May 28, 2010

Welcome to Weekly Update, a publication of Western United Environmental Services (WUES). Our goal is to provide you with the latest information about the Waste Discharge Requirement’s from the California Regional Water Quality Control Board and how our organization can help you with your environmental challenges. All previous publications of the Weekly Update can be found in the News section on our website at www.wuenvironmental.com.

June 1 deadline for funding for dairy water quality projects

 Dairy producers in the Central Valley who have identified deficiencies in their nutrient management infrastructure or need to make other agricultural water enhancements can apply for funds to address those issues under the Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP). The deadline to apply for funds is June 1 at any local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) office. WUD staff is available to assist members in making the application. Western United Dairymen partnered with USDA-NRCS to bring the additional $4.4 million in AWEP funding to dairy producers in the Central Valley and is working with NRCS to make dairy producers aware that the funding is available. AWEP is a voluntary conservation initiative that provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers to implement agricultural water enhancement activities on agricultural land for the purpose of conserving surface- and ground-water and improving water quality. Western United Dairymen sought the funding to assist producers in complying with water quality regulations. Producers have developed Nutrient Management Plans and are now developing Waste Management Plans that may indicate where improvements are needed. AWEP funding can help complete those needed improvements. More information and applications are available at any local Central Valley USDA NRCS office.

June 4 Modesto workshop on measuring lagoon nutrient applications

A workshop on measuring lagoon nutrient applications will be held Friday, June 4 in Modesto. This hands-on workshop, sponsored by UC Cooperative Extension, will demonstrate practical techniques for measuring and calculating application rates of dairy lagoon nitrogen.  The morning session will focus on methods that do not require installing a flow meter.  After the industry sponsored lunch, attendees will learn how to select, install and use flow meters for nutrient management and recordkeeping. There will be hands-on displays and demonstrations of the different types of flow meters and manufacturer's representatives will be on hand to answer your questions. There is no charge for the workshop however new UC publications on choosing and installing flow meters and measuring flow will be available for a small fee to cover printing costs.  RSVPs are not required but are appreciated. The session runs from 10:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. in Harvest Hall, Stanislaus County Ag Center, 3800 Cornucopia Way, Modesto. For more information contact Marsha Campbell Mathews or Marie at (209) 525-6800.  May 21, 2010 UCCE Notice.  

Animal well being workshops get underway in June

The second in a series of free educational workshops designed to help dairy producers prepare for a national animal care and well being program get underway in June. The national Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) program has been endorsed by Dairy CARES. The California Dairy Quality Assurance Program (CDQAP) will conduct the educational workshops to discuss how the FARM program works, how to best prepare for an on-farm evaluation and what to expect during an evaluation.  There are two sets of workshops. The first is Introduction to the Dairy FARM program and will provide an overview. The second workshop is Performance Monitoring of Animal Well-Being and will cover scoring for locomotion, hocks, body condition and hygiene. The workshops are free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are not required. The first workshops get underway in Merced County on June 3 and June 10, followed by Stanislaus County workshops June 8 and June 22, and Kern County workshops June 23 and June 24.  

Merced County

Merced County CE Classroom, 2145 W. Wardrobe Ave., Merced

Workshop #1:Thursday, June 3, 9 a.m. - Noon, Workshop #2: Thursday, June 10, 9 a.m. – Noon 

Stanislaus County

Stanislaus County Ag Center, DE Room, 3800 Cornucopia Way, Modesto

Workshop #1: Tuesday, June 8, 1-4 p.m., Workshop #2: Thursday, June 22, 1-4 p.m. 

Kern County

UC Cooperative Extension Office, 1031 S. Mount Vernon Ave., Bakersfield

Workshop #1: Wednesday, June 23, 1-4 p.m.,  Workshop #2: Thursday, June 24, 9 a.m. - Noon  

Fresno judge lifts delta pumping restrictions

A federal judge in Fresno on Tuesday temporarily lifted Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta pumping restrictions designed to help endangered salmon, siding with urban and agricultural water users who said the move would not harm the fish.  The order by U.S. District Judge Oliver W. Wanger will be in place until June 15. For west-side agriculture -- including farmers and ranchers in the Westlands Water District -- that could mean an extra 200,000 acre-feet of water, said Tom Birmingham, Westlands' general manager. In real-world terms, he added, it will mean an additional 75,000 acres of farmland could be put back into production -- and with it more people put to work.  <more> May 26, 2010 Fresno Bee  

JUNE 2010

To receive more information on WUES, please contact your WUES Environmental Technician or WUES Office:

Phone (209) 238-3818

    Fax (209) 238-3808

Email: info@wuenvironmental.com

www.wuenvironmental.com