SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR SPECIALTY CROPS IN THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY

Specialty Crops in the Sacramento Valley- An Exploration of Groundwater Recharge Opportunities

By David Shabazian,
Rural-Urban Connections Strategy Manager, Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG)

SACOG’s Sustainable Water Management Strategies for Specialty Crops in the Sacramento Valley examined scenarios to consider optimal locations for strategic flooding of cropland to maximize groundwater infiltration and improve water supply reliability for continued specialty crop production and related economic activities.

The work completed has identified attributes in our region’s open space land that facilitate infiltration and those that limit groundwater recharge potential. The project also examined ways these flooding scenarios may provide habitat benefits. The project included a contractual study component to complement Rural-Urban Connections Strategy (RUCS) staff work and build upon in-kind services from industry stakeholders, including specialty crop stakeholders, and water resource managers. The contractual work provided technical support and subject-area expertise in groundwater recharge science. This included the collection of environmental data to underpin scenario analysis and enhance the RUCS toolkit; including regional water balances and other factors that impact recharge (e.g. soil type permeability).

The work completed has identified attributes in our region’s open space and agricultural lands that facilitate infiltration and those that limit groundwater recharge potential. Project data have been integrated into the RUCS spatial analysis platform. Drawing on this work and stakeholder input, SACOG staff examined scenarios that strategically choose locations with good crop-soil combinations for winter flooding to provide habitat and maximize potential for recharge to maintain adequate groundwater supplies for specialty crop production.