We’ve all seen the news reports of this winter’s devastating drought in California. Last year was the state’s driest in more than a century, resulting in a water shortage with dire consequences, especially for farmers. Even recent rain and snow storms have made only a minuscule improvement in the severe water deficit.
The main issue is lack of snowpack in the Sierra Nevada, which usually provides one-third of the state’s water supply. Thanks to climate change, the snowpack is down to only 12 percent of its normal level.
This presents major challenges for farmers in California’s Central Valley, which produces eight percent of our nation’s food by value. Farming uses about 80 percent of the state’s water.
Some environmental groups argue that certain crops, like alfalfa, use more water than they are worth and that farmers should stop growing them. Farmers have also been criticized for relying on permanent tree and vine crops – like grapes, pistachios, and avocados – which cannot be fallowed during a drought year like tomatoes or melons.
But those crops are in high demand by consumers. When burrito chain Chipotle recently speculated in its annual report that it may eventually have to stop serving guacamole due to the price volatility of avocados, the outcry caused the CEO to issue a statement assuring the public there was no impending “guacapocalypse.”
State agencies and environmental groups are already at work exploring new methods to fortify California’s water supply for the future, including cleaning and treating wastewater, catching and treating stormwater, and desalinating ocean water.
**********
.
Web Links
Parched California hunts for water in unusual places
California’s drought-prone pattern forcing farmers to adapt
Drought drags on: Storms didn’t quench Calif.’s thirst
Chipotle Says There’s No ‘Guacapocalypse’ Looming
Photo, taken March 18, 2009, courtesy of Wonderlane via Flickr.
.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Support for Earth Wise comes from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY.