California Agriculture is OK , Despite Drought ! agriculture ’s agriculture sector has exceeded expectations during the most severe drought in recorded history . The current boon can be offset in part by the persistent , but unsustainable , groundwater pumping . The continued groundwater overdraft , while reducing the economic impacts of the drought for the agricultural sector now , has shifted the focus to others , including current and future generations forced to dig deeper wells , find alternative drinking water sources , and repair infrastructure damaged by subsidence . Water transfers have also played a role ; however , the broader social and environmental impacts of these transfers are not well understood . shortand long - term shifts in the quantity of crops grown and improvements in irrigation technologies and practices have also improved the resilience of the state ’s agricultural sector to extreme weather events . The impacts of the drought on California agriculture and its response provide insight into how the state can maintain a healthy agricultural sector in a future likely to see less water , more extreme weather , and greater uncertainty .
California Agriculture is OK, Despite Drought! California’s agriculture sector has exceeded expectations during the most severe drought in recorded history.The current boon can be explained in part by the increased, but unsustainable, groundwater pumping. The continued groundwater overdraft, while reducing the economic impacts of the drought for the agricultural sector now, has shifted the burden to others, including current and future generations forced to dig deeper wells, find alternative drinking water sources, and repair infrastructure damaged by subsidence. Water transfers have also played a role; however, the broader social and environmental impacts of these transfers are not well understood. shortand long-term shifts in the types of crops grown and improvements in irrigation technologies and practices have also improved the resilience of the state’s agricultural sector to extreme weather events. The impacts of the drought on California agriculture and its response provide insight into how the state can maintain a healthy agricultural sector in a future likely to see less water, more extreme weather, and greater uncertainty.