California water photography has received a great deal of attention from both the agricultural press and the general media, but most of it focuses on the San Joaquin and Yuma Valleys on the Arizona border.

The Salinas Valley, dubbed “the salad bowl of the country,” has its own water problems, but they are very different.

I thought I’d ask Christopher Valades, president of the Salinas-based Producers and Shippers Association. BB#:162651about the situation in his area.

Earlier this year, atmospheric rivers flooded the state during the rainy season, flooding valleys. Citing a study conducted by the Monterey County Agriculture Commission, Valades said about 20,000 acres, or about 10 percent of the area’s production area, were “affected by flooding or flooding.”

In addition to the actual flooding, Valadez noted that “extensive rainfall” “caused delays early in the season.” Overall, however, the overall impact of the floods was ‘relatively minor’.

Despite the damage, this year’s floods have created a huge amount of runoff in the Salinas River, the region’s main water source, which has brightened the water outlook for Salinas Valley producers, Valades said. .

Salinas River water is largely unused by surface irrigation, Valades observes. Instead, growers primarily pump groundwater for irrigation. Still, rivers are central to irrigation schemes because they are the rivers that recharge groundwater.

The last three seasons of drought have left growers uneasy, but this season’s floods have calmed them down considerably.

At the moment, the late start of the season and cooler-than-average temperatures are slowing crop development, but the situation should improve as the weather warms up in mid-June, Valades said. He expects ample supply of crops to meet higher demand in the summer.

Agriculture in the Salinas Valley primarily uses drip irrigation, but because of the rotation method, most of the time drip tape is used instead of lines, Valades said. Sprinkler irrigation is used, but mainly for establishing crops.

It takes years to fully comprehend the immeasurably complex picture of California’s waters. Sometimes it’s best to explore region by region, as the Salinas Valley shows.