Family Farm Alliance

Family Farm Alliance
Name	Family Farm Alliance
Formation	1997
Type	Nonprofit advocacy organization
Headquarters	Denver, Colorado
Region served	Western United States
Focus	Irrigated agriculture, water policy, infrastructure

Family Farm Alliance The Family Farm Alliance is a nonprofit advocacy organization representing irrigated agricultural water users in the Western United States. It engages with water resource management, irrigation infrastructure, and federal and state policy processes to influence outcomes affecting farmers, ranchers, and water districts. The Alliance works alongside a broad network of agricultural, conservation, and water management entities to shape legislation, regulatory rulemaking, and funding for water projects.

History

The Alliance traces roots to collaborative efforts among irrigators, water districts, and reclamation stakeholders in the 1990s following debates over the Central Valley Project operations and reinterpretations of the Reclamation Act of 1902. Early participants included representatives from the Pacific Northwest irrigation community, Central Valley Project contractors, and regional irrigation districts such as the Northwest Irrigation District and Bureau of Reclamation project beneficiaries. Formal organization in 1997 followed policy engagements with the United States Bureau of Reclamation, the United States Congress, and state water agencies in California, Colorado, and Arizona. The Alliance’s early agenda intersected with proceedings involving the Endangered Species Act, controversial water transfer proposals, and infrastructure rehabilitation programs supported by the Water Resources Development Act.

Mission and Activities

The Alliance’s mission emphasizes reliable water supplies for irrigated agriculture, advocacy for modernization of irrigation infrastructure, and engagement in water policy forums. It participates in rulemaking at the Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service on matters such as species protection plans and flow standards affecting Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta operations. The organization collaborates with entities like the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, the Western Governors' Association, and regional water districts including the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the Mokelumne River Water and Power Authority on drought response and resilience planning. It provides technical input to committees of the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Policy Positions and Advocacy

The Alliance advocates policy positions on federal reclamation program reform, funding for dam safety and reservoir maintenance, and the operational flexibility of multipurpose projects such as the Central Valley Project and Colorado River Storage Project. It has filed comments on environmental impact statements prepared by the Bureau of Reclamation and contested proposed rule changes by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service related to Endangered Species Act consultations. The Alliance supports legislative measures in the United States Congress that allocate funding through appropriations bills and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act mechanisms for water storage, conveyance, and rural water supply. It engages with regional coalitions such as the Western Water Policy Review Advisory Commission and works in parallel with organizations like the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association on federal policy.

Organization and Membership

The Alliance is structured as a member-driven nonprofit with voting members drawn from irrigation districts, water users associations, grower cooperatives, and individual agricultural producers. Member organizations have included notable water districts like the Imperial Irrigation District, the Southern Nevada Water Authority, and the Oakdale Irrigation District, alongside producer groups from the Sacramento Valley and the Yakima Valley. The Alliance maintains advisory committees composed of experts from institutions such as the University of California, Davis, the Colorado State University Water Center, and the U.S. Geological Survey to provide hydrology and engineering analyses. Leadership typically engages with federal agencies, members of the United States Congress, and state governors’ offices during drought declarations and emergency funding cycles.

Programs and Initiatives

Key initiatives include technical workshops on dam safety in cooperation with the Association of State Dam Safety Officials and outreach on water storage financing leveraging programs administered by the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Alliance administers conferences that convene speakers from the Army Corps of Engineers, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and regional planning bodies such as the California Department of Water Resources. It has promoted pilot projects for sediment management and canal modernization in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and state water resource departments in Idaho and Wyoming. Educational programs engage with land grant institutions like Oregon State University and Montana State University to disseminate best practices on irrigation efficiency and reservoir operations.

Impact and Criticism

The Alliance has influenced congressional appropriations for western water projects and shaped regulatory outcomes in favor of increased operational flexibility for irrigation projects, affecting programs administered by the Bureau of Reclamation and the Army Corps of Engineers. Supporters cite successful mobilization during drought emergencies that secured funding via bills passed by the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. Critics, including environmental NGOs such as the Sierra Club and the Defenders of Wildlife, argue the Alliance prioritizes agricultural delivery over some environmental restoration goals and contest its positions in proceedings before the Interior Department and federal courts. Debates have occurred in venues like the California State Water Resources Control Board and federal advisory panels over trade-offs among agricultural water supply, habitat protection, and municipal demands.

Category:Water management in the United States Category:Agricultural organizations based in the United States Category:Non-profit organizations based in Colorado