both sides but groundwater replenishment should be top priority

[@b_uppy]

@@truebluebluetick You can protect your watertable better by avoiding bare ground in the orchards and vineyards. Using living 'mulch' and the managing it with livestock reduces water evaporation and increases permeability, fertility etc. Avoiding bare ground prevents solarization of soil biota. A healthy, diverse soil biota reverses compaction and increases plant viability. Mark Shepard uses livestock to good effect to manage fertility, weeds, pests and has a lot more financial resilience. He wrote Restoration Ag and it is so stinking clever. Wish I had known about his methods much sooner, myself. If you harvest rainwater higher in your watershed, you raise your watertable. Many farmers put rainwater catchments in low areas then pump water back uphill. If you place it higher it naturally charges land downstream without the heavy reliance of machinery. Brad Lancaster does a lot of granola-y rainwater harvesting stuff, but he also knows how to keep rainwater on rural land in such a way that it dries out a lot less. He is a great resource as well. He is another one who's work I wish I knew a lot earlier. He recently featured a story about Turkey Creek and (Indian?) Creek watersheds. These are two neighboring watersheds that show a contrast in the difference between erosive forces versus rainwater harvesting. He made an useful observation about the couple's dams on the property that is if they had done shorter dams more frequently the dams would likely require a lot less maintenance. He also tells you to check your work, how to avoid mosquitos, water damage, etc. He has two books out that complement each other and are very instructive. Soil science is revealing the importance of biodiversity, and that monocultures are too expensive and centralizing to maintain. With innovations like electrical fencing and discovering the benefits of using livestock to manage weeds, pests and fertility smaller farmers can stay liquid instead of being forced to sell out.

[@calcrappie8507]

Eventually, this would have naturally occurred because the excessive pumping was lowering portions of the SJ Valley to the point where water had nowhere to go. "Downstream" was becoming almost uphill to reach the Delta. 2,000,000 acre feet is a lot of water. Like a large underground reservoir. Some fields left for ground water recharge makes sense. Farther north, parts of the Sacramento Valley are water covered most of the year for rice production and it probably has some groundwater recharge benefit as well. Major benefit for the Pacific Flyway waterfowl for sure.

[@b_uppy]

If they avoid chemical fertilizers they can also avoid dessicating salt accumulation, too.

[@timburner7706]

Awesome guy had a problem came up with a solution

[@gm2407]

So many of those fields appear very large without any ground cover or breaks for plantlife. When there is no planted crop in season the ground has no biomass preventing evaporation and little to no rootnetworks holding the soil in place. Not a surprise that it floods and runs off. The solution proposed is interesting in that it just moves the water to where the land has plants in the ground to use it and a root network to stop errosion allowing the absorbtion of the water into the ground. In a way it acts like a flooded forest. Glad that the aquifer is filling up from this. However this still doesn't build ground water or good nuitrient rich soil in the fields where the water is pumped from. I know that the wide fields are for cash crops however the constant cycle of spraying everything on the plants and pulling everything out the soil leaving it empty for large parts of the year just degrades that land making it useless. So half a solution is in place here.

[@b_uppy]

Those orchards and vineyards could have additional biomass that is managed by sheep. Many farms raise their own livestock for this reason, or they have sheperds come in, in rotation. You are one of the few that know this big key: AVOID BARE GROUND and have plant diversity. Also avoid chemical inputs.

[@vivalaleta]

Fantastic. A great man with a large heart. Now tell all those old farmers to STOP TILLING.

[@royparker7856]

A case on point is the unusually heavy monsoons in the four corners area and most of AZ last year. We saw news report after report showing raging flood waters flowing down creeks and rivers and flowing out of the area to the sea. If a small fraction of those unseasonably heavy rains were pumped away from those streams and spread across the land and into recharge pits to percolate into the water table we would not be watching reports this year of entire towns without water because their wells ran dry. The key to water security is to make running water slow down and walk and walking water stop and sink into the water table for later use. Emptying the deep aquifers to keep doing the same thing that's always been done is not going to last

[@tulefogger9327]

smart. India, I've read, also employs these methods of rain water collection for sustainable ag

[@royparker7856]

@@tulefogger9327 Yes, they have a contest called the water cup between villages who try to construct the most water harvesting structures. No losers since even those who don't win, have improved their area's water security.

