The effects of climate change are starting to be acutely felt in countries around the world. One of the most unsettling and urgent of these effects has been the depletion of freshwater. In Jordan, for example, local water shortages have pushed the price of water up 30% in the last ten years. And the water crisis is not just happening abroad. It’s also beginning to affect regions here in the United States.

California has been one of the most severely affected states. In recent years, farmers in California have been contending with longer droughts, higher temperatures, and more erratic weather patterns. For these reasons, the state of California recently introduced a new water conservation initiative called the Water Resilience Portfolio.

In this article, we’ll highlight the pros and cons of the water resilience portfolio. We’ll also discuss ag loans in California and how they can protect your farm in an increasingly thirsty world. 

What Is the Water Resilience Portfolio?

The final version of the Water Resilience Portfolio was released by California Governor Gavin Newsom on July 28, 2020. The Portfolio has been designed to address California’s “more extreme droughts and floods, rising temperatures, declining fish populations, over-reliance on groundwater and other challenges.”

There are several noteworthy benefits of the new initiative, including:

  • Incorporating a multi-angle and interdisciplinary approach to solving California’s water crisis.
  • Leveraging a statewide approach that will take California’s varied ecological landscape into full account.
  • Aiming to improve freshwater storage and transportation infrastructure.

That said, there are also a couple of potential cons to California’s new water initiative that need to be considered. (Keep in mind that these are both as yet hypothetical. Time will tell if they need to be treated as real concerns.)

  • May not be able to provide adequate future protection against the region’s worsening water crisis.
  • The plan may ultimately be unable to provide equal protection to all of California’s endangered communities and ecosystems.

 

Despite those (small) shortcomings, the Water Resilience Portfolio undoubtedly marks a new milestone in California’s fight against water insecurity.

How California Ag Loans Can Help

If you’re a farmer in California, you’ve probably already begun to worry about the future of water in your state. Luckily, securing an ag loan in California can help! When you secure an ag loan, you’ll gain access to new infrastructure and technologies that can reduce your water usage. A California ag loan provides a simple financial solution that can protect your farm’s future water security.

Apply for a California Ag Loan Today

At MSF Agriculture, we specialize in connecting farmers with optimized and affordable ag loans. Contact our office today to learn more about how ag loans in California can keep your finances and property secure!