1. Water-Up: Operational Progress
The "A" Canal is currently recharging. We are reaching operational levels and expect the A, Upper C, and Upper G canals to be ready for system flushing by Monday morning. We remain on track for April 15th deliveries.
- Maintenance & Weed Control: Our crews are finalizing turnout and structure replacements. In March, we applied pre-emergent weed control to known "problem areas." This is part of a multi-year study to improve water flow by preventing heavy aquatic weed mats. A second system-wide treatment is scheduled for Memorial Day weekend.
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Ordering Water: KID ditchriders will have their phones issued and will begin taking orders on April 14th, per our Water Delivery Policy. We appreciate your patience as our team prepares the gates.
2. Buckle-Up: The "Perfect Storm"
We are facing a collision of record-low nature and rigid federal mandates. The math simply does not favor the farmer under current "Flow over Function" policies.
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Record Lows: Snowpack is currently hovering at or near a 44-year record low (See AWS Plot).
- The Policy Crisis: Biden-era federal mandates require river flows to ramp up to 1,100 cfs over Keno this April. Because natural inflows were insufficient, the Bureau of Reclamation was forced, in 2024, to adopt a policy to drain stored reservoir water to meet these political flow requirements.
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Technical Note: Per the 2024 Biological Assessment (page C-22), the base requirement of 1,000 cfs is multiplied by our "natural wetness index" (1.1), forcing an 1,100 cfs discharge while the reservoir is struggling to fill.
3. Idle-Up & Dust-Up: Critical Mitigation
If the snow won't fly and the feds won't budge, tractors will unfortunately stay in the shed. We anticipate that up to 40,000 acres of premium farmland will need to sit idle (fallowed) this year to ensure remaining crops can reach the market. Dry land = Dust, and in a region defined by high winds and expansive horizons, dust is more than a nuisance—it’s an environmental and economic liability.
Without the moisture of a snowpack or the relief of a water allocation, these 40,000 idle acres risk becoming a modern-day dust bowl. When topsoil loses its structural integrity due to extreme desiccation, it doesn’t just sit there; it migrates. This "Dust-Up" phase creates a cascade of critical issues that require immediate mitigation:
- Soil Erosion: The loss of nutrient-rich topsoil that took millennia to build but only one dry season to blow away.
- Air Quality & Health: PM10 and PM2.5 particulate matter levels can spike, triggering respiratory warnings for local communities and violating regional air quality standards.
- Infrastructure Impact: Reduced visibility on rural highways creates lethal driving conditions, while blowing silt can choke irrigation canals and damage sensitive machinery.
- Regulatory Fines: Fallowed land often falls under strict "fugitive dust" regulations. Growers could face significant penalties if they don't implement active dust-suppression strategies.
Connecting with the Drought Response Agency (DRA) is essential. The DRA will shortly announce programs to assist those forced to fallow land.
Take Action: If you are not signed up for DRA notifications, do so immediately:
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