[@tulefogger9327]

@@royparker7856 oh, that actually sounds quite fun. I would even like to join in :)

[@tulefogger9327]

@@royparker7856 thanks for sharing, that I did not know ... but it's really neat

[@suzylarry1]

I just watched what happened on April 01 2023 / they show the flood waters coming and the switch was turned on ! now this man can do the water dance with neighbour farmers !

[@kjrchannel1480]

farmer A puts water back in while farmer B-Z pumps it out.

[@b_uppy]

It's really dumb to pump water when you can store it in your soil and save yourself a lot of expense and bother pumping it. Look up Brad Lancaster for tips.

[@RenaQueenLion]

He is brilliant!

[@dbrown9495]

Good usage of flood waters. And refilling aquifers. We're missing a lot of water from heavy rains and floods that could captured in barrels and bins.

[@b_uppy]

Look up Brad Lancaster for other ways to save on your water bill, and increase and decentralize water availability...

[@jefferybublitz7968]

Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, and other states have levies, and also to build those levies, they Borrowed soil from alongside of those levies. This Borrowed soil, developed Pits, all along these levies. These Pits have filled with water, and has improved fishing, water for tree life, as well as holding extra water, to keeping th water tables healthy. I'm sharing this information, to help Calif., To helping itself. B-Strong, B n Christ.

[@lucaspakele3038]

You should revisit this story! The flood has come and is still coming!

[@snapon666]

Going back to the Egyption model

[@jayjae21jj]

Good for him

[@janosik150]

What I don't like is that in California, in between the crop fields there are not trees that would hold birds to control crop eating insects...

[@allanegleston4931]

didnt the orchards used to flood irrigater a long time ago.

[@jonathanborunda3239]

2-3 inches as the weeks go by

[@kwgm8578]

Ain't that something? He built it and the rains came.

[@markmrkmarc]

Great work! ❤❤❤❤

[@johnraynor5095]

Drill penitrating holes and Injectgravel cores into the holes to allow penatration, or set off small charges

[@jonathanborunda3239]

Take your time

[@Rembrant65]

And here we are after a record setting year for rain. Time for a follow up?

[@offgridmangogrower]

Curious what agency is in the lead for San Diego county and actively moving on this program? Coffer dams will also help on storm channels….

[@b_uppy]

Look up Brad Lancaster for a lot more sage rainwater harvesting advoce.

[@paulbraga4460]

wonderful👌now they should extend the idea - the question is - how much water can your land absorb? that depends if there are plants there. this is the idea for the whole regenerative agriculture thing one of the pillars of which is that there should be plants there all year round and then the diversity which introduces resilience to systems like the plant-soil-microbe system. as you can see they don't practice this - there areas in between the rows of trees/vines are bare. then there would be no floods or droughts as far as the plantations are concerned...blessings to all🙏

[@tulefogger9327]

remember, this area of cali would mostly be desert without irrigation and canals. some parts of this valley are even below sea level, and just sand. and, the parts slightly above sea level wouldn't host much more than just tumble weed.

[@paulbraga4460]

@@tulefogger9327 orchard and vineyards - means will grow anything just about. what i am saying is to maximize water absorption - one great way to do that is with plants growing there. they should start with small parts and see what happens...blessings to all

[@tulefogger9327]

@@paulbraga4460 well, the farmers here do participate (for the most part) in crop rotation.

[@lorettarussell3235]

@@tulefogger9327 they need to stop monoculture. It has been proven that a larger variety of plants increases soils regenerative properties. Some plants provide nutrients that others need, decrease/ eliminate need for chemical additives from fertilizer, insect sprays, fungul sprays, healthy plants don't need these. Provide natural predators from insects, & birds for harmful insects.

[@Frenetic321]

I WISH NEVADA WOULD CAPTURE/SLOW OUR FLASH FLOOD WATERS TO HELP DESERT AQUIFERS.

[@lorenah2083]

Any update from current flood waters?

[@josephbanatlao6461]

Funny seeing this guy again now dealing with an over abundance of water in 2023

[@foodpimpz9086]

Collecting and using water that normally goes to runoff, what a crazy idea...

[@jsEMCsquared]

this is also a good way to capture dirt and minerals from the rain.

[@craigbrown2734]

I wished we could have a water grid, similar to the power grid. When we have excessive flooding in the south, somehow capture some of tge water and send it to the plain states and vice versa.

[@BCSchmerker]

+NBCBayArea *Back in 2018, I'd a wish to capture the floods of the year and pump, pump, pump, pump, pump 'em under the Central Valley to (polar!) reverse the present subsidence,* which has only gotten worse over the past three years and left the whole Valley in peril of seawater intrusion, even generated a few sinkholes.

