Identifying robust adaptive irrigation operating policies to balance deeply uncertain economic food production and groundwater sustainability trade-offs

Rodríguez-Flores, José M.; Gupta, Rohini S.; Zeff, Harrison B.; Reed, Patrick M.; Medellín-Azuara, Josué

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118901

Cited by 9 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 104 publications

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“…chronic lowering of groundwater levels). This threshold facilitates operational flexibility, allowing groundwater levels to be deeper than the sustainability objective ('measurable objective') during drought periods while recovering the groundwater level during wet years, as shown by Rodríguez-Flores et al (2023). Additionally, this threshold provides certainty to well owners that their wells will be functional even after multi-year dry periods.…”

Section: Domestic Wells Agriculture and Droughtsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drivers of domestic wells vulnerability during droughts in California’s Central Valley

Rodríguez-Flores,

Fernandez-Bou,

Ortiz-Partida

et al. 2023

Environ. Res. Lett.

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Over the past decade, California has experienced two multiyear droughts, resulting in water insecurity for communities and significant economic losses for the agricultural sector. Despite the recognition of water as a human right in the state since 2012, droughts consistently lead to the failure of thousands of domestic wells due to intensified groundwater pumping for irrigation purposes. In the Central Valley alone, groundwater sustains the livelihoods of thousands of individuals (and millions across the state) serving as their sole water source, rendering them vulnerable due to inadequate groundwater management. In this study, we present a spatial statistical model to identify critical localized factors within the food-water-human system that contribute to the vulnerability of domestic wells during droughts. Our results indicate that the depth of domestic wells, density of domestic and agricultural wells, socioeconomic conditions, and the extent of perennial crops play significant roles in predicting well failures during droughts. We show the implications of addressing these factors within the context of ongoing groundwater sustainability initiatives, and we propose strategies to safeguard the water source for thousands of individuals necessary to protect domestic wells

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Section: Domestic Wells Agriculture and Droughtsmentioning

confidence: 99%