(dramatic music) - Production funding for "American Grown" provided by: James G Parker Insurance: protecting agribusiness in the valley for over 40 years, Brandt Professional Agriculture: discovering, manufacturing, and supplying the ag inputs that support the heroes that work hard to feed a hungry world every day, by unWired Broadband: today's internet for rural Central California, keeping Valley ag connected since 2003, by Hodges Electric: trusted by builders to wire thousands of Valley homes, now bringing that trust direct to you, by Wawona Frozen Foods: Fruit as it should be!, family-owned since 1963, by Harris Farms: a legacy of growing, and by Valley Air Conditioning & Repair: family-owned for over 50 years, dedicated to supporting Valley agriculture and families that grow food for the nation.

(dramatic music) (gentle music) This is the beating heart of California, where two great rivers meet, twist, and slow before heading out to sea.

This is the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

It may look quiet from above, a maze of channels, levees, and farmland, but beneath the surface, this is where California's water story begins.

And for millions of people and millions of acres of farmland, it's where that story is decided.

(gentle music continues) California runs on water, and moving that water has always been one of the state's greatest engineering feats.

(snow rustling) From the Sierra Nevada, snowmelt feeds a vast system of reservoirs, (water rushing) canals, and aqueducts, designed to carry water hundreds of miles from north to south.

Two of the largest systems do most of that work: the State Water Project and the Federal Central Valley Project.

Both rely on the delta.

Water flows in, and just to the south, massive pumping stations near Tracy lift it out, sending it down aqueducts to cities and to the farms across the San Joaquin Valley.

It's a system built to feed a state that helps feed a nation.

(wind whooshing) Over the past decade, this place has become the center of one of the most complex water debates in America: How much water can be pumped south, and how much must stay behind?

How do you protect a collapsing ecosystem and still deliver water to the farms that feed the country?

Today, we step into the middle of it all to understand how California's water systems work, where it's changed, and where it may be headed next.

(water bubbling) From the delta to the farms to the rivers that still run through it all, because 10 years into California's water wars, the balance we're searching for may be more complicated than ever.

(gentle music fades out) (water sloshing) (gentle music) - My name is Nancy Ervin, and I'm a partner with Harrison Co.

Primarily what we do is we advise family-owned businesses or founder-led businesses who are looking to either sell their company or raise capital or maybe acquire another company, but somehow grow the business or, in a lotta circumstances, it's sell their company because they don't have a succession plan and they're looking to exit.

I started learning about water when we first moved to California in 1976, 'cause we moved out into the Foothills and lived on a well and that was in the middle of a drought.

And I remember learning very early on, when you're on a well and you have a limited amount of water, you need to conserve.

You need to be really careful.

As the language about climate change got louder and louder, and what we're seeing sort of boots on the ground at the same time, we started seeing this huge disconnect between the two.

And that's when we recognized that a lot of people in California even don't really understand what the Central Valley is about and what agriculture's about.

So for example, here's a good example.

One time we sent out some information to an investor in New York, and you know, said, "We have this ag property, this great ag property available."

And his email reply to us was simply, "There's no more water in California."

That was his email reply.

And I was like, "So what does that mean?"

I was like "Are we all gonna die?

What does that mean?

Where are you getting that from?"

So we started researching and comparing what the media was saying and then comparing it to what is the reality.

And the idea that this is a desert and that we shouldn't be growing food here, we should be growing food where the water is, is also not true.

This is not a desert climate.

It's technically a Mediterranean climate.

And the reason why this area is so productive is a combination of the soil and the climate that we have.

And a Mediterranean climate is basically, it has warm, dry summers.

It has mild winters, but it has to have enough chill hours in order to give dormancy for the food to grow.

And when people say we should be growing food where it rains more, well, there's a lot of food, specialty crops grown in the Southeast, but if you look at the challenges that they have, rain actually, it plays havoc (laughing) on fruits particularly.

As a matter of fact, we're talking to some fruit growers in South Carolina right now and we asked them, like, "Yeah, what percent of your growing is organic?"

'Cause in California, most growers now, about 20% organic, 80% conventional.

That kinda matches what the demand is.

He's like, "We can't grow organic.

It rains too much.

There's too much disease, there's pests.

We don't have enough tools in our toolkit to grow organic.

We can't grow organic here."

So most of the organic farming is in California because of the climate that we have.

So these were some of the things that we learned and we wanted to write a report called "A 100-Mile Circle" to kind of bring attention to this.

'Cause it's really kinda sad how little people, even within the 100-mile circle, really understand what a special place this is, that we cannot just pick up the agriculture production that's done here and move to another place in the United States.

There's no place else like this in the United States.

(light music) - The last two decades have been tough when it comes to California agriculture due to the water issues we've experienced.

