Dry weather forces farmers to irrigate land

Matt Bozzo watered his walnut trees Wednesday, something he has never done in 24 Januarys of farming.

"I don't remember having to do this in my generation," said Bozzo, the 34-year-old farm manager at Golden Gate Hop Ranch in Sutter County. Bozzo, a fourth-generation grower, said he usually lets Mother Nature take care of winter watering duties.

Not this year. Forced by drought-like conditions, Yuba-Sutter farmers took to the fields this week to water parched orchards, fields and drinking troughs. No rain, high temperatures and wind have dried out farmland throughout the region and threatened crops including walnuts, cherries and peaches.

"The growers are getting nervous out there," said Mike Quisenberry, Sutter County's agricultural commissioner. "There isn't enough rainfall."

Less than three inches of rain fell on Yuba-Sutter since Oct. 1, according to National Weather Service data, and nearly all of it came in October and November. Since Dec. 1, clouds wrung out .14-inch of rain.

By this time last year, storms had doused the area with more than 11 inches, and more than half of that dropped in December. Two years ago, more than 41⁄2 inches had fallen by mid-January.

No rain means many farmers have to use pumps to suck water up from the ground. The electricity used to pump water from underground costs money.

"It affects their pocketbook," Quisenberry said, who himself irrigated some of the 10 acres of pasture he uses to feed the cattle he keeps as a hobby.

"I just couldn't wait any longer," he said.

Last year's big rains gave Henry Smith a buffer, but the dry conditions are chipping it away.

"We lucked out by having a lot of dry grass left over from the year before," said Smith, 80, who has 800 head of cattle that feed off 600 acres in the Browns Valley area.

However, dry grass doesn't fuel cattle with protein like fresh grass, so some of the herds are "hurting," Smith said. The rancher has already started feeding some cattle protein supplements, a mixture of urea, alfalfa and salt.

That stuff is good in a pinch, but it costs money. Sending cattle out to mow down green pasture, however, costs "almost zero," Smith said.

But he'll have to expand the practice if a big rain doesn't hit soon, and that will chew at his bottom line.

"There's nothing like a good rain right now," Smith said. "Or a month ago."

Bozzo has been watching the weather forecast and said a storm is brewing that could hit the area late next week.

"We're just waiting to see what Mother Nature does," he said.

CONTACT reporter Jonathan Edwards at jedwards@appealdemocrat.com or 749-4780. Find him on Facebook at /ADjedwards or on Twitter at @ADjedwards.