Why California Farmers Are Flooding Their Fields
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There are very few states in the U.S. that are as geographically diverse as California. The state includes fertile river valleys, towering mountain ranges, and deserts.
California experiences both drought and flooding at different times of the year. This doesn’t bode well for a state that produces nearly 70% of the country’s fruits and vegetables. One farmer, however, came up with an idea to combat two weather extremes and fill up a depleting groundwater supply.
When Don Cameron intentionally flooded the Terranova Ranch he managed with excess stormwater in 2011, he successfully created a natural flood water capture system.
California’s winter flooding is anything but gentle. But thanks to several water-capturing basins in the state, any excess stormwater from the state’s swelling rivers is diverted into these water-capture pits and canals. Once stored, the water seeps into the ground, replenishing the natural aquifer system hundreds of feet below.
The result is more lush lands and a robust groundwater recharge system.
