Are Almonds Really Water Villains?

Despite the El Nino weather pattern that is bringing much needed rain to California, experts say it will likely not be enough to lift the state out of drought. So, water conservation will be on the radar for the foreseeable future. 

Agriculture in California is a sector that is being most scrutinized for its water use. The reason is that it uses 80 percent of California’ water supply. And almonds are one crop that is getting a bad rap for high water use. However, there are crops or agricultural uses in the Golden State that use much more water than almonds do. Alfalfa and cattle are the state’s two biggest agricultural users of water, according to statistics compiled by Blaine Hanson from University of California, Davis’ Department of Land, Air and Water Resources.

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Photo: David Strand

Gina-Marie Cheeseman is a central California-based journalist who writes about sustainability, environmental issues, and healthy living. With a degree in journalism and a passion for social responsibility, she writes for a number of online publications. She believes that collaboration between the public and private sectors can help solve many problems facing the planet and its people. Mashable.com named Cheeseman as one of the “75 Environmentalists to Follow on Twitter.”