Tag Archives: agriculture

Paradox on the Plains: As water efficiency increases, so can water use

Posted on August 13, 2013 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

By C.-Y. Cynthia Lin Groundwater and water conservation are critical issues in California and globally. Many of the world’s most productive agricultural regions depend on groundwater and have experienced unsustainable declines in water levels. In many places, policymakers have attempted … Continue reading →

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A sweet spot for farms and fish on a floodplain

Posted on May 9, 2013 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

By Richard Howitt and Josué Medellín-Azuara For decades, Sacramento area freeway commuters have been treated to a carousel of contrasting landscapes as they cross a vast floodplain known as the Yolo Bypass. The carousel rotates by the season. In wet … Continue reading →

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Growing costs and concern for drinking water in Tulare Basin and Salinas Valley

Posted on March 12, 2012 by

Thomas Harter, Robert M. Hagan Endowed Chair in Water Management and Policy, University of California – Davis Jay R. Lund, The Ray B. Krone Chair of Environmental Engineering, University of California – Davis A potential public health concern has been … Continue reading →

Posted in California Water, Economy, Nitrate, Planning and Management, Sustainability, Water Supply and Wastewater | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Water—Who uses how much?

Posted on May 5, 2011 by cathrynlawrence

Whereas agriculture used to consume 80 percent of the state’s water supply, today 46 percent of  captured and stored water goes to environmental purposes, such as rebuilding wetlands. Meanwhile 43 percent goes to farming and 11 percent to municipal uses. … Continue reading →

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Taking agricultural conservation seriously

Posted on March 15, 2011 by cathrynlawrence

Jay Lund1, Ellen Hanak2, Richard Howitt3, Ariel Dinar4, Brian Gray5, Jeffrey Mount6, Peter Moyle7, Barton “Buzz” Thompson8     For decades, people have observed that human water use in California is largely devoted to irrigating farmland, and they have therefore … Continue reading →

Posted in California Water, Water Conservation | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments