{"id":9653,"date":"2015-11-05T09:30:57","date_gmt":"2015-11-05T16:30:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/plantingseedsblog.cdfa.ca.gov\/wordpress\/?p=9653"},"modified":"2015-11-05T09:30:57","modified_gmt":"2015-11-05T16:30:57","slug":"map-ids-farmland-with-greatest-potential-for-replenishing-ground-water-from-the-university-of-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/plantingseedsblog.cdfa.ca.gov\/wordpress\/index.php\/2015\/11\/05\/map-ids-farmland-with-greatest-potential-for-replenishing-ground-water-from-the-university-of-california\/","title":{"rendered":"Map IDs farmland with greatest potential for replenishing ground water – from the University of California"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"groundwater
This map helps identify farmlands with the most potential to capture groundwater and help recharge the aquifer.
\nCredit: California Soil Resources Lab, UC Davis<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Diane Nelson, UC Davis<\/strong><\/p>\n

Growers, researchers, policymakers and others can now pinpoint California\u2019s most promising parcels of farmland to help replenish the state\u2019s dwindling groundwater supplies, thanks to a new interactive map developed by the California Soil Resource Lab at the University of California, Davis. The Soil Agricultural Groundwater Banking Index provides site-specific information on millions of acres of California farmland based on previous research led by Toby O\u2019Geen, a UC Cooperative Extension specialist with the UC Davis Department of Land, Air and Water Resources.<\/p>\n

Before designing the Web-based map, O\u2019Geen and his team identified about 3.6 million acres of farmland with good potential for groundwater banking, based on how likely the land could accommodate deep percolation with little risk of crop damage or groundwater contamination.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of growers are interested in learning how they can help improve the groundwater situation in California,\u201d O\u2019Geen said. \u201cThe index provides details on the groundwater-recharge potential for any parcel, which you can search for by address or access using your device\u2019s GPS.\u201d<\/p>\n

Absorbing El Ni\u00f1o<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Water tables have plummeted by more than 100 feet in some areas of California, as growers and others dig more wells and pump deeper into the Earth to replace diminishing surface-water supplies.<\/p>\n

If a much-anticipated El Ni\u00f1o arrives this winter, California\u2019s vast acres of farmland may hold the key to groundwater recharge by absorbing rainfall and flood flows.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring storms and flood-control releases, excess river water could be routed through irrigation canals onto farms, where the surplus would seep underground to replenish groundwater,\u201d said professor Helen Dahlke with the UC Davis Department of Land, Air and Water Resources. \u201cOn-farm flooding could also mitigate downstream flood risks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rain check<\/strong><\/h3>\n

What can farmers and water managers do in preparation for a potentially wet winter? UC Davis researchers offer these tips:<\/p>\n