A recent study conducted by scientists with University of California, Davis and the University of California Cooperative Extension investigated the value deliberate winter flooding of fields during rainy years would have in recharging groundwater in California. According to the study, areas of open land that can be dedicated to groundwater recharge are scarce, but “Flooding agricultural land during fallow or dormant periods has the potential to increase groundwater recharge substantially….”

There are many perspectives on climate change and its potential impact on California’s water supplies. A recent article looks at whether California’s water right system is able to adjust to any shifting water supplies that result from changes in climate. In The effects of global climate change on the California water rights system, Stuart Somach and Jonathan Schutz explore how California water law will hold up under the predicted climate change scenarios.

As you drive through the Central Valley from now through September, no matter the time of day, you’ll likely have to swerve around trucks mounded impossibly high with tomatoes. This year promises to be a good year for processing tomatoes, with a projected 14.3 million tons harvested.

The Northern California Water Association (NCWA) and water resources managers in the Sacramento Valley are watching the groundwater resources very closely during this dry period with an eye toward preserving the sustainability of our precious groundwater resources. With four consecutive dry years and only two wet years this century, there is tremendous stress on the groundwater resources in the Sacramento Valley.