California Reservoir Management and Ag Groups Push AM Radio Act

**California has seen dramatic increases in reservoir levels and surface-water supplies thanks to an El Niño weather pattern that brought drenching rainstorms.

This on the heels of an extended La Niña that delivered three years of searing drought.

But with agriculture suddenly blessed with ample water supplies, state and federal officials expect to release water from reservoirs to create more water-storage space.

That’s due to fears of potential flooding from a second straight El Niño year.

**Nine groups representing rural and agricultural interests wrote a letter to Congress in support of passing the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act.

The groups include the Independent Cattlemen’s Association of Texas, the Latino Farmers & Ranchers International, the Livestock Marketing Association, the National Farmers Union, the National Grange, and others.

The letter touts the reach of traditional AM radio broadcasts that carry a strong signal over significant distances, even during catastrophic weather events.

**CoBank says the combination of high interest rates and a strong U.S. dollar is beginning to take a disproportionate toll on rural industries like agriculture, forestry, and manufacturing.

Most international transactions are still conducted in dollars, and a strong dollar makes U.S. exports more expensive and imports cheaper.

CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange says that disproportionately hurts the backbone of the rural economy.