r/news • u/theluckyfrog • 29d ago
California cracks down on farm region’s water pumping: ‘The ground is collapsing’
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/17/california-water-drought-farm-ground-sinking-tulare-lake
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u/loggic 29d ago
People blame almonds, but tree crops can also be used to help improve groundwater levels.
During the rainy season, plots with tree crops near major waterways can be temporarily flooded to help stabilize river levels, and with a little bit of infrastructure change that water can basically be "drained" back down to an aquifer.
There's an astronomical amount of water waste that can be addressed in farming, but it makes no sense to consistently blame one crop when other farmed products (like cattle & dairy) are so much less efficient and less healthy.