[@b_uppy]

You can save a lot of electricity, maintenance, other costs if you build retention/detention ponds in rhe highest part you can safely put it on your property. Other methods includes making small frequent rainwater catchments out of onsite materials such as trees, rocks soil and plants. Why store water on the lowest part of your property then go to the expense of pumping it back uphill again? Brad Lancaster is a great resource on rainwater harvesting methods.

[@robhawkins4677]

Awesome guy who took flood water from people further down the valley

[@b_uppy]

It does prevent water erosion when you slow water this way. The best part is the watertable is still raised downstream but with less harm

[@paulalexander8305]

It's much better than letting it all go to a reservoir where they can sell it Same on the government Is that tame enough KZbin

[@b_uppy]

Thank you. Another person who sees centralization of water for what it really is.

[@jonathanborunda3239]

GIVE IT 3 YEARS TO SEE REALITY

[@Whiteboytripping]

40 ft wow

[@tro4404]

Classic example of how journalists who study English have no concept of questioning if there are negative aspects. Putting all that water on agricultural land mobilizes the salt and nitrogen compounds in the unsaturated zone. It reaches the groundwater and can make the groundwater unsafe to drink. The State Water Board's expert panel addressed the nitrate groundwater problem and recommenced limiting nitrogen fertilizer application to the crop uptake rate. After flushing the nitrate from the root zone, this farmer will have to replace that fertilizer. End result - a lot more fertilizer is required to grow the crops. Good thing fertilizer is so cheap. Just another example of how the media doesn't know enough about a topic to report it in a way that allows the public to make informed decisions. Of course there are ways that aquifers can be replenished without mobilizing contaminants in unsaturated zones but the Regional and State Water Boards will not develop the administrative orders to promote that. The agencies are too lazy to do what they are being paid for.

[@b_uppy]

This guy is sort of doing it right but bare earth actually causes more water loss than having plants cover the soil. He could actually increase his diversity if he grew biomass beneath the trees and vines by using livestock to manage the weeds, pests and fertility (avoiding over grazing, pasture plants must must be a minimum of at least 7 inches tall). This could reduce a lot of his costs. The sun solarizes soil biota and that is a problem as it reduces soil permeability. It is a diverse soil biota that keeps the soil loose and receptive to water. Soil biota also helps purify water as well as move nutrients to plants reduce pollutants and sequester carbon. Scientists have found that diverse plants (at least 7) sharing the same field increased overall biomass and thus earnings, while barely increasing the need for more water. Diverting rainwater to retention/detention ponds at the highest point of the property reduces the need for pumping equipment and fuel. Building swales, bioswales, bunds checkdams are ways being used everywhere to ensure a more predictable water supply while reducing flood,, drought, wildfire and other concerns. These rainwater harvesting earthworks can be made from onsite rocks, trees and soil and living plant roots, Livestock fed on diverse pastures instead of grainfed were much healthier, with more desirable fat profiles, higher organic three fatty acids, etc.

[@ianswayne7296]

Super cool.

[@paulsmith1411]

we all need to do this

[@DavidElzeitsinfill]

The wild fires are made much larger and out of controlee because everything is so dry. There isn't enough moisture in the soil, there isn't enough moisture in the vegetation. One thing we need to do is move water from the ocean back inland to places we need it. The natural water cycle can't refill aquifers that were filled thousands of years ago by melting glaciers after the last ice age. Big problems need big solutions. The biggest idea I am trying to express is tunneling aqueducts from the coast, in this case the west coast of the USA inland to feed combination geothermal power and sea water desalination plants. The idea seems to be so big that no one has considered it possible but I believe it is not only possible but it is necessary. For over a century the fossil water contained in aquifers has been pumped out to feed agriculture, industry and municipal water needs. The natural water cycle cant refill fossil water deposits that were filled 10,000 years ago when the glaciers melted after the last ice age. Without refilling these aquifers there is not much of a future for the region of the United states. As a result ground levels in some areas of the San Joaquin Valley have subsided by more than 30 feet. Similar fossil water depletion is happening in other regions all around the world. TBM and tunneling technology has matured and further developments in the industry are poised to speed up the tunneling process and it's these tunnels that are the only way to move large volumes of water from the ocean inland. The water is moved inland to areas where it can be desalinated in geothermal plants producing clean water and power. In many cases the water will recharge surface reservoirs where it will be used first to make more hydro power before being released into rivers and canal systems. It's very important however to not stop tunneling at these first stops but to continue several legs until the water has traveled from the ocean under mountain ranges to interior states. Along the way water will flow down grade through tunnels and rise in geothermal loops to fill mountain top pumped hydro batteries several times before eventually recharging several major aquifers. What I am proposing is essentially reversing the flow of the Colorado River Compact. Bringing water from the coast of California first to mountaintop reservoirs then to the deserts of Nevada and Arizona and on to Utah, New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming. This big idea looks past any individual city or states problems and looks at the whole and by using first principles identifies the actual problem and only solution. Thank you for your time, I would like the opportunity to explain in further detail and answer any questions. A better future is possible,