A lot of it has to do with the delta, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, issues and the export water that gets down here to farms primarily on the western side of the San Joaquin Valley.

But when you talk drought in California, by far, those folks that are most affected by it and the first impacted are gonna be those farmers on the western side of Fresno County.

The challenges for river systems throughout the San Joaquin Valley may differ dramatically dependent upon whether or not they're connected to the delta, whether or not they have ESA issues that are connected to 'em, whether or not there's just a lot more fighting that goes on for that water that's on those particular systems there.

And so you can't look at all the of the systems throughout the Valley and think that they're all the same.

They all have unique issues that you have to look at individually.

I think most parties across the board will agree that the delta is in collapse, the delta is much worse off today than it was 20, 40, 50 years ago.

And yet, water exports have dramatically dropped in the last two decades during that same time.

So there are other unique challenges, whether it's, you know, invasive species issues, whether it's runoff issues from urban areas.

There are a multitude of issues that are driving some of the decline for species in the delta that make it very difficult to pinpoint a specific one and try to resolve those issues there.

It's extraordinarily complex, extraordinarily difficult, but I think what we've learned the most is, it's not just the water exports alone that are causing these issues.

- [Narrator] For decades now, California's water story has been one of shifting expectations.

Farmers on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley built their operations on a promise: federal water delivered through a system designed to turn dry ground into some of the most productive farmland in the world.

Many of those growers hold junior water rights, meaning when cuts come, they feel it first.

And over the last 40 years, the cuts have come.

Through a series of environmental laws and regulations, more and more water has been redirected, sent not to farms but through the delta, in the name of protecting a fragile ecosystem.

Species like the delta smelt and winter-run Chinook salmon became the indicators, the canaries in the coal mine (water rushing) for a system under stress.

Farmers pushed back, but they also adapted.

Today, many are producing more with less, farming with significantly reduced water supplies compared to a generation ago, efficiency improved, technology advanced, the system bent but it didn't break.

And yet, despite all the water being sent downstream, questions remain.

(water sloshing) Because decades later, the delta hasn't rebounded the way many had hoped.

In fact, by some measures, the ecosystem has continued to decline.

So the debate deepens.

(gentle music) Is it simply a matter of needing more water, or is something else at play in the complex balance between environment and the people who depend on it?

David Sternberg is a commercial salmon fisherman with a thriving business in Mariposa, California, bringing his catch directly to customers through a growing food truck operation.

After years working the California coast, he's seen firsthand how these changes ripple through the industry and how closely the fate of salmon is tied to the balance in the delta.

- I began commercial fishing in California around 1995, after sport fishing in the ocean for about five years.

And I just couldn't get enough of it, sport fishing, and wanted to kinda flip to the other side so I could bring fish to the communities that I live in besides my own household.

(light music) It became clear real quick when I would see all these commercial closures and then started saying, "Well, why are they doing these closures?"

And once I dove in, it's a pretty deep rabbit hole.

But at first, I was pretty oblivious to it, because well, in '95 when I started, it was probably the best year ever in the Monterey Bay.

We were getting 100 salmon by 10:00, 11:00 in the morning.

Yeah, this year there's gonna be like 100 fish limit for the season per boat.

I would always hear things like, in the inland waterways world, we'd hear, "We lost a couple million salmon fry to water being deprived or warm water coming down for whatever the reason."

So that's when I first started to take a little notice.

And back then, it was everybody was kinda pointing their finger at the grape growers.

The almond thing hadn't really taken off yet as far as finger pointing.

(laughing) - So California doesn't have a water problem.

It has a storage problem.

We get plenty of rain.

The problem is location and timing.

So most of the rainfall in California happens north of the delta.

Roughly 75% of the rainfall's north of the delta.

Roughly 75% of the usage is south of the delta.

So that's problem number one.

And problem number two is our rainfall happens mostly from November, (rain splashing) December through March, February-March, a very short amount of time.

And we can get a lot of rain during that time.

And what we've not done is develop the infrastructure to capture that rain and store it.

Now, people might think, "Well, we have these dams.

We have these reservoirs."

And you have to realize that those reservoirs were not built necessarily for water storage.

They were built for flood control.

'Cause California, even though we get a lotta headlines about droughts, we have more floods or as many floods as we do droughts.

And most of those reservoirs were built to capture the rain so that we can reduce flooding, and then right before in the wintertime when we're getting a lot of rain, they'll start releasing it.

But they're not gonna save it 'cause they wanna be able to capture the flooding from the snowmelt that comes later on.

The problem is, we don't know early in the season how much snow we're gonna get.

So a lotta these reservoirs will release a lot of water early in the season anticipating the need to have space available to catch snowmelt.

