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rincon
Trad climber
SoCal
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Dec 15, 2010 - 06:22pm PT
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What is an indicator species?
An indicator species is a species or group of species chosen as an indicator of, or proxy for, the state of an ecosystem or of a certain process within that ecosystem.
Examples include crayfish as indicators of freshwater quality; corals as indicators of marine processes such as siltation, seawater rise and sea temperature fluctuation; peregrine falcons as an indicator of pesticide loads; or native plants as indicators for the presence and impact of alien species.
http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/flagship-species.html
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Paul Martzen
Trad climber
Fresno
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Dec 15, 2010 - 06:26pm PT
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The delta issues are complex and have been around for a long time. Check this page for Bureau of Reclamation Delta Project. One of the benefits of building all the dams was to store spring water and release it into the delta in late summer and fall to reduce salt water intrusion. Even then agricultural and other diversions in late summer and fall were greater than the natural flows.
John E stated,I'll check, but I'm pretty sure the pumping issues affect both the CWP and the Delta-Mendota Canal. Otherwise, it would seem like a relatively easy fix to have the CWP use the same types of pumps they use at Tracy for the Delta-Mendota Canal. You may be right. I can't find anything definitive at the moment, but I do see that the flows I was watching in the river below Mendota Dam are only a small portion of the flow in the canal. Makes some sense that the two similar projects should be part of the same lawsuit. Maybe NRDC has some better info.
In general, any change that provides less water for the Friant-Kern and Madera Canals affects irrigation districts nearby, because much of that water gets appropriated by adjacent districts. I don't know all of FID's sources of water, but I know other districts in the area by Sanger and Reedley where I was farming were adversely affected by the lower supply of CVP water. Fresno Irrigation District has rights to 26% of the Kings River which averages around 500,000 acre feet per year, according to their website. In addition they can purchuse up to 135,000 acre feet from Friant. I assume that Consolidated District (Sanger and Reedley west of the Kings) may also purchase water from Friant. Consolidated seems to have much smaller rights as they have a much shorter irrigation season. When you say that that the areas you were farming were adversely affected do you mean this last summer? The San Joaquin Restoration test flows only started a year ago. I am not sure what the exact effect on Friant deliveries has been, but something in the 10% to 20% range. Maybe a bit less since these have been test flows. Don't think it has affected the cost of water though. Fresno Irrigation Prices are $40 per acre foot base rate.
I have two good friends growing tree fruit and grapes in Dinuba and Reedley. One has 80 acres and the other has about 60, I think. Neither gets any water from the Delta. They may get a small percentage from Friant and they will have to give up a small percentage of the small percentage they get from Friant. Neither will sell through traditional channels anymore. They have been ripped off too much. They only sell direct at farmers markets or to high end grocery stores and restaurants in the bay area. So the liberal bay area keeps my buddies in business. I have another friend who's family has 10,000 acres in the Lemoore area (Westlands Water District, I think). He is a great person, so I assume his family is pretty decent also. I don't blame them for taking advantage of an economic opportunity, but if they only get 10% of their water allocation, they can still farm 1,000 acres. Maybe they do dryland farming on the non irrigated portion.
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corniss chopper
Mountain climber
san jose, ca
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Dec 15, 2010 - 07:46pm PT
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The anglers really are organized: Its 'Fish over People' and Fish over
Farms'.
http://savedeltafish.wordpress.com/more-on-cas-water-management-delta-fish/
AB-1253 Killed in Assembly before Angry Anglers
Assemblywoman Jean Fuller, (R) Bakersfield, had introduced AB 1253 to take
gamefish status away from California’s striped bass. AB 1253would have
removed all protections that striped bass currently enjoy and would have
allowed unlimited harvest in all waters, fresh or salt, throughout the
entire state. Even commercial harvest of striped bass would have been legal
if this bill bad become law.
http://www.myoutdoorbuddy.com/fishing_hunting_water_report.php?water=608
"It doesn't get more frustrating than this. You have state government
regulators knowingly benefitting an invasive species at the expense of
endangered salmon and the environment. The livelihoods of San Joaquin
Valley farmers and commercial fisherman are being devastated and farm
workers and fishing crews are losing their jobs, while government
regulations are making the situation worse. And folks wonder why voters
are angry and fed up.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/invasive-striped-bass-identified-as-major-threat-to-salmon-85535482.html
Now for a conspiracy theory: They know that if the striped bass population is reduced significantly then the delta smelt numbers
will rebound within a year. Note: bass eat smelt like we eat popcorn at movies.