[@tulefogger9327]

well, that might also slightly reduce the rising sea levels

[@DavidElzeitsinfill]

@@tulefogger9327 Thank you for saying that. While it's true that Ice melting from land into the ocean, warming waters that expand, a slowing Gulf Stream, and sinking land all contribute to sea level rise.1 Although a global phenomenon, the amount and speed of sea level rise varies by location, even between the East and the West Coasts. While the slowing Gulf Stream and sinking land only affect some areas, and at varying rates, ice melt and thermal expansion (warming waters that expand) are considered global causes of sea level rise everywhere. It is still also true that moving water from the ocean inland in significant amounts would mitigate and slow the rate at which sea level rises. Giving all life not just people more time to adapt. If people did what I am talking about not just in the US but in Africa in the Sahara, on the Saudi Arabian peninsula and Australia then we might actually slightly reduce sea level rise.

[@b_uppy]

What needs to happen is to retain the rainwater longer instead of letting rush to the sea. Look up Brad Lancaster .

[@anthonypedroza6419]

Numberrs🍊 good job don

[@utube4greenfuture]

Maybe California shouldn't sell land to people that will use the land, and endless water rights, to grow feed for horses in Saudi Arabia. That was a major screw up.

[@tulefogger9327]

i conquer

[@LoanwordEggcorn]

Perfect timing. They turned on the pumps after the recent huge rains and are recharging the groundwater for many farms.

[@JCC408]

Wow... Hope they captured as much water as they could in the past 6 weeks!

[@jonathanborunda3239]

Go see what's going on

[@beingsneaky]

Thsts what hsppens when giv gets involved ppl forget old pratices. What he is doing is called flood irrigation.

[@montyi8]

Difficult to beat Nature and environment

[@jonathanborunda3239]

Takes weeks to see what's real

[@dwele7852]

now just mulch your annuals onto you perennials and you wont have as much water consumption from your plants or evaporation and you'll have more yield

[@ClubMayview]

Amazing that private citizens do better than the government

[@schnellfahren911]

Not terribly far fetched. Governments have too many egos getting in the way, whereas if there's only one cheif with an idea, it gets attempted without millions spent on studies and arguments whether or not it'd work. Government is in that regard terribly inefficient, getting in the way of innovation.

[@nickmartin123456]

Don Cameron is president of the California State Board of Food & Agriculture. In 2014, Jerry Brown signed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which mandated the formation of Groundwater Sustainability Agencies in key basins. This project was built by the McMullin Area Groundwater Sustainability Agency using $5million from the CA Department of Water Resources to construct this massive pump system and the recharge reservoirs. This IS the government.

[@b_uppy]

​@@nickmartin123456 Thank you for pointing out government's continued incompetence and oligarchic tendencies.

[@larsfridtjofnrheim1638]

South West and CA got 2 choice, fix or keep the water problem! CA got 85,9 m acre foot, Coloumbia river dumps 191,3 m foot into The Pasific every year. Move some water (10%). Make a 365m long tunnel from Red Bluff (Delaware Aqueduct tunnel is 86 miles). NV, AZ, Mexico can then keep more Colorado water (5 million acree feet a year).

[@sfstucco]

Fix it through other means. Washington is going to have its future H2O problems, and you don't think another 10% removal is NOT going to adversely affect anadromous fish and Columbia River Estuary species? Californians need to reckon with the limitations that we've surpassed. We do not need the humongous amount of almond and pistachio trees that have taken over the state. We don't need lawns. Etc. We act like wasting water is a right, and we don't need to think about our contribution to the problem.

[@larsfridtjofnrheim1638]

@@sfstucco Problems where? 191 miilon acree feet a year, is dumpt into The Pacific. That is the problem.