And then if we don't get the snowmelt, then we end up with a reservoir with very little water in it.

- So one of the most important things that I like to spread when it comes to California water is there's this very significant misconception that we use the predominant share of water in the state.

And that is a fallacy.

So there's this 80% number that often is thrown around.

You know, California agriculture uses 80% of the water in the State of California.

Well, that's probably true if you look at the developed water supply or the water that's going towards human needs.

But when it comes to the overall share, if you're looking at a pie chart, over 80%, I think it's somewhere near 81% on an average year or on a long-term basis goes towards the environment.

And that's a combination of water that is, you know, goes straight to the ocean, maybe it's on the Coastal Range and it's streams that's not impounded, but it also includes the share of water that's impounded, water that ends up behind a dam but is still utilized for environmental purposes.

So over 80% goes towards the environment.

Approximately 15%, depends on the year, but on a long-term average, about 15% goes toward agriculture, and the balance goes towards municipalities, towards the urban side or, you know, humans and city uses there.

And so it's so important when you look at this overall supply, about 15% of the state's water is feeding not only this state, arguably not only a big portion of this nation, but feeding many places throughout the world.

And so we do it best when it comes to the amount of, you know, crop per drop and the usage of water for growing these drops.

(dramatic music) (water bubbling) - [Interviewer] What's your opinion about the predatory nature of striped bass and their impact in the delta on salmon fry and smolts?

- It's a huge impact.

I mean, anybody who catches a striper outta there and they open up the belly, they'll see 20 or 30 little baby salmon come out of there.

And striped bass aren't native to California.

Fish and Game introduced them 100 years ago or so out west here, and they've just absolutely just obliviating everything in sight.

It's a fun fish to catch.

They're not even good to eat in the inland.

They're great on the ocean, but inland, they're not.

It's a big guide service fishery, so I get that, you know, so they are a lotta fun to catch.

But if you balance out a fish fun to catch versus the survival of a species of salmon, you know, I'll take the salmon every time on that.

And again, they're not native.

You got that and then the sea lions is a horrible problem now too.

That's horrible.

- Tell me, what's going on with the sea lions?

- Well, back in mid-70s, they came up with the Marine Mammal Act, which was a good thing.

But okay, they saved 'em.

They're at five times their historical high right now.

They're going up rivers, just destroying the habitats.

They're taking over piers and beaches in Monterey.

I'm sure you've probably seen some of those videos where a couple 5,000 sea lions just taken over beaches.

They closed the harbor, boats can't launch, boats are sinking, and even the biologists are saying, "Yeah, they're way over this high that we'd like to see."

But they don't, they keep still saving every one of them.

(dramatic music continues) - I think what has to change is, it has to become personal.

So, for example, on the water side, several years ago, there was an initiative.

I think it was a proposition on the ballot to blow up Hetch Hetchy, 'cause a lot of people were saying that the valley underneath the water in Hetch Hetchy was similar to Yosemite Valley.

It's this natural beauty and it was wrong that it was damned and it should be blown up.

And it got on the ballot.

And it was defeated (laughing) because the Bay Area, somebody told them, "By the way, all of your water comes from the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir."

And so even though the sort of environmental groups who were advocating to blow it up, when it became their water, maybe not so much.

And so it kinda has to become personal.

And you know, maybe there's a hope that it feels like there is a movement towards getting away from highly processed foods and getting back to more whole foods and natural foods, and understanding the importance of fruits and vegetables and nuts as part of our diet.

And people just need to become more connected with where their food's coming from and realizing that, if the food isn't grown here and it has to be imported, we are at risk of having food insecurity, of having food disruptions, which we've never experienced.

COVID was a the closest we came to experiencing it, but as a country, we've never experienced it.

So somehow, people have to recognize or have that hit home with them that this is where they're getting their nutrients, and if we lose control of that, we live in an entirely different kinda state.

(dramatic music fades out) (gentle music) (birds chirping) - [Narrator] The pressures on California water use don't stop in the delta.

Here at home, along the San Joaquin River, just below Friant Dam, another battle is taking shape, one that hits much closer to the communities we live in.

A global materials company, CEMEX, is seeking a 100-year extension on its permit, a move that could open the door to deep-rock mining, drilling, and blasting into the bedrock along the river's edge.

Supporters see it as economic opportunity, but others see something very different.

(water sloshing) Because this stretch of the San Joaquin River has become a growing refuge, restored habitat, public access, a place where people are reconnecting with a river that, for decades, few had the chance to truly experience.

(birds chirping) - So the San Joaquin River has been mined for sand and gravel for upwards of 100 years by many different companies.

And CEMEX actually is operating downstream of where we are today and upstream.

