Almond Board Investing $2.5 Million Into Water Conservation Projects

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A farming organization says conservation irrigation systems are the state's new future as it struggles with the draft.

The Almond Board of California announced it's giving $2.5 million to fund 13 projects for water conservation, specifically for two types of irrigation.

Walnut farmer Nick Bavaro says he's seen a little bit of water go a long way with drip and micro-irrigation systems.

"It's not the amount of water, it's where it's put on," he said. "So you are conserving, because you're only putting the water on say 50 percent of the ground instead of 100 percent."

Researchers promoted the two irrigation systems as a win-win for growers.

Drip irrigation runs tubes and delivers water to the crops' roots. Micro-sprinklers sit low at each tree, spraying a short diameter. Both use significantly less water than most farmers currently use in spray irrigation.

Despite the water savings, Bavaro doesn't see a huge demand for the systems yet.

California's almond board says drip systems and micro sprinklers have proven to help farmers better use their water. Here, farmers know where the tree's root system is. These two systems help farmers concentrate the water where it's needed, however, they don't always work best on every crop.

"Trees typically don't adhere to taking on less water once they're already established. So these systems are typically utilized in new plantings," Bavaro said.

The technology isn't new. It's been around for decades in vineyards.

"I'd say Napa Valley is light years ahead of the Central Valley in water conservation," he said.