Today César Vidal will interview Elizabeth Jonasson and Daniel Keppen.
Elizabeth Jonasson
Public Affairs Representative
Westlands Water District
Since 1952, Westlands’ dedication to the communities and farms dependent on water deliveries and commitment to the preservation of its federal contract has led to the acquisition of additional water necessary to meet these needs. The mission of the Westlands Water District since 1952 has been to provide timely, reliable, and affordable water services to landowners and water users in western Fresno and Kings Counties in California. Water services include the sustainable management and delivery of water supply, as well as the provision of ongoing education, advanced technology, and innovative methods for environmental conservation.
1) Preserve and restore the federal contract water supply. 2) Obtain supplemental water supplies through short and long-term purchases and transfers. 3) Develop a process to examine the various options available for the purposes of supply enhancement and drainage mitigation. 4) Support timely construction of cost-effective facilities to enhance the quality and reliability of water supplies. 5) Conduct the maintenance, operational and administrative functions of Westlands in an efficient and effective manner. 5) Implement and maintain an effective Water Conservation program by providing growers with accurate and current information and technical assistance to aid with water management planning (wwd.ca.gov).
Daniel Keppen
Executive Director
Family Farm Alliance
The Family Farm Alliance is a powerful advocate for family farmers, ranchers, irrigation districts, and allied industries in seventeen Western states. The Alliance is focused on one mission – To ensure the availability of reliable, affordable irrigation water supplies to Western farmers and ranchers. The Family Farm Alliance is recognized as an authority on critical issues dealing with Western water policy. Our targeted focus enables us to be extremely effective.
To support our mission, we seek to: 1) Impact key issues in Congress and federal and state regulatory agencies on irrigated agriculture issues. 2) Build coalitions and create powerful alliances to advocate for irrigated agriculture. 3) Facilitate the delivery of accurate and timely information to Congress, regulatory agencies and our members on issues which impact Western irrigators. 4) Communicate with the media and the public on critical issues impacting Western irrigated agriculture.