Water management challenges on the farm and in the city will be the focus of two special free briefings – in Fresno and Escondido - cosponsored by the Water Education Foundation and the California Department of Water Resources. 

In Fresno next Tuesday, this year’s challenges of water project operations for the San Joaquin Valley will be discussed by speakers from DWR and the Bureau of Reclamation.

Consider these points: 

• The drought picture has improved in Northern California, but reservoirs and groundwater in the San Joaquin Valley remain in a recovery mode and precipitation in Southern California is far below average.
• Compared to 5% snowpack in 2015, the March 30 survey established the statewide water content at 87 percent of average – but some regions have fared better than others
• Restrictions on Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta water exports still mean tight supplies – 5 percent – for CVP farmers on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley
• On the San Joaquin River, runoff is higher than in 2015 – with a 40 percent allocation to the Friant Division contractors
• Bulletin 120 forecasts – what’s the regional runoff picture for the rest of the year? 

The day-long event will be held at the Alice Peters Auditorium (PB 191) in the University Business Center at CSU Fresno. It is being held in partnership with the Center for Irrigation Technology. The event is free but you must register here.

Cities throughout the state have made reducing outdoor irrigation – which can account for 50 to 80 percent of a home’s total water use -  a primary goal. The recent drought has seen an increased interest in low water-use landscaping.

How to better link the water agencies, the local nursery and the customer will be among the topics of discussion May 18 at a daylong drought-tolerant landscape workshop in  Escondido. Click here for more information and to register.