A good portion of California’s agriculture industry still faces water challenges, especially the southern end of the state.
Regions Continue to Face Water Challenges
Lots of agricultural areas rely heavily on nearby reservoirs to produce a crop, especially during this prolonged drought with little rainfall in many areas. “The main source of irrigation water is the Colorado River,” Imperial Valley Cooperative Extension Irrigation Advisor Khalid Bali says. “We are fortunate we have Lake Mead that in years of drought we have storage so we can use it during less flows.”
Bali says growers continue to struggle with limited water in the Imperial Valley. “We have lots of challenges when it comes to how to cope and deal with limited water and keep agriculture viable in the area,” Bali says. “Lots of water is moving from the agriculture areas to the urban areas. That’s another pressure on farmers to conserve more and make the most of their water.”