Wheat prices have gone up this year, but the California Wheat Commission says it expects acreage to be about the same as the previous year. That's because corn and cotton prices have also been strong and farmers may plant those crops instead.
Some wheat farmers have already sold their 2011 crops under contracts with buyers.
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State officials have launched a new website and guidelines to begin a new statewide groundwater-monitoring program.
The Sacramento Bee reports, the new program was required by legislation passed in 2009. The department of water resources will soon ask for voluntary reporting of groundwater elevation data across the state. That information will be available to the public.
There are no penalties for failing to comply, but if a region fails to report groundwater information, the state will do so using available public wells.
