Skip to content
CapRadio

CapRadio

listen live donate
listen live donate
listen live
donate
  • News
    • News

    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
    News
    • News

    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
  • Music
    • Music

    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic

    • Daily Playlist
    Music
    • Music

    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic

    • Daily Playlist
  • Podcasts & Shows
  • Schedules
  • Events
  • Support
    • Support
    • Ways to support
    • Evergreen Donation
    • One-Time Donation
    • Corporate Sponsorship
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Giving
    • Legacy Giving
    • Endowment Support
    • Members
    • Member Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • Member Newsletter

    • Fund drives
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
    Support
    • Support
    • Ways to support
    • Evergreen Donation
    • One-Time Donation
    • Corporate Sponsorship
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Giving
    • Legacy Giving
    • Endowment Support
    • Members
    • Member Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • Member Newsletter

    • Fund drives
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
  • About
  • Close Menu
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
  • Environment
  • Business
  •  

Scientists Flood Almond Orchards To Restore Groundwater in California

  •  Amy Quinton 
Wednesday, January 20, 2016 | Sacramento, CA
Listen
/
Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin.
Curtis Jerome Haynes / Courtesy

Storm water floods six acre almond orchard in Modesto. UC Davis scientists are using the orchard to see how well it recharges the groundwater.

Curtis Jerome Haynes / Courtesy

Almond farmers in California’s Central Valley have been villainized in the drought. The crop needs a gallon of water to grow a single almond.

Now scientists are studying whether almond orchards can be used to help restore water to depleted aquifers. Some almond growers are flooding their orchards as part of the experiment. 

On Nick Blom's farm in Modesto, water pours out of an irrigation valve. Pretty quickly, it begins to cover six acres of almond trees in standing water. Blom says normally he wouldn’t water the trees this time of year.

"I did have some concerns. You do risk root damage and other kinds of things that can happen to your trees," says Blom.

Flood Crop 4012016P

L to R: Ken Shackel, with UC Davis; Nick Blom, almond farmer; and Helen Dahlke with UC Davis 

Curtis Jerome Haynes / Courtesy

An aquifer lies about 45 feet under the surface. Blom had to use that water this summer when surface supplies were cutback in the drought. Now, he’s trying to restore it.

Blom says he's over-irrigating right now. "The trees aren’t using it. So you’re basically putting water on the soil," says Blom. "So you’re getting 100 percent of that water percolating down and it goes into the groundwater and now it’s in your water table."

Scientists at UC Davis are studying whether flooding almond orchards during the winter time can help pull California out of a chronic groundwater overdraft, at least in some areas. UC Davis hydrologist Helen Dahlke says soils have to be suitable for it – but researchers have mapped that out.

"There are between 3.6 and 5.6 million acres where groundwater recharge could be done most likely," says Dahlke.

Flood Crop 3012016P

Water from nearby canals pour out of irrigation valve on Nick Blom's almond orchard. 

Curtis Jerome Haynes / Courtesy

Coincidentally it’s pouring rain on Blom’s orchards. But it’s these El Nino rains that farmers hope to use to deliberately flood fields. Blom says water from Modesto’s stormdrains feed into a canal system that he can use on his orchards.

“If we weren’t doing this experiment all the water would just end up in the river,” says Blom.

It would end up in the Tuolumne River. But recharging groundwater this way is no easy task.  

“It’s a great idea using agricultural fields to recharge the groundwater, but there’s a lot of ducks that need to be in a row and the first duck is that we don’t want to kill the trees,” says Ken Shackel with the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences.

Shackel says he’s set up underground cameras to observe the tree roots. He’ll monitor for potential damage or disease. Another risk is that fertilizers could also seep into the groundwater. Shackel says farmers may need to change the way they operate.

“They may need to change the way they fertilize the trees so that by the time we get to the winter time and the recharge events, then the water is fairly pure that’s in the ground," says Shackel. "Trees will use nitrogen. Nitrate is the big issue, but there’s a lot of other things too.”

Flood Crop 5012016P

Nick Blom checks irrigation valve on his almond farm. 

Curtis Jerome Haynes / Courtesy

This is the third time researchers have flooded Nick Blom’s almond orchard as part of the experiment. Helen Dahlke says they’re getting a good idea how quickly the water seeps into the aquifer.

“The first one has happened roughly two weeks ago and the water had infiltrated within 24 hours, it was gone from the surface,”says Dahlke.

