Dealing With Drought

Unless we see some serious rain and snow this winter, many regions of the country will be facing severe water restrictions all of next year. Growers in the southeast are experiencing the longest drought on record. The governor of Georgia declared a state of emergency in October for more than half the state. Although the state has not yet restricted indoor water use or major commercial industrial users, water bans have dried up landscaping and plant sales. Businesses are closing.

In Alabama, the drought is just as severe. For seven years, growers in the Birmingham, Ala., area have been speaking up for the industry to make sure growers and landscapers are treated fairly during water restrictions.

Out West, southern California growers, who are part of a voluntary water conservation program called the Interim Agricultural Water Program, will have to reduce their consumption by 30 percent starting in January. The benefit to being in the program is reduced water rates, but the tradeoff is forced reductions in times of drought. While the vast majority of farmers are in the program, not all ornamental growers are, according to Eric Larson, executive director of San Diego County Farm Bureau.

"Compliance in 2008 will take place because growers have no choice," he says. "Failure to meet the 30 percent reduction will result in water use being physically reduced at the meter by the water districts. Before the fires, all of the growers were aware that the cuts were coming and they were planning accordingly. The big issue for us going forward will be how well voluntary conservation succeeds with the public. There must be 10 percent reductions overall or farmers will get reduced even further."

To come into compliance, growers can:

• Assess current practices to ensure no waste

• Invest in new irrigation technology

• Invest in water recycling

• Change crops

• Reduce production

As for assistance, growers can get help from the local Resource Conservation District on water audits for efficiency, but there is no financial help available for irrigation technology, Larson says.

"As for putting people out of business, that’s a hard call," he adds. "At the extreme, if someone already is completely efficient with their water, which many farmers are because of our high water rates, then their only option will be to reduce production by 30 percent, and that loss may not allow them to sustain their operations."

This is an issue our industry must deal with at the local level, because that’s where regulatory policy decisions are made. As the national advocacy organization for the green industry, American Nursery & Landscape Association has provided resources for local advocacy at www.wateractionguide.org/index.htm. You can also go to www.anla.org and click on the waterwise logo.

In addition to engaging local policymakers, we must arm ourselves with the knowledge to make our case for fair treatment. This includes quantifying our water use and comparing it with water use in other industries, if we can get that information through public records. It also means quantifying our economic impact and demonstrating we are essential and not superfluous. A bureaucrat who doesn’t appreciate flowers or landscaping may appreciate dollars, cents, jobs and tax revenue.

Unfortunately, this isn’t an issue that’s top of mind until it’s too late and the hoses are getting turned off. Let’s do all we can to make sure we are part of the solution and not victims of circumstance.