Smart irrigation and California's drought
In August 2014 two California organisations, the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) and the California Climate and Agriculture Network, published a study titled Beyond the Irrigation District: Investing in On-Farm Water Stewardship for California's Future. It argued that the drought made support for water efficiency on farms urgent.
Some context from the study:
- California grows about half of the fruit, vegetables and nuts produced in the United States;
- farming uses more than three quarters of the state's developed surface and ground water;
- the state's Department of Water Resources estimated, conservatively, that better farm practices could save about one million acre-feet a year.
An analysis by the Pacific Institute and the NRDC put the potential higher. Drip irrigation and precise scheduling could cut agricultural water use by 17–22%, or 5.6 to 6.6 million acre-feet a year.
The main obstacle was cost. The most efficient technologies are often too expensive for small farms. The authors therefore called for more outreach and support from public bodies, universities and non-profits.