Resulting in no more need to cut off water to farmers.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Dec 15, 2010 - 11:55pm PT
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We were farming 140 acres of cherries north of Reedley. We sold most of them to Japan, so we were helping both the balance of payments and the balance of trade. If I remember rightly, we were in Alta irrigation district. Technically, though, some water from the Kings flowed (and still flows in very heavy precipitation years) into the San Joaquin from the Fresno Slough, so Kings River water diversions affect the Delta as well. In fact, in really wet years, it's still possible to go by boat from Lake Isabella to the Bay.
Fortunately, the need to finance college for my girls and others, plus an offer that was way more than the land was worth caused us to sell in 2005. Weather and crown galt have made cherry farming iffy here the last few years.
It's still too bad, though. I used to have as many boxes of cherries to give away and eat as anyone wanted, once the bings started harvesting (we grew brooks and Tulares). Of course, I used to gain several pounds in a few days during that time, too.
John
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Dec 16, 2010 - 12:31am PT
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My opinion might be different if you could name an indicator species or two that indicate their environment is doing OK.
Humans, rats, pigeons.
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Roughster
Sport climber
Vacaville, CA
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Dec 16, 2010 - 01:10am PT
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I have an idea! Let's get rid of the ridiculous RICE FIELDS THAT REQUIRE COMPLETE FLOODING MOST OF THE YEAR! Did I mention they are growing these rice fields in the middle of the desert?!?!?!?
We need rice fields, therefore, all fish in any fresh water source must die so we can have more rice! The California Delta is one of the most amazing places that, as was stated previously, has been so screwed up because of the ridiculous abuse of the Delta water.
How about instead of sacrificing our water resources and completely destroying Mother Nature to continuously facilitate a non-sustainable farming practice, we actually re-evaluate what the hell we are doing trying to grow these crops in the middle of a desert.
Couldn't we at least choose a crop that doesn't require a flooded lake of 3" deep water that evaporates so fast it takes a constant flow of water to keep it covered?
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August West
Trad climber
Where the wind blows strange
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Dec 16, 2010 - 12:20pm PT
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More water goes to rice than probably should. But if it is done with some care, it can help with migrating birds and make up a little for all of the wet lands that have been drained over the decades.
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Paul Martzen
Trad climber
Fresno
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Dec 16, 2010 - 01:35pm PT
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Found a direct link to Judge Wangers Dec 14,2010 Court ruling.
http://www.acwa.com/sites/default/files/news/delta/2010/12/wanger-ruling-12-14-10.pdf
John, I would like to talk more about your marginal cost ideas. I don't understand the terminology, but the concept might be similar to my thinking and what some others even here talk about. If we are to have any hope of making rational decisions about social choices with long term consequences, we have to come up with a more rational way of measuring value and of measuring consequences.
HFCS over in the science of morals thread, I think, is leaning in the same direction, though with different terms. In politics we can pass and enforce laws merely on the assertions of what the consequences will be, without ever agreeing on how to measure those consequences.
As far as Tim goes, I do seem him pretty often, but he mostly harangues me about politics and complains about an old climbing partner who won't climb anymore, and that I won't go exploring in death valley with him. Did the jump trip with him again for the first time in several years and that was very pleasant. I do see his wife a lot as she sits in front of me in choir.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Dec 16, 2010 - 02:34pm PT
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he mostly harangues me about politics and complains about an old climbing partner who won't climb anymore,
Too funny, though I must admit that the last time I saw him in person was at Char's (and your choir's) Fourth of July concert.
What voice part do you sing? Fresno Choral Artists (the chamber choir with whom I sing, and with which Hiram sang on occasion) could use some more tenors.
John
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Dec 16, 2010 - 03:17pm PT
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Spawn Insanity shows who he really is, a political activist masquerading as a journalist.
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Jingy
climber
Somewhere out there
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Dec 16, 2010 - 03:51pm PT
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too damn funny
Those on the right don't know which way is up....
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bergbryce
Mountain climber
Oakland
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Dec 16, 2010 - 05:27pm PT
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My opinion might be different if you could name an indicator species or two that indicate their environment is doing OK.
This hole you are digging isn't getting any shallower.
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August West
Trad climber
Where the wind blows strange
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Dec 16, 2010 - 06:19pm PT
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Yea, the fact that cotton farmers in CA get heavily subsized water to grow cotton, while the Fed is paying farmers in the Miss Delta to not grow cotton...
It is almost as bad as using Colorado river water to grow hay (for cattle), when it could be used instead to grow fruit/veggies in the desert.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Dec 16, 2010 - 06:56pm PT
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while the Fed is paying farmers in the Miss Delta to not grow cotton...
It's been worse than that, August. The government has paid California farmers not to grow cotton. In fact, the joke around here for decades was that you made more money not growing cotton than growing it. The only reason you grew was to get some base to get paid later not to grow.
The New Deal, still at work.
John
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