The Almond Board of California (ABC) has worked with other collaborators to develop a new resource for growers interested in groundwater recharge. Released at The Almond Conference 2021, the new Introduction to Groundwater Recharge document provides guidance for how to implement the practice. Working with Sustainable Conservation and other research partners, ABC has put together comprehensive recharge guidance for the almond industry.
“This guide is really intended for growers to take control of their own future water supply reliability by giving them information about groundwater recharge and how it may be a fit for their operation,” said Jesse Roseman, ABC Principal Analyst. “The Almond Board has done research in this area applying excess water during the dormant season in the wintertime and really hasn’t seen any negative impacts to production. So, since that is an option – an opportunity – we really just wanted to provide growers with a guide for how they can go about doing that.”
The guide highlights three methods for groundwater recharge, which include surface application to orchards, below the surface of agricultural fields, and basins or water conveyance structures. Details for each of the approaches are laid out in the guide. There are also several important questions growers need to ask themselves when considering recharge on their operations. Access to surface water for recharge, soil suitability, available methods, and management changes that are necessary for recharge are all important aspects when thinking about groundwater recharge.
The document also features individual growers who have implemented recharge programs on their operations. Many early adopters noted concern for the availability and reliability of water moving forward. Growers featured in the guide note their various successes with the practice. “Really the benefits of recharging the aquifer underneath their farm outweighed any inconveniences or risks that they thought might have been out there by doing these recharge practices,” Roseman explained.
Listen to Roseman’s interview below.
About the Author
