Agriculture Water Stewardship
“Moving water is the most complex and artful thing we do as farmers.”
–Danny Merkley
Synopsis
California Roundtable on Water and Food Supply Recommendations to shift thinking and spur appropriate action to balance the water needs of both farms and aquatic ecosystems.
Recommendations
1. Create a Stronger Knowledge Base
2. Improve Support Mechanisms for Growers
3. Move Toward Outcome- Based Policy and Regulatory Frameworks that Foster Agricultural Water Stewardship
Agricultural Water Stewardship Definition
The agricultural use of water in a manner that optimizes agricultural water use while addressing the co-benefits of water for food production, the environment, and human health. Agricultural water stewardship is premised on the notion that water management decisions cannot be made in isolation of the ecological, social, and economic context. It emphasizes whole-farm, place-based approaches that recognize the role of agriculture in the local watershed, and of local biogeographical conditions such as soil type, soil ecology, topography, and terrestrial and aquatic ecology in water management decisions.
Sidenote
Nearly a quarter of farmers surveyed by the Agricultural Water Management Council said that lack of technical assistance limited their ability to implement water conservation practices. Omni Enviro Water Systems offers free information on how the H2O Energizer can be beneficial to your Farm, as well as Home and Garden.
