The Shriveled Colorado River: A Crisis for the Nation’s Food Supply
The shelves and prices at your local grocery store could undergo a significant change soon. The Colorado River, which supplies water to about 15% of the country’s agriculture, is shrinking, and the current agreement that divides the water usage comes to an end in 2026. The Imperial Valley in Southern California relies 100% on the Colorado River for its water, receiving less than three inches of rainfall annually yet still producing about two-thirds of the country’s winter produce.
According to fourth-generation farmer Andrew Leimgruber, the dwindling water levels and competing interests over river usage will severely impact the nation’s food supply. “When you’re in between November and March, a large majority of your lettuce, broccoli, carrots, all of your winter greens are coming from either the Imperial Valley or just across the Colorado River from us, Yuma, Arizona,” said Leimgruber.
Farmers in the Imperial Valley, the biggest users of the Colorado River’s water, are working to conserve this precious resource. Some farmers are paid to not grow certain crops or use less water, but this is not always enough. “I can say it’s not covering our costs all the time. For instance, if I’m going to install drip irrigation, I need to have $1,000 an acre. I don’t get anywhere near that in compensation,” said Benson Farms’ manager, Stephen Benson.
To address this crisis, the Imperial Irrigation District is working with farmers on water conservation efforts, providing supplemental funding for new technologies and precision methods. However, if the seven states and Mexico cannot come to an agreement on how to use the Colorado River water by 2026, the Bureau of Reclamation will step in and make the decisions.
