Valley Solutions

Earth turning into desert

LA Times. Humanity is rapidly depleting water and much of the world is getting drier. 
Synopsis: Based on 22 years of satellite data, research shows vast stretches of the planet are much drier now than they were 20 years ago. There is less water in glaciers, in snow, below the ground and in reservoirs and rivers. There are “mega-drying regions” in the western US, from Morrocco to France and across the entire Middle East and elsewhere. Why? First, the world is getting hotter thanks to heat being trapped by carbon in the atmosphere. In turn, says Jay Famiglietti, the heat has “unleashed a wave of rapid drying.” Worse, 6 billion people live in areas where water is evaporating. Every year, these regions expand by roughly two Californias. Loss of water will lead to less food, more fires, more famine, more conflict. On a list of the world’s most rapidly diminishing groundwater resources, the Central Valley is the worst and it’s not close. Said a scientist from India: “Water is not being valued, and the long-term reserves are exploited for short-term profits.”

Setting rules to sell our water

Maven. Reclamation announces public scoping meeting for CA’s north-to-south water transfers. 
Synopsis: The Bureau of Reclamation wants to send more of Northern California’s water south starting in 2028. The agency “will analyze a defined range of potential transfers from willing sellers … to buyers located primarily south of the Delta and in the San Francisco Bay Area.”
MAD Take: When the bidding starts, who will have the deepest pockets?

More storage? Forget about it

California Policy Center. Will the Sites Reservoir ever get built? No. 
Synopsis: Edward Ring says Sites Reservoir will “never” be built. Not because it isn’t needed, but because we’ve already dithered away 11 years since the voters told us to build it -- and more delays are certain. Meanwhile, building costs are rising and the project has ballooned from an estimated $3.9 billion to $6.8 billion. Bottom line: “Sites Reservoir may or may not be a cost-effective project. But we are only beginning to see the consequences of water rationing on our economy, our farms, our cities and, ironically, on our ecosystems. This state needs water supply infrastructure to avoid catastrophes on multiple fronts. If Sites is not part of the solution, its opponents need to explain what solutions they will support. Rationing is not the answer.”
MAD Take: Selling water to the highest bidder is, in effect, a costly form of water rationing.

SF Chronicle. Marin abandons proposal to expand its second-biggest reservoir.
Synopsis: Marin Municipal Water District has dropped a plan to expand Nicasio Reservoir by roughly 17%, adding 3,700 acre-feet of storage. The district cited rising costs for the decision.
MAD Take: This is the third storage project in the past year to be abandoned. First was Los Vaqueros in Alameda County, then Pacheco Reservoir on the eastern edge of Santa Clara County. Now this tiny, by comparison, impound. Meanwhile, four dams have been removed on the Klamath and three others on the Eel are expected to be removed by 2030. 

Wildfires still raging

Modesto Bee. Wildfire tears through historic Chinese Camp, stretches into Calaveras.
Synopsis: The fire utterly destroyed some of the oldest buildings in a community that formed in the early 1850s, but others were left untouched. The “complex fires,” identified by a series of numbers, have burned 14,000 acres as of Thursday. John Holland provides a good history of the town, whose population peaked at around 6,500 in the 1870s. Originally inhabited by Chinese miners, only two Chinese people were found in the 1920 census.

GV Wire. Wildfire near Coalinga more than doubles to 12,000 acres, new evacuations ordered.
Synopsis: The Salt 14-2 Fire has burned 12,092 acres and has zero containment. It is burning in steep, remote terrain southeast of Coalinga, making it virtually impossible to fight with bulldozers. Strong winds are pushing it onto ridges. There are 9 engines and 12 hand crews fighting the fire assisted by air tankers.

PG&E says bills will fall

SF Chronicle. Changes are coming to your PG&E bill. 
Synopsis: Reporter Julie Johnson says most PG&E bills will drop by about $5 starting this month as charges for wildfire safety upgrades are finally removed. PG&E says its “average” customer pays $293 a month for electricity. Better yet, customers will get a one-time $58.23 credit from the state’s cap-and-trade program in October. The company says it hopes to further reduce prices in 2026.
MAD Take: While folks on the coast might spend $293 a month on PG&E power, those living in the hotter and colder Valley spend much, much, much more every damned month. PG&E wants people to focus on “monthly bills,” not the cost per kilowatt. The company has the highest price (72 cents) for electricity in the 48 states. No one wants rebates; we want rate cuts.

