California Water Debate Intensifies as Edward Ring Pushes Major Reforms for Farmers and the Delta

The AgNet News Hour focused heavily on California’s growing water crisis and the political battle surrounding agriculture, featuring an extended interview with water policy expert Edward Ring on the future of farming, Delta management, desalination, and the upcoming governor race.

Ring, Director of Water and Energy Policy at the California Policy Center, warned that California is approaching a critical turning point where leadership decisions on water infrastructure and regulation could determine the future of agriculture statewide.

“It couldn’t be any more important,” Ring said while discussing the urgency surrounding California’s next governor and the state’s long-running water failures.

A major focus of the interview centered on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and the ongoing debate over water allocations, fish protections, and infrastructure management. Ring argued that California’s refusal to dredge portions of the Delta has significantly worsened environmental and water delivery problems over the past several decades.

“These habitats are degraded because we can’t dredge anymore,” Ring explained.

According to Ring, shallow channels throughout the Delta are restricting water flow, harming fish migration, increasing saltwater intrusion, and reducing the ability to move water efficiently to farms and communities. He believes targeted dredging could improve conditions for both agriculture and the environment.

“We can make everyone happy,” hosts noted during the discussion, emphasizing that solutions exist if policymakers are willing to act.

The conversation also highlighted frustration within agriculture over years of water uncertainty despite several recent wet winters and strong reservoir levels. Ring argued that California continues wasting opportunities to store excess water during high-rainfall years.

“They should be figuring out how to get every bit of that excess water somewhere,” he said.

Ring outlined several solutions, including expanding groundwater recharge projects, increasing reservoir storage, restoring Delta channels, and modernizing statewide infrastructure. He also pushed strongly for expanded desalination projects along the California coast.

“There’s a lot of potential for desalination and we’re not thinking big enough,” Ring said.

He explained that large-scale desalination could eventually help Southern California become more self-sufficient while easing pressure on the Colorado River system and creating more flexibility for agriculture.

The interview also turned political as Ring discussed the California governor race and concerns about future leadership on water and energy policy. He warned that California’s regulatory system has become increasingly difficult to navigate and argued that aggressive reforms are needed to streamline projects and improve efficiency.

“We need a governor that’s willing to go in there and shake things up,” Ring said.

Beyond water, the episode featured practical crop protection discussions with Valent USA field market development manager Todd Burkdahl, who encouraged growers to stay proactive against spider mites, alternaria, brown rot, and other pest pressures as temperatures continue climbing statewide.

Burkdahl emphasized the importance of early scouting and preventative applications, particularly in almonds and tree fruit crops heading deeper into summer.

As California agriculture faces mounting pressure from regulation, water shortages, rising fuel costs, and political uncertainty, industry leaders continue warning that long-term solutions cannot wait much longer.

Listen to the full interview below or on your favorite podcast app.