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<br />CDIVI <br /> <br />SWSI Phase 2 Technical Roundtable <br />Agricultural Transfer Alternatives to Permanent Dry-up <br /> <br />agricultural fallowing program in average to above average years and pumping <br />groundwater only during below average years. In these below average years, the <br />yield from the rotating fallowing can be used to firm the yield of the agricultural <br />users that are irrigating during those years. <br /> <br />Potential issues and conflicts with rotating agricultural transfers include: <br /> <br />. As for other interruptible supply arrangements, the lands involved must remain in <br />irrigation in perpetuity. The agricultural users would need to bind themselves to <br />continue agricultural irrigation use and to fallow the land for a year as required. <br /> <br />. This may be more expensive approach than a permanent agricultural transfer. <br />Incentives would need to be significant to induce an agricultural user to forego the <br />right to sell the water in the future. Annual payments would be required for the <br />agricultural users that are fallowing each year. In addition, the transaction costs to <br />assemble and administer a suitable program must be evaluated. <br /> <br />. Some agricultural crops, such as orchards, vineyards, and some hay crops are <br />difficult to fallow and may not be appropriate for a rotating fallowing program. <br /> <br />. Agricultural supplies under a rotating program may not be in the needed location <br />or of sufficient quantity. The water from the fallowed lands must be transferred to <br />the M&I water supply intakes or delivered to the water treatment facilities and may <br />require advanced treatment if the yield is to be used for this purpose. This could <br />require significant infrastructure investments in pipelines, pump stations, and <br />advanced treatment facilities. <br /> <br />. A change of use from agricultural to M&I or other uses would likely be required. <br />Determination of the transferable amount can be complicated and other water users <br />must be protected. Legal and engineering costs will be incurred. <br /> <br />. Soil, weed, labor, and equipment management issues must be considered for the <br />fallowed lands. A farm operation involves not only the planting, irrigating, and <br />harvesting of crops, but the hiring of labor and maintenance of equipment. In <br />addition, the management of soil erosion and weed growth will be issues on <br />irrigated fields that are temporarily dried up. <br /> <br />. Storage would be required to firm the yield for all parties. M&I users would need <br />storage to carry irrigation season water over to the non-irrigation months and <br />storage will be needed to firm the agricultural supplies and provide for the <br />replacement of delayed return flows from the fallowed lands. <br /> <br />It should be noted, however, that many of the issues discussed above relating to water <br />court and infrastructure would be similar to those faced with an agricultural transfer <br />involving permanent dry-up of irrigated lands. <br /> <br />DRAFT <br /> <br />14 <br /> <br />S:\MEETINGS\TECHNICAL ROUNDTABLE\TRT MEETING - SPECIFIC\AL TERNATIVE AG TRANSFERS\SWSI TRT ALTERNATIVES TO PERMANENT DRY-UP BRIEFING 9-6-05_CJEDOC <br />