Do California water restructions affect the wine industry?

[Robin Garr]

Does anybody know how the California water restrictions affect the wine industry? The attached Internet meme suggests that other "industrial" users are exempt. How about wine? Has there been much news coverage or commentary within California on this?

CA-water.jpg

It's my understanding that the only businesses affected are hotels and motels (which are supposed to offer the option of not having towels laundered every day) and restaurants (who aren't supposed to offer water without first being asked for it). So it's not just evil large corporations that are off the hook, it's all of business, including agriculture, which consumes 80% of the water in the state.

Of course, the graphic you provided is blatantly slanted, comparing annual totals for fracking, almond growing and water bottling to a single flush of a toilet. At 1.6 gallons per flush, with almost 40 million people flushing a few times per day, that would add up to a lot of water on an annual basis, numbers that would in fact dwarf the other three. The comparison is so egregiously false that it makes me wonder about the accuracy of the other numbers.

Still, it's true that the regulations are aimed at the individual users, not businesses.

[Robin Garr]

Still, it's true that the regulations are aimed at the individual users, not businesses.

I think that's the point of the meme, Mark. Memes aren't peer-reviewed.

The people I've talked to say they have enough water in their ponds this year that they don't anticipate serious problems. Last year, a number of growers were hauling in tank trucks of water, I imagine from the Central Valley.
Just about all the Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley and Alexander Valley growers use drip irrigation. A number of old Zinfandel vineyards are dry-farmed.
And Lake Sonoma, the primary reservoir for the county, is about 80% full. That's low for this time of year, but not desperate. And all the cities have had "voluntary" 20% restrictions going for a year or two, so making them mandatory and bumping the ante a bit probably won't cause much angst around here.
There will, of course, be a couple of loud squawkers. Oh well.

I recall stories in the regional press last year that Healdsburg was running dry. But we did have those too few major storms this year at least.

I know I was UTTERLY drenched yesterday in Napa!

I recall stories in the regional press last year that Healdsburg was running dry. But we did have those too few major storms this year at least.

I know I was UTTERLY drenched yesterday in Napa!

Where the hell were you drenched? Everyone I've talked to today had a 10-15minute shower yesterday, hardly enough to water the lawn. Now the talk is about tonight we are supposed to get some real rain. I hope so.

He was up in the hills Lou, bl.... rains there all the time.LOL

I heard of one farmer (almonds I believe) who is selling 20% of his water rights to Los Angeles this year--he is getting paid more for the water rights than he would make from the crop. That may be a widespread practice but could make some produce more costly for the consumer or cause shortages of the food item.