Desert farming in the Southwest stretches water resources amid drought

In California's Imperial Valley, drought and extreme heat are testing the sustainability of agriculture that relies heavily on water diversion and complex irrigation.

Nina Elkadi reports for Civil Eats.

In short:

• California's Imperial Valley, despite receiving minimal rainfall, supports intensive farming with crops like alfalfa and carrots, relying on costly irrigation systems.
• Government programs subsidize irrigation technology to conserve water, but critics argue they fail to address the larger challenge of sustainable crop adaptation for a changing climate.
• Indigenous farming practices, like those used on the Hopi Reservation, offer lower-impact, drought-tolerant alternatives without irrigation.

Key quote:

“In the not-too-distant future, it’s going to be very difficult for Colorado River state farmers to farm what and how they farm today.”

— Anne Schechinger, Environmental Working Group.

Why this matters:

Desert farming's dependence on the shrinking Colorado River raises questions about water use, climate resilience, and crop sustainability. As drought intensifies, balancing food production with water conservation could reshape agriculture in the arid Southwest.