Stephanie Ruiz’s Post

Think saltwater contamination is only a problem for coastal states? Think again. Michigan's freshwater may not be safe for long either. Due to the depletion of surface aquifers, we are forced to dig deeper for groundwater. Unfortunately, this deep groundwater is often contaminated with salty water, which poses a serious threat to the drinking water and agriculture in the area. We are honored to have GVSU Research Professor and AGL Board Member Alan Steinman share his knowledge on this pressing issue. Check out the link below to learn more. https://lnkd.in/eFSMSFh2

yet another article demonstrating the need to rethink our approach of land application of sewage sludge. here is Oregon, land application is by far the preferred (i.e. cheapest) method of disposal. yes, disposing of it properly will cost more. but that is not an excuse to continue to ignore the problem. https://lnkd.in/errYZb2s

Have you applied for the On Farm Efficiency (Farm Technology, Energy efficiency, security and grain handling) in Alberta? Some commonly applied for items that might be of interest include: • precision weed sprayer technology (Ie. See & Spray) • air drill blockage monitoring • retro-fitting sectional control on drills or sprayers • livestock ID readers (include dairy tags) • boilers/heaters • Underslab insulation, ceiling and wall insulation (Eligibility depends on R-value)  • grain bin temperature and moisture monitoring cables Funding is up to $150,000 at a 50% cost share and is retroactive to April 1, 2023. https://lnkd.in/gCZKR4ae

Conserving water and natural resources preserves land value. The value of soil and water conservation technologies like #LNC from Desert Control goes way beyond saving water and improving yields.

Got #Water? How critical is water to #landvalues? Massivley important!!! “…[A]nalysis showed San Joaquin Valley vineyards and nut tree orchards had declined in value by 25% to 50% within the previous eight months. Since March, almond orchards without reliable surface water in the valley have lost more than half their value, according to ASFMRA’s figures. In parts of Tulare County, Gatzman said, some pistachio orchards have sold this year for a quarter of what they were worth last year.” If you need water, you need it your way! Contact Genesis Systems® (USA) - Water Your Way Utility-scale renewable water from air. You can’t afford to be without it. #Water #WaterScarcity #Drought #WaterSecurity #WaterPositive #RenewableWaterfromAir #AWG #WaterSupply #WaterUtilities #WaterBank #WaterConservation #SDG6 #GlobalWaterSupply #WaterAction #GroundWater #SurfaceWater #Sustainable #Sustainability #UtilityScale #waterinnovation #waterdisruptors #AWS #DataCenters #Hospitals https://lnkd.in/eEWhPAWQ Shannon Stuckenberg Wes Williams David A. Deptula Nigel Cameron Frank X. "Frazier" Henke, IV Josh Hawes Alex Passini Tony Contento, Ph.D. Shaima Sharif Phil Sumrall John Fairfield Jayne Millard Teesee Murray Gerald Duran

- Imagine there is a big project called Sites Reservoir that people have wanted to do for a long time to help with water in Sacramento Valley. They have been working on it for over 40 years, and now they are making good progress with getting the final approvals and money from the government. - The project, which involves building an off-stream reservoir by pumping water from the Sacramento River to a dry valley, is aimed at addressing water needs for environmental, agricultural, and community purposes while avoiding environmental harm typically associated with traditional dams, such as endangering salmon. - The Sites Reservoir project, a $4.5 billion initiative, has been a longstanding goal of Sacramento Valley water districts and farmers for over 40 years, with recent progress towards its realization, including the certification of the final environmental impact report and significant federal funding support. - The project, which involves building an off-stream reservoir by pumping water from the Sacramento River to a dry valley, is aimed at addressing water needs for environmental, agricultural, and community purposes while avoiding environmental harm typically associated with traditional dams, such as endangering salmon. - Proponents of the project, including. https://lnkd.in/g9R_qgHT

Arizona’s attorney general is suing Fondomonte Arizona, LLC, a Saudi Arabia company that exports alfalfa, for excessive groundwater pumping. Fondomonte Arizona denies they are over pumping and are following state regulations. States with limited regulations concerning groundwater over pumping are gaining political momentum to protect this resource. Though most states have adequate aquifer recharging due to topography and abundance of groundwater, many states are concerned about depleting this resource. Groundwater pumping will continue to grow in the US, but protecting our aquifers is critical to the growth of our agriculture sector.

For agriculture, water is a critical, if not the most important issue. Did you know that the scale of US agricultural water use is massive, over 75 billion gallons per day (2018)? But the key question is whether that number has a basis in fact? This recent article on California stepping up regulation of ground water users, has an interesting description of certain areas' "probation". They have to pay $20/acre-ft (over 200 X LESS than most residential users) for their water and they have to meter their usage. However, the key question is those areas not on probation - what do they measure and pay? There are decades, maybe over a century of water use history, but it's odd that for such a critical substance we are not even measuring the usage. Back to the question, without meters, how much water is really being used by agriculture? Check out this article to learn more about California's crackdown on farms guzzling groundwater. #agriculture #wateruse #California #groundwater #regulation

Jonathan Foley I beg to differ that "beef" is causing the collapse of the Colorado River. By admission, an apparently leading cause is growing alfalfa, which puts excessive demands on the watershed. But a leading alternative to growing feed crops for cattle is to revitalize range lands using #HolisticManagement (HM). With HM, feed and watering needs for cattle can be derived directly from the lands on which they graze, the sunshine and rains that fall on them, and the completion of the natural nutrient/ecosystem cycles that previously existed between natural lands and native grazers before reductionist approaches to agriculture introduced by our forebears disrupted them. Not only would widespread use of HM completely eliminate demands on the watershed, but improvements in soil water retention and restoration of natural micro-climates and the #SmallWaterCycle would also lead to the longer term restoration of the overall Colorado River watershed, greatly alleviating the threats currently faced by downstream communities.

Want to save the Colorado River? Eat less beef. Well, it’s not quite that simple. Too much of the river’s water is diverted to grow low value feed crop in California’s southern desert. And those crops are used to raise cattle and feed cows. Granted. But the end products are mostly consumed by non Californians: the water is exported, embedded in the intermediate and end products sold outside the State. It makes economic sense only because those ag interests get enormous amounts of that water essentially for free. And under our regime of water rights, it is asserted that water consumption is a “first in use, first in right” legal claim, which requires only that you must “use it (water) or lose it (the claim).” So, most of the river’s water is misused, and that misuse is becoming a critical matter. Eat less beef? Sure (for so many reasons!). Prohibit, or tax, the effective export of our water? Absolutely! Jonathan Foley Norm Miller Bureau of Reclamation #water #climatechange