[@larsfridtjofnrheim1638]

@@sfstucco Do you think a fish cares about, if a river carries 2 million gallons a sec, or 1,8?

[@larsfridtjofnrheim1638]

@@sfstucco You have a rigth to be stupid (and become President). And you a a right making 125 000 $ less than my household. Or you can sell water, for a high price.

[@b_uppy]

That's the most impractical, expensive, high maintenance, centralizing solution there is. Look up Brad Lancaster for ways to do it affordably, durably, and smartly. Why pay to pump water from elsewhere when you can soak it into your own soil and help yourself.

[@OhArchie]

Whenever Californians talk about seceding from the US, they always quote the state's agricultural prowess as evidence California can make it on her own. But this technique was used by the Romans thousands of years ago, and the Mesopotamians a thousand years before that. How is this just now becoming a thing in California?

[@tulefogger9327]

it's not new, but this news station needs something positive to report on so it's positive influence....but not new & his is not the first ag unit to utilize here in this state.

[@b_uppy]

It's because corporate ag has an agenda. Water shortages, flooding, fire landslides etc are profitable for them, as well as getting you to pay for them to sequester carbon when goid farming practices could do the same thing for free and improve soil and nutrition through permaculture methods.

[@valmikabeneteau7229]

Congratulations!! It works April 4 2023

[@dsun2625]

This solution was obvious years ago. It's too bad it's taken so long to implement.

[@slevinshafel9395]

hahaha LOL i axepect some artifical lake. But they make artificial lake right in the cousine. Not bad but is risky if flood to much.

[@jonathanborunda3239]

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

[@JohnLee.]

This heavy rain is going to create locust in the summer

[@b_uppy]

Only if they are reintroduced,

[@BladeMasterz916]

The solutions is more lakes!!!! More fishing!

[@sherrymanes7253]

If you people learn how to conserve you wouldn't have a water shortage as in stop watering the grass and shut it off when you're brushing your teeth and quit flushing the toilet every time you pee stop running a dishwasher don't wash laundry everyday stop washing your cars stop pressure washing your houses.

[@lorettarussell3235]

This is only a small part of the resolution. The most overall & proven methods is to start absorbing the water & spreading it out at the highest levels in the watersheds & continue all the way down the water channels to keep the water spread out over a larger area to allow the water to be absorbed to increase ground water instead of allowing it to increase in volume & pressure to do damage from flooding downstream.

[@gvrwang9287]

Scientist keep talkin about teory and not even try to practices or helping in field or farm, meanwhile farmers do whatever it could

[@b_uppy]

Government is slow to spread the word on soil science innovations that support better practices because it is In conflict with corporate profiteering, and centralization of power. 😊

[@ng-marc]

🎯💯❤️🥂🌈

[@social3ngin33rin]

Yeah...too bad California's water policies were made during California's wettest century ~100yrs ago. California has historically been quite dry.

[@b_uppy]

They reforned it recently to benefit big corporations by creating problems that sells products,

[@kennethroberts2748]

This farmer is superseding County Government's mandate to govern water use

[@fastmazdar100]

0:33 He said the majority of the time it looks like a desert. Of course it's a desert, California is a desert.

[@Wailwulf]

The Southern section of the Central Valley used to have a very large lake. Tulare Lake. Farmers drained it and turned it into farmland. It is that part of California, when I am driving on Hwy 99 or Hwy 5 that I see the billboards that state _"Food grows where water flows"_

[@tulefogger9327]

@@Wailwulf ah yes, the land snatched from the Yokut. They predicted these outcomes the minute it started happening. sigh. it's like watching a kid go through their teenage years; hard to watch

[@hans5130]

It likely helped with any salt buildup from the past also

[@redxxxxxxx]

He started pumping 300 acre ft per day on Mar. 11,2023

[@Linkwii64]

Dam farmer think of the fishes. I kid...😆 That idea of flooded the farm land always been done on rice field.

[@fastmazdar100]

3:00 nature is going to flip the middle finger.

[@lovethyneighbor1955]

Why haven't the Democrats put a reservoir there?

[@rockingwithrockdog9236]

That requires a plan democrats only criticize others and offer no solution .

[@eduardo.ochoa8735]

Vote Democrat 😂 💯

[@jonathanborunda3239]

Stop wishing for rain

[@amichaels8346]

Well done Sir! Thank You for all your hard work & ALL farners EVERYWHERE. ❤️🫒🥑🍇🥦🍊🍋🇱🇷🌏