Valley Headlines

Why did river go dry?

SF Chronicle. A major CA river dried up below Yosemite; the reason was a mystery – until now.
Synopsis: Environmental reporter Kurtis Alexander writes about the Merced River, which he says dried up for four months back in 2022 near Stevinson. The Water Board says perhaps a few of the 120 legal diverters “drew out more water than was healthy for the Merced,” but most stuck to their legal limits. The real problem, say state and federal agencies, is that we don’t have adequate monitoring to alert them to crises. Deep in the story, we learn “no major runs of migratory fish were peaking at the time” the river was dry. Basically, the rest of the story is a lament that the state lacks the equipment to adequately monitor river levels. Also, Alexander writes “The state’s accounting of water supplies has improved in recent years, but it remains flawed.”
MAD Take: A few problems with this reporting. First, Kurtis fails to mention that 2022 was one of the driest years this century, finishing off the worst 3-year drought in California history. Reservoirs and rivers throughout the state were drying up in September. Drought, not bad monitoring, was the precipitating factor in the Merced River running dry and for catastrophic low flows on every river from the Colorado to the Trinity. By blaming inadequate monitoring, Alexander implies that more could have -- and should have -- been done to keep water in the Merced. Second, salmon are smarter than reporters. They won’t swim up rivers with insufficient water for spawning. Third, following the first- and last-quote rule for determining a reporter’s bias, Kurtis made it easy. He started and ended by quoting the same NOAA scientist. Finally, Stevinson is about 100 miles from Yosemite, so what’s the national park got to do with anything? Like everything else in this story, I guess it’s close enough for the reporter’s purposes.

Salmon swarm the Moke

Daily Kos. Update: A record 34,740 salmon return to Mokelumne; upper Sacramento run is dismal.
Synopsis: An incredible 34,740 salmon have come up the Mokelumne River to spawn this year, shattering the record of 28,865 set last year. It means hatchery staff have been able to recover 15.3 million eggs, with 5 million sent to the Coleman National Fish Hatchery on Battle Creek. Hatchery officials said a second “closed season” for commercial salmon fishers helped increase the Mokelumne’s numbers. Reporter Dan “Fish Sniffer” Bacher quoted Scott Artis of the Golden State Salmon Association saying that these lucky salmon somehow escaped “Newsom’s bad water polices.” Oh, there were 46,000 spawners on the Feather, allowing the hatchery to reach its goal of 2 million eggs.
MAD Note: So, professional and recreational salmon killers like Artis and Bacher want to believe the record runs are some kind of fluke and have nothing to do with sensible flow policies and fishery closures? It’s repetitive, but I must repeat: If you want to save salmon, stop killing them.

Saving the Monarchs

River Partners. 15 Million milkweed for Monarchs.
Synopsis: River Partners is producing millions of milkweed seeds at its Heritage Growers farm and hopes to distribute 15 million by 2030. It’s part of RP’s plan to increase Monarch butterfly habitat statewide. Last year, there were a record-low 7,000 Monarchs counted by the Xerces Society, which tracks the colorful pollinators. RP CEO Julie Rentner is all in, saying: “We are well positioned to do this work.” Some of the most important areas for seeding are in the Central Valley. RP’s plantings will happen at Dos Rios State Park in Stanislaus, the North Grasslands Wildlife Area in Merced among other Valley areas.

Disasters cost CA $1.2B

Ag Net West. Natural disaster costs to CA agriculture.
Synopsis: The USDA says disasters – floods, drought, tornadoes, etc. – cost American farmers roughly $3.4 billion each year, or about $1,800 per farm. Last year, CA suffered 37% of the nation’s total losses. That means CA disasters cost farmers here $1.25 billion. Santa Barbara County was the hardest hit; farmers there suffered $240 million in losses – or $175,000 per farm. Of the nation’s hardest-hit counties, 14 of the top 15 were in CA.

