That’s at or near the limit of many existing wells in this area, Sangha reports. As a result, a number of growers, wanting to lower their wells, are having to wait as long as eight to nine months for well drillers to show up due to the increased demand for their services.

“When the well drillers do show up, growers are extending their wells as much as twice the depth they need to, just as a precaution should the drought continue for some time,” Sangha adds.

Last year, due to drought concerns, he deepened a 100-foot well by another 200 feet at cost of $75 per foot. This year, he’s heard reports of growers paying $100 a foot to drill a well.

Sangha’s other nine wells go down 180 to 200 feet. “I think that’s deep enough for me to get by,” he says. “Still, I lose sleep at night wondering if I’ll have to lower them still farther.”

Because of this season’s early start, Sangha is expecting earlier-than-usual pressure from insects. In mid-May he applied abamectin to control mites and plans to follow up with an additional treatment, if needed, in four to six weeks. This month, he also sprayed Movento to counter the threat from vine mealybugs. That single treatment should carry him through harvest, he notes.

This year’s early start could give Sangha an extra 10 days or so to harvest the crop before the September 20 insurance deadline for laying grapes on trays.  Instead of starting to pick grapes as usual on September 1, his grapes could be ready by around August 20, he says.

By reducing vegetable production in the central area of the Valley, the drought might even free up more labor to pick the grapes this year, Sangha speculates.

“Right now, that’s just wishful thinking,” he says. “But, because of the one dollar per hour increase in the minimum wage this year, we’ll be paying more per tray to get our raisins picked.”

Want the latest agricultural news each day? Click here for the Western Farm Press Daily e-mail newsletter.