New report on Delta drought response pilot program released

The Delta Conservancy’s report on its 2023 Delta Drought Mitigation Pilot Program shows mixed results in testing drought-resilient field management practices in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The program included 61 projects on 18,450 acres in which Delta farmers tried various water-saving methods, such as crop changes, reduced irrigation and creating bird habitat by flooding fields.

Key findings include that water savings were inconsistent, particularly in lower elevation areas, while there was more potential at higher elevations. Factors such as crop type, soil and local flooding also influenced the results. The report suggests that future water conservation efforts need to balance water savings with environmental goals such as supporting wildlife.

“The Delta Drought Response Pilot Program is expanding our understanding of water conservation across the Delta. The Delta Watermaster’s office is very grateful to the Department of Water Resources for funding this study, and we thank all partners for their collaboration with other state agencies, Delta water users, research partners and other contributors,” Delta Watermaster Jay Ziegler said in a press release. “Our office is committed to continuing to improve our collective understanding of water use in the Delta through the work of the Delta Measurement Experimental Consortium and other partnerships.”

The program was funded with $10.8 million from the Department of Water Resources and involved collaboration with several agencies and universities. Remote sensing technology such as OpenET was used to measure water use, and ongoing studies will further refine these methods to better respond to drought in the future.

Listen to the report below.