Satisfying The Thirst Of Almonds While The Wells Of The People That Harvest Them Run Dry

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Nature has a way of telling people when their wells are running dry.

In California’s Central Valley, where 40% of the fresh fruits, nuts and other produce consumed across America are grown, an increasing number of residents are getting the warning sign.

“The sand came through our washing machine and through the regular faucets,” said a man who lives in the tiny Fresno County town of Riverdale who asked that Forbes not use his name. He said his well kept pumping up dry dirt, until it pumped nothing. “It’s been very challenging, not being able to provide for my family a normal thing that a lot of folks in large metropolitan areas take for granted.”

In just the past month, as California temperatures soared during a drought so severe some experts say it hasn’t been this parched in 1,200 years, about 250 wells, mostly in the state’s bread basket, have gone dry. They’re part of the more than 1,100 California wells that have dried up so far this year, a 60% increase from 2021. While that may not seem like a lot, given that California has 274,000 wells, it’s an ominous sign and a personal tragedy for the one million Californians who struggle for clean water. In many cases, it also pits hugely important agricultural producers, who rely on underground water for their crops, against their own workers, who need it to drink.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/california-s-water-emergency-satisfying-the-thirst-of-almonds-while-the-wells-of-the-people-that-harvest-them-run-dry/ar-AA1276Kf