Sikh truckers are frightened

Fresno Bee. Central Valley Sikh truckers report spike in harassment after fatal Florida crash. 
Synopsis: Trucking has long been an entry-point occupation for immigrants, including those in the Punjabi community. But last month a Stockton driver was charged with causing a crash in Florida that killed three people. That tragedy has become a flashpoint in the national debate around immigration. Sec. of State Marco Rubio – whose parents immigrated from Cuba and gave birth to him before they became citizens – has frozen all visas for commercial truck drivers. Now, Jasdeep Pannu, CEO of trucking company Orbital Express, says “we’re really concerned about the safety of our drivers. There’s fear in the community about the misinformation, about being targeted because you wear a turban.” At truck stops in Oklahoma and Arkansas people have thrown water bottles and eggs at their trucks. The Florida attorney general is using ag inspection stations as checkpoints to remove non-native drivers. Now, many drivers say they won’t go “anywhere near Florida.”

Farm income: 2 views

Successful Farming / Agri-Pulse. USDA trims farm income forecast amid crop market slump.
Synopsis: The USDA is lowering its farm-sector income forecast as beef prices soar but grain prices drop. The net farm income forecast is for $179.8 billion, an increase of 37% (or $48 billion), over 2024 but lower than original projections of $180.4 billion. The forecast is based on farmgate prices and government payments, which are expected to hit $40.5 billion.

Ag Daily. Farm profits forecast to rebound in 2025 with federal aid boost. 
Synopsis: Same story based on the same data but starting from a different point of view. Instead of focusing on a slight correction in total revenue, this story points out that cash income will rise by $36.5 billion, or 25% this year. That figure will be well ahead of the 20-year average but below the all-time high recorded in 2022. The biggest reason for the higher figures is increased aid from the federal government, not additional sales.
MAD Take: Government payments? Seems there might be another word for that.

Ag Net West. CA agriculture at a crossroads. 
Synopsis: Interviewers Nick Papagni and Lorrie Boyer talk about wildfire, insurance, grapes, drones, water and smoke. They bring in author Brian Reisinger, who says farmers are living on the brink despite record income in 2022 and 2023. Reisinger says there is an opportunity for farmers and the environmental community to work together, but politics is getting in the way.

The Silicon Valley of farming

Merced County Times. AgTech Alliance surges with $9.2M state investment. 
Synopsis: The Community Foundation of Merced County, Merced College, UC Merced and The Reservoir launched a project to create more than 3,000 high-quality jobs at ag-tech startups. Foundation executive director Stephanie Dietz said this will be a “turning point for our region,” bringing new companies. MC’s Chris Vitelli, UC’s Juan Sanchez Munoz and the Reservoir’s Danny Bernstein spoke, saying Merced is the Silicon Valley of agriculture. E&J Gallo, Blue Diamond, Western Growers, the Merced Farm Bureau and others participated.

Ex-dean sues Stan State

Modesto Bee. Former Stan State dean files lawsuit alleging racial discrimination, harassment.
Synopsis: Terence Pitre has sued Stanislaus State for $950,000 saying faculty members Alfred Petrosky and Jarrett Kotrozo discriminated against him and the school failed to protect him. He had been the dean of the College of Business Administration, working at the Turlock campus from July 2022 until June 2025. Upon leaving, he wrote an 8-page resignation letter. Stan State says it does not comment on personnel matters. Long, long story.

14-year-old busted in shooting

KSEE / CBS47. SWAT detains 14-year-old suspect in Livingston shooting.
Synopsis: A high school student was taken into custody Tuesday night after two young men were shot in Livingston. Both victims were taken to a trauma center and the suspect fled. Police identified the shooter, then went to his home where he was arrested.

Big warehouse’s tenant

Patterson Irrigator. One-day delivery for western US with proposed Rogers Road warehouse.
Synopsis: The 1.16 million square-feet warehouse approved for 60 acres between the CA Aqueduct and Delta-Mendota Canal in Patterson will be occupied by Lecangs -- a warehouse company that works with Staples, Office Depot, Walmart and Home Depot. The company said it would create around 250 jobs while building 3,335 feet of road and sidewalks. Resident Marco Ahumada was cautiously supportive, wanting to see the Rogers Road bridge widened, too.

Bee: Citizens should draw lines

Modesto Bee. Editorial: Stanislaus County redistricting lawsuit proves need for independent panel. 
Synopsis: The way Stanislaus County drew its 2021 supervisorial and school board districts violated federal Voting Rights Act rules by diluting the strength of Latino votes, says a new lawsuit. The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Common Cause, Jakara Movement and Communities for a New California are suing. The lawsuits note only two Latinos have been elected since 2005, Luis Molina and Channce Condit. “We believe Stanislaus County can benefit from taking this work away from its supervisors.” Better yet, allow citizens committees in all 58 counties draw the lines.

Jumping off a roof for charity

Merced County Times. ‘Over the Edge’ is a community win for Merced.
Synopsis: The United Way’s “Over the Edge” event was a “party with a purpose.” Basically, folks were invited to the top of the Tioga then encouraged to rappel down the walls. Teams from Valley Opportunity, UC Merced, the County Arts Council and Central Valley Youth Legal Services all participated. In all, 37 people went over the edge.