Part 1, Background

Ok. Ok. . . so I suck at blogging. 

 

I have been meaning to follow up my last post, but the past two weeks have been extremely busy.

 

For those of you who want to read my written testimony, you can find it here: http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/Media/File/Hearings/20070301b/Testimony_Michael.pdf  I am working on getting my oral testimony online, but haven’t been able to get a copy of it yet.

 

I have gotten some questions what the issue is about and what my position is with regards to the Restoration of the San Joaquin River.

 

The issue is really complex and I don’t know how to present everything in the “blog” format, but I will give it a shot and it may come in a few segments.

 

My family has been farming along the San Joaquin River here in California since my great-great-great grandfather came over from Germany in the 1850’s. He started as a young man with nothing and ended up being a very successful cattle rancher and farmer. I am a 6th generation Californian and I help my uncle run our farm and continue the family tradition.

 

The San Joaquin Valley was not an easy place for the first settlers to live. We don’t get a lot of consistent rainfall here (maybe 8” total for the year) and the summer months get really hot. People knew that they needed to find a consistent supply of water, and diverting some of the flows of the San Joaquin gave them flexibility. This has been the story for many rivers around the world and has happened since the earliest days of human existence. River valleys are fertile and the water from the river can be used for irrigation.

 

The Gold Rush hit California in the 1850’s and suddenly food production became extremely important. Canal systems were created to move water from the San Joaquin River to develop surrounding crop and pasture land to create a stable supply of food for the growing population. In the 1940’s Friant Dam was built and the San Joaquin River ceased to be a free flowing river. The salmon population diminished in the upper reaches of the San Joaquin, but continued to live in some of the downstream tributaries.

 

With a stable supply of water and protection from flooding, the San Joaquin Valley has become one of the most diverse and productive agricultural regions in the entire world. California agriculture provides a safe and reliable supply of food and fiber for our nation.

 

I am going to stop here and add my next segment soon. I plan to get into my personal views on this topic in the next segment, so stay tuned for the ranting and raving!