New spire points the way

Modesto Bee. Modesto-area Latter-day Saints witness a crowning moment in construction of temple.
Synopsis: The new temple rising on Dale Road became a bit more visible as its steeple tower was put in place Thursday. A lot of those who hope to attend services at the new church were on hand to watch. Stake president says such buildings are a symbol of God’s presence. “We feel like the Spirit of God blesses all of God’s children.”

CA’s cheapest city?

KSEE / CBS47. This Central Valley city is the cheapest place to live in CA.
Synopsis: Hello, Hanford! According to the Dept of Commerce, it costs 2% less to live in Hanford than anywhere else in California. That’s because housing is 31% cheaper in Hanford than the statewide average. The median home price in CA is $792,000; in Hanford, it’s $365,000. What do you give up to get this bargain? A shorter commute. From Hanford it’s 3 hours to SF, 3 hours to LA, 2 hours to the beach and 90 minutes to the mountains. BTW, Merced is 1% cheaper than the national average while Visalia and Madera are 1% higher.

Milk production down, sales up

Successful Farming. US milk production drops 0.7% year-over-year in November.
Synopsis: The USDA’s checked milk production in 24 “major states,” putting it at 17.2 billion pounds last month. November became the first month since July to see production fall year-over-year. It was also the lowest total for any month this year. Biggest decreases came in CA, where dairies produced 2,957 million pounds compared to 3,258 million pounds in November 2023. In all, 10 states lost production but 11 gained and the rest were holding steady. Interestingly, there are currently more milk cows in the US than at any other time this year with about 8,928,000.  

Ag Daily. Mexico is America’s most reliable dairy export customer.
Synopsis: Dairy exports to Mexico are at record levels, making up 4.5% of all dairy exports last year. To Mexico alone, the exports are worth $2 billion. Dairy consumption in Mexico has increased by 50 pounds per person since 2011. Expanded exports have triggered investments of $8 billion by the dairy industry to increase capacity. An ag economist says, “free trade agreements have been instrumental to export growth for dairy and other agricultural products.”
MAD Take: Huh. Wonder what happens when the new Trump tariffs take effect.

Mendota mayor switches teams

Fresno Bee. CA Democrats lose another Latino leader to the GOP; is Golden State turning red?
Synopsis: Editorial page editor Juan Esparza Loera writes about Mendota Mayor Victor Martinez, who announced this week that he has registered as a Republican because he believes Democrats have made life harder. He’s especially angry over gas prices, which he blames on CARB rules, high prices, and gender-neutral restrooms. He joins Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil and Madera Mayor CeCe Gallegos as label-switchers. BTW, Martinez’s family brought him here as a 5-year-old immigrant from El Salvador.

Homeless busted more often

Modesto Bee. Homelessness charges spiked in Modesto before court ruling.
Synopsis: Charges related to being homeless rose by 57% from 2022-23 through 2023-24 in Modesto. They ranged from being in a city park after hours to obstructing a sidewalk to being in possession of a shopping cart. Chief Brandon Gillespie says this does not reflect a shift in philosophy, but an increase in engagement. When members of the PD’s CHAT team encounter repeat offenders, they get written up. Homeless advocates say writing citations is pointless and again note that there are 774 emergency beds in Modesto and 1,622 unhoused individuals.

Santa’s helpers wear a badge

Patterson Irrigator. Patterson police deliver gifts across the community.
Synopsis: Editor Jessica Wilkinson writes about the SWAT vehicle that pulled into an alley and was greeted by laughing, smiling children. The Stanislaus County deputies came bearing gifts and smiles of their own. A lot of the toys came from CenCal Trucking. Deputies handed out two truckloads of gifts at Garza Park’s migrant camp. Chief Casey Hill called it “a uniting event.” Said one mother, “We weren’t going to have Christmas this year. It's getting better now.” 

Valley Solution’s time off

Valley Solutions. Dunbar taking a week off.
Synopsis: Valley Solutions Editor Mike Dunbar will be taking some time off, first to enjoy Christmas and then to enjoy the arrival of a new Congressman in Washington. During that time look for some commentary and cartoons, but the daily look at the Valley’s headlines will be on hiatus.