Mike Wade: As water becomes more costly, farmers must adapt or dry up

Re “Underground water must be preserved” (Page 7A, Nov. 15): When people talk about the effects of water shortage on the farms and communities of California, they can be tempted to say that rising statewide sales receipts for ag products prove no harm has been done. If only that were true.

Unfortunately, much harm has been done, but overall farm crop sales aren’t a good indicator of the damage caused to local economies, or the devastating impact that water shortages and rising costs have on communities.

California’s family farmers are adaptive and innovative, but farmers across the state have been forced to fallow cropland – meaning rural communities lose critical businesses, services, and infrastructure – due to farm-water costs and shortages. Recently, the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences reported net farm profits were down 11 percent due to higher overall costs on farms, despite rising farm income. The farms that stay in business are increasingly pressured to grow higher-value crops that can support high water costs. This reduces the diversity of crops being grown in every region of the state.

California must invest in smart water management, improving the flexibility and resiliency of diverse beneficial water uses, and expand water storage while embracing results-oriented, adaptive river management to prepare for an uncertain future.

This story was originally published November 16, 2017 at 1:40 PM with the headline "Mike Wade: As water becomes more costly, farmers must adapt or dry up."