Understanding the Water Consumption of Treenut Orchards

Tools such a SWIIM--which stands for Sustainable Water and Innovative Irrigation Management provids a new standard in water measurement that allows growers to receive an accurate accounting of the water both delivered and consumed by their orchards.

Kevin France, is the CEO and one of the Cofounders of SWIIM. “If you start looking at water from an accounting standpoint, like your CPA looks at your financials, and if you utilize your tools and grower relations team to help get your arms around what you are doing well and you keep doing it and you can quantify that,” said France. “In the areas that the grower is not doing well, you can improve upon. You can become a little more comfortable about applying less water.

“In some cases, depending on the GSA you’re in, or your district and source of water, you are not going to have a choice. It’s not like you can just turn the tap on and go to town, there’s restrictions coming,” explained France.

And, of course we are talking about SGMA, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. “Some growers will be forced to use less water. Some areas will reduce the water to some percentage of what you were getting before—make do. Some districts are saying you can have all your water but if you go over what they say is the allotment for the crop, they will heavily pay for it,” France said.

“Whether it’s the carrot or the stick, water is becoming more expensive and the days of over-application are quickly coming to an end,” he said.