Sign up for email newsletters

Sign up for email newsletters

Water from a pipe flows into a rice field Thursday, May 26, 2022 in Durham, California. (Michael Weber/Enterprise-Record)

A planted rice field is seen Thursday, May 26, 2022 in Durham, California. (Michael Weber/Enterprise-Record)

A water valve is seen by a water canal as a tree stands in the distance Thursday, May 26, 2022 in Durham, California. (Michael Weber/Enterprise-Record)

Coming into the third year of severe drought, state and federal surface water restrictions are forcing rice farmers in Butte County and other north state counties to plant less acres of rice than normal which could have lasting effect on job opportunities.

With less water allocated to farmers along the Sacramento and Feather rivers, many fields will be left bare, according to Luis Espino, rice farming systems adviser and director at the University of California Butte County Cooperative Extension.

Espino said he expects the acres of rice planted in Butte County should be about 60% to 80% of normal. But in Glenn and Colusa counties, Espino estimates only about 10% of normal will be planted.

“We expect lower acreage in 2022. We already had lower acreage in 2021,” Espino said.

Richvale Irrigation District Manager Sean Earley agrees with Espino’s estimate for Butte County and said farmers in his district will be on the low end of the range.

“The rice farmers this year are going to farm, with a little pumping, I’d say on the Feather River somewhere around 60%, 65% maybe; 70% total,” Earley said.

Water rights for irrigation districts along the Feather River hold a 50% entitlement minimum according to a 1969 water diversion agreement signed along the construction of Lake Oroville, which supplies the Feather River’s water.Related Articles Agriculture | Where’s the beef? At the Butte County Fair of course Agriculture | Avian flu in Butte County: How rare is it for humans to be affected? Agriculture | Ranchers told to stop diverting water in drought-hit area Agriculture | Avian flu causes Butte County to declare public health emergency Agriculture | Pamm Larry to hold food system talk

As long as there is enough water in Lake Oroville, its receiving irrigation districts will be delivered their 50% water allocation entitlement — superseding the 5% allocation set by the State Water Project in March because of drought concerns.

“In essence, we’re cut back to 50% this year that we were cut last year, but if (the water) is not there we go down a different road,” Earley said.

This year, Lake Oroville happens to have enough water to fulfill those water rights. But irrigation districts along the Sacramento River — which is fed by Lake Shasta — aren’t as fortunate.

Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District Manager Thad Bettner said farmers in his district will likely plant only 2,000 acres of a total 100,000 acres of rice normally produced — Just 2% of normal.

“This is historic. This has never happened before,” Bettner said.

Farmers in the Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District rely on surface water deliveries from the Sacramento River which is supplied by Lake Shasta.

This year, Lake Shasta does not have enough water to fulfill a 75% water entitlement agreement to his farmers — Bettner said even though his district is entitled to 75% of their water rights, Lake Shasta’s storage condition is so poor that they had to accept 18% of their water rights.

“They have almost no water and if there is maybe 10,000 acres in each (Glenn and Colusa counties) this year, that would be a lot,” Espino said.

With an estimated 10% of the normal amount of rice grown in Glenn and Colusa counties, Espino said he expects many fields to be bare.

Rice has been a historic cash crop for Northern California counties which together produce about 500,000 acres of rice in a normal year of rain. Espino said Butte County averages about 100,000 acres of rice, Glenn County averages about 90,000 acres and Colusa County averages about 125,000 acres.

Espino estimates California in total will produce 250,000 acres of rice — about half the normal amount.

“Statewide, the cut is drastic. The acreage hasn’t been that low since the late 1940s,” Espino said.

With less rice forecasted to be produced this year, industry leaders are worried that a gap in rice production could damage the industry cycle by cutting working opportunities.

“Rice is such an important crop in this area. It provides a lot of jobs. In Butte County, it’s not too bad, but I’ve talked to growers in other areas and they’re having to let go all their employees because they’re not growing rice so they can’t pay them,” Espino said. “So all those people have to go on unemployment, and yeah — I can’t imagine another year of that. It’s going to be very tough.”

The impact is already visible in Glenn and Colusa counties where Bettner said many farms are not hiring employees to plant the rice fields.

“From a job perspective, a lot of folks who would be working this time of year aren’t. So we’re very concerned about some of the labor community impacts,” Bettner said.

Butte County Farm Bureau Director Colleen Cecil said neighboring counties that process rice may also see cuts in jobs.

“It’s potentially devastating for our communities because of the importance agricultural jobs are in counties like Glenn and Colusa,” Cecil said.

With job opportunities being lost quickly, Espino expressed concern about what may happen next year.

“I kind of ask myself the same question. Like if we get a bad winter — I mean we’re in uncharted territory like they say. We don’t know what’s going to happen. Less production … I know a lot of the industries related to farming depend on rice. Another year of no rice would be pretty difficult,” Espino said.

“We hope that we get better supply next year and we can get back to where we were historically, but will the workforce still be here? Will they have moved on? I think that’s a challenge,” Bettner said.

Sign up for email newsletters