By the end of the experiment, Blom’s almond orchard will have received nearly two feet of water. The Almond Board of California is funding the research, which involves three different orchards. Nick Blom says he’s hopeful the experiment will only bring benefits.

“It’s helpful. It’s a benefit to everybody because we do sit in a basin of water. So if we can put water into that basin throughout our area, it’s going to help everybody’s groundwater. So all the wells will be fine,” says Blom.

Researchers are hopeful too. Previous tests on alfalfa, grapes and pistachios showed it didn’t harm the crops or affect drinking water.

Flood Crop 2012016P

 Six acre almond orchard that is part of UC Davis experiment.

Curtis Jerome Haynes / Courtesy


Follow us for more stories like this

CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you.  As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.

Donate Today  

    More about drought

  • State Of Drought

    Reservoir levels are at historic lows, municipalities are ordering mandatory conservation and farmers are bracing for water shortages. CapRadio is following how Californians are being impacted by the drought.

    Related Stories

  • Amy Quinton / Capital Public Radio

    California Farmers Used Enough Groundwater During Drought To Fill Lake Mead

    Thursday, May 18, 2017
    Scientists have for the first time quantified how much groundwater was lost in the Central Valley in the most recent drought.
  • Rob Jackson, Stanford University

    "Water Windfall" Deep Beneath California's Central Valley

    Monday, June 27, 2016
    A new study finds California’s Central Valley has three times more water beneath it than previously estimated.
  • Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio

    California Drought Improves; 2015 Warmest Year On Record

    Thursday, January 21, 2016
    Frequent storms have brought more improvement in drought conditions in California over the past week, with snowpack conditions above normal.
  • Flooding California Farmlands Might Restore Groundwater

    Tuesday, September 22, 2015
    Central Valley farms are pumping out groundwater faster than it can be replenished. But one farmer is trying to restore depleted aquifers by flooding his own crops in the winter.

 agriculturedroughtwater resourcesfarminggroundwater pumpinggroundwaterfloodingCalifornia droughtWater Supplyalmond orchards

Amy Quinton

Former Environment Reporter

Amy came to Sacramento from New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR) where she was Environment Reporter. Amy has also reported for NPR member stations WFAE in Charlotte, WAMU in Washington D.C. and American Public Media's "Marketplace."  Read Full Bio 

Sign up for ReCap and never miss the top stories

Delivered to your inbox every Friday.

 

Check out a sample ReCap newsletter.

Thanks for subscribing!

Thank you for signing up for the ReCap newsletter! We'll send you an email each Friday with the top stories from CapRadio.

Browse all newsletters

More Environment Stories

AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

Rain, snow and wind are returning to Northern California. In Sacramento, impacts expected to be milder than recent storms

March 20, 2023

AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File

California announces a rollback of some state drought restrictions

March 24, 2023

Most Viewed

California coronavirus updates: COVID-19 pandemic likely contributed to spread of a dangerous fungus, researchers say

CalFresh emergency benefits end this month — here’s what to know

State may scale down its new home loan program designed to assist first-time homebuyers

CSU faculty salary study shows wide dissatisfaction despite pay being at national averages

Cal State contends with 'unprecedented' enrollment declines

We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter

Most Viewed

California coronavirus updates: COVID-19 pandemic likely contributed to spread of a dangerous fungus, researchers say

CalFresh emergency benefits end this month — here’s what to know

State may scale down its new home loan program designed to assist first-time homebuyers

CSU faculty salary study shows wide dissatisfaction despite pay being at national averages

Cal State contends with 'unprecedented' enrollment declines

Back to Top

  • CapRadio

    7055 Folsom Boulevard
    Sacramento, CA 95826-2625

    •  
      (916) 278-8900
    •  
      (877) 480-5900
    •  Contact / Feedback
    •  Submit a Tip / Story Idea
  • About

    • Mission / Vision / Core Values
    • Stations & Coverage Map
    • Careers & Internships
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
    • Press
  • Listening Options

    • Mobile Apps
    • Smart Speakers
    • Podcasts & Shows
    • On-Air Schedules
    • Daily Playlist
    • Signal Status
  • Connect

    •  Facebook
    •  Twitter
    •  Instagram
    •  YouTube
  • Donate

  • Listen Live

  • Newsletters

CapRadio stations are licensed to California State University, Sacramento. © 2023, Capital Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Website Feedback FCC Public Files: KXJZ KKTO KUOP KQNC KXPR KXSR KXJS. For assistance accessing our public files, please call 916-278-8900 or email us.