And what is being proposed right now and is working through the environmental review process is a new conditional use permit that would extend their operations for 100 years.

100 years.

And even, perhaps, more troublesome, it would change the type of mining from surface mining, mechanical mining, where you're taking the aggregate from the surface with equipment, to hard-rock mining, which requires blasting and drilling.

And that has never happened on the San Joaquin River before.

This would be the first time.

And the quarry site is surrounded by Ledger Island, which is a publicly-owned property, public land protected, and is adjacent to Lost Lake Park, which is also public land operated by the County of Fresno.

And it is right alongside the San Joaquin River.

So they're proposing to blast and drill for 100 years, 600 feet deep, next to the San Joaquin River.

We're also concerned about the impacts of blasting and drilling on wildlife.

One of the most important things that's happening on the San Joaquin River right now is the effort (water sloshing) to restore spring-run Chinook salmon.

That settlement agreement was reached 20 years ago.

It was actually announced on my first day of work at the River Parkway Trust, so I remember it fondly.

(water sloshing) And that's an agreement between water users and what you might call environmentalists.

You know, the effort is to restore salmon without adversely affecting downstream users, right?

Last year, it was one of the most successful returns of spring-run salmon.

And as we understand it, the minium returning adult population needs to be about 500 fish.

Last year, it was about, I don't know the exact number, but it was about 450.

So we're getting really close to having a number of salmon returning that would self-sustain a population.

(blast thundering) And we don't know what the impacts of blasting and drilling will be on fish.

And so that's an area of big concern.

And then, of course, you know, we are very interested in finishing the Parkway.

It's time to finish the Parkway, to have a 22-mile trail and bridges and all of the things that are a part of that Parkway master plan and the vision for this incredible regional amenity.

And there's great concern about this project moving forward really preventing that from happening in this reach of the Parkway and along the San Joaquin river.

(gentle music continues) This place is special.

And I feel a great responsibility as, you know, a member of this organization and as a steward of the river for future generations.

I think of my niece and my nephew, and I want this to be here for them and for their children in the future.

And you know, I understand our community needs aggregate resources, you know?

We recognize that, but when do we say enough is enough and this river has given enough, and it's time to let it heal and to really protect it for the future?

(gentle music fades out) (water splashing) - [Narrator] In California, water has never been simple.

It's layered in history, shaped by law, and pulled in different directions by the people and places that depend on it.

The challenges are real, and they're not going away anytime soon.

But over the last decade, something has changed.

The so-called water wars have done more than divide.

They've brought awareness.

For many Californians, water is no longer something you take for granted.

It's something you start to think about, to question, to understand, and maybe that's a good place to begin.

Because this isn't a zero-sum game.

There's no future where one side wins and the other loses, not if we all plan to stay here and thrive.

The path forward has to be built on compromise, on education, and on a deeper appreciation for the systems that feed us.

From the delta, to the San Joaquin River, to the farms that stretch across this valley, everything is connected.

(truck whooshing) (bright expansive music) The future of water in California isn't about choosing sides.

(water bubbling) It's about finding balance.

And if we're willing to understand the complexity, there's reason to believe that future can work for all of us.

- Yeah, I mean, the finger pointing I realize doesn't do me any good.

I try to educate a lotta the people so at least they understand.

That's kinda where I'm at with it now.

And I keep educated as much, but really try and really pass the education along so people understand what's going on out there.

I'm surprised how many fishermen don't have no clue to it.

No clue.

- Really?

Or the wrong clue.

- Yeah, yeah, and you know, the keep the sport guys fighting with the commercial guys, everybody fighting with the farmers.

So the new philosophy is just get along with everybody.

We're all trying to get along.

Because if we're all on the same side, more can get done.

You know, Civil War versus Revolutionary War kind of thing there.

So we've been revolting for a few years and changes are happening.

The government's been exposed, and they're caving in and things are changing.

- Wow.

- I say that today.

Come back in a year, see (laughing) where we're at.

(bright expansive music continues) (dramatic music) - Production funding for "American Grown" provided by: James G Parker Insurance: protecting agribusiness in the Valley for over 40 years, Brandt Professional Agriculture: discovering, manufacturing, and supplying the ag inputs that support the heroes that work hard to feed a hungry world every day, by unWired Broadband: today's internet for rural Central California, keeping Valley ag connected since 2003, by Hodges Electric: trusted by builders to wire thousands of Valley homes, now bringing that trust direct to you, by Wawona Frozen Foods: Fruit as it should be!, family-owned since 1963, by Harris Farms: a legacy of growing, and by Valley Air Conditioning & Repair: family-owned for over 50 years, dedicated to supporting Valley agriculture and families that grow food for the nation.

(dramatic music)