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Nations Food
Supply Threatenedby California Water
Crisis
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The California water crisis could
threaten peoples daily meals in afew short years. In a
nutshell,
irrigated agriculture is depletingCalifornias valuable
groundwater
supply, according to a study
released this week by the
University of Texas at Austin.
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The studys authors believe their
research will offer answers on howto use water in a
sustainable
manner and also warn that
irrigated farming in some areasmay be unsustainable. This
study
was published in the journalProceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences.
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As families seek out better living
arrangements, they are urbanizing
farming areas in the Central Valley,
said Bridget Scanlon. Shes the lead
scientist of this study, produced at theBureau of Economic
Geology at the
University of Texas at Austin. This
spreading urbanization eats up landthat might otherwise be used
to grow
crops.
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Scanlon, who is also a senior
research scientist at the university,further noted that farmers
are
forced to fallow land during
droughts. These troublesometrends, Scanlon said, will
increase
as the California water crisis growslarger.
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Scanlon referred to Californias last
drought, from 2006 to 2009, as anexample of the California
water
crisis. During this period, Scanlonnoted that farmers used
enough
groundwater to fill Lake Mead,
Californias biggest man-made
water reservoir.
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At the current recharge rates, that
amount of depletion is notsustainable, Scanlon said.
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Californias Central Valley is
commonly called Americas
vegetable and fruit basket. Hereare a few facts about
California
agriculture:
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* Agriculture generated $37.5billion in revenue in 2010.
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* Its the number one producer of
food in the U.S. and has been formore than 50 years.
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* More strawberries are grown inCalifornia than anywhere
else.
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* About 25 percent of onions
consumed in the U. S. come fromCalifornia.
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* The state grows more than 200different crops.
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* Crops make up 73 percent ofagricultural revenue.
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Learn morewater conservation tips
at
www.centralbasin.org
http://www.centralbasin.org/education.htmlhttp://www.centralbasin.org/education.html
