The following is the June 17 edition of the Abridged by PBS KVIE Yolo County email newsletter, by reporter Daniel Hennessy and the team at Yolo Local. Want it sent directly to your inbox? Sign up here.
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Stay in-the-know on all things Yolo! Weekly email with stories and insights from Yolo County reporter Daniel Hennessy.
Hey, it’s Daniel! Let’s dive in.
When friends ask me about work these days, my usual response is: “There’s always something going on in Yolo County.”
That’s true every week, but sometimes I get around to writing this newsletter and am amazed by the diversity of stories that come out of this county.
Over the past week, I’ve reported on local issues that reverberate across the state.
Outside of Dunnigan, rice farmers are worried that a proposed water pipeline could threaten their livelihoods.
West of Winters, Cal Fire has contained a fast-moving blaze that they started while conducting a prescribed burn. What happened and why now?
And on the north end of Davis, Village Farms has been halted in its tracks after voters rejected Measure V by a slim majority.
Water, fire and housing. So goes Yolo County, so goes the state.
We’ve teamed up with Yolo Local, a civic media initiative of Davis Media Access, to bring you this weekly newsletter. Here’s what you need to know today:
STORY OF THE WEEK
Rice farmers worry about pipeline moving north state water throughout California
The 4-mile pipeline will carry water from long-planned Sites Reservoir to other parts of the state.
BY DANIEL HENNESSY | dhennessy@kvie.org
In short: A pipeline carrying water from a long-planned reservoir into the Sacramento River is planned to cut across part of Yolo County, where farmers worry it could flood their farmland. The pipeline would cover about 4 miles and send water from Sites Reservoir, which officials expect to begin building later this year, throughout the state in times of drought.
A bit more: Farmers worry the pipeline would fill the drainage canal bordering their rice fields with too much water, causing it to flood during spring and summer months crucial for the crop.
NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
The Putah Fire started as a prescribed burn. How did it get out of control?
Davis voters reject Measure V, spiking plans to build Village Farms housing
Yolo County water dispute ends with settlement after multiple lawsuits
DISPATCHES FROM THE FARM
Agriculture is a central part of life in Yolo County, so I’ll be checking in each week with a farmer, rancher or other industry player for the latest ag updates. What are the people who help produce our food thinking about?
This week, Debbie Hunter outside of Winters is keeping us in the loop:
- Prunes on Debbie’s ranch will be harvested in late August, so the fruit is just now developing. Some of the crops have been sunburned, which is a common problem that can ruin fruit. Healthy prunes should be green right now, but sunburned ones are red.
- Debbie sells her prunes to Sunsweet, grows olives for olive oil and mandarins for the local food bank.
- Debbie said that walnut trees can also get sunburned, so farmers dust a chalky, white substance on the outside rows of orchards to serve as a kind of sunscreen for the trees. Prune trees are smaller and have less canopy, so that method likely wouldn’t help as much.
- The fruit on olive trees set in May, and the pits will harden in July. Once that happens, the trees will require more water to produce olive oil. Debbie said they will live with less water, but good olive oil requires more water in August and September.
UPCOMING MEETINGS & EVENTS
It can be hard to keep up with local government and community events, so we’ll continuously feature a few below. Have something you think we should highlight? Email me.
- The Yolo County Children’s Alliance is hosting a public forum called “We Prosper Together,” in which attendees will learn about a pilot program designed to open career pathways for young BIPOC women in Yolo County to become community health workers. The forum is at the West Sacramento Community Center from 5-6:30 p.m. June 25. More information can be found here.
- The city of Davis is hosting a free Fourth of July celebration from 4-10 p.m. in Community Park. There will be snacks, music, activities and a fireworks show. More information can be found here.
- Wonder Grove’s Wiggle Worms Neighborhood Nature Play is back from 9:30-11:30 a.m. July 5 at Whitey Boisclair Park in West Sacramento. July’s theme is Campout Adventures, and kids ages 1 to 9 can participate in play activities focused on connecting with nature. More information can be found here.
Want to discover more events across the Sacramento region, in Yolo County and beyond? Check out Abridged by PBS KVIE’s new searchable events calendar with things to do across the four-county area.
BEFORE I GO,
Thanks for coming back (and signing up) for this newsletter. Remember: I’m accountable to you. If you read a story and think there’s an angle I’m missing, I want to hear about it! Please reach out with your feedback and know that I take it seriously.
See you next week!
Daniel Hennessy joins Abridged from the California Local News Fellowship. He’s a reporter covering Yolo County.