The value of the agricultural crops in Napa County tops $1.25 Billion annually, $250M in grape sales, and $1 Billion in wine sales.
The Napa County Flood Control & Water Conservation District is the Agency responsible for the prudent allocation of water resources within the County.
The District has long held that:
- Municipal & Industrial users should rely on surface water,
- Rural agricultural and rural residential users should rely on groundwater
The groundwater system is a very efficient delivery system for rural users.
A study in the early 1990’s by Kennedy Jenks revealed that during the decade of 2000, the relatively constant rural water supply (the sum of groundwater, river diversion, surface storage, and recycled water) would be outstripped by demand.
Demand is increasing as parcels are either converted to rural residences or to agricultural uses, or as parcels are re-developed with conversion from older, lower intensity agriculture to newer, higher intensity agriculture.
When water demand gets close to available supply, a system typically becomes stressed. That has not been observed. One reason may be that new development is rethinking water needs, and is looking to alternative water supplies. Examples include much improved irrigation delivery systems (drip systems) and capturing winter and spring excess drain-tile-water for later summer irrigation usage.
While much of the surplus water in many of the waterways has already been tapped, the early 1990’s Montgomery study of water supply concluded that the Napa River has about 15 days per year when the flows are tremendous. The study looked at this flow, and contemplated methods to capture it, however, none of the suggested methods were considered cost-effective alternatives.
Perhaps, while the value of land continues to escalate, a proportionate share can be allocated to water supply development for the subject parcel. The apparent trend of escalating prices for both red and white grapes may enable greater expenditures on water supply as water availability decreases.