January 31 marks the deadline for seven states to propose bans to reduce the Colorado River. water useThe Bureau of Reclamation requested a reduction of two to four million acre feet. An acre-foot is roughly 326,000 gallons of water, enough for him to cover a football field with a foot of water.
Arizona has been one of the fastest-growing regions in recent years, causing concern among farmers, especially in Yuma County, where millions of pounds of produce are harvested and packed each year.
The desert state is home to one of the most productive gardens in the United States, and its labor roots run deep.
Ryan Lee started working in the fields when he was just 12 years old, and now he’s passing his family’s legacy on to the next generation, a legacy that continues to grow.
“Looking at my grandfather and father, it’s the only thing I grew up wanting to do,” Lee said.
Lee Farms plants approximately 4,500 acres and leases 3,000 acres, using the latest technology to perfectly plant each parcel of land with produce. The farm produces approximately 4 million cartons of produce annually.
“We grow everything from broccoli, cauliflower, iceberg lettuce, mixed lettuce, green leaf, red leaf, but we’re moving to some kale,” Lee says.
Over 175 different crops are grown in the Yuma Valley. Nearly 90% of all winter leafy vegetables in the United States and the 75 varieties of lettuce grown there are steeped in history.
In 1909, the first dam was built on the Colorado River. Today, water diverted from the Colorado River irrigates thousands of acres of farmland proudly called “the salad bowl of America.”
Interior Ministry restricts water supply to several western states
The Colorado River supplies water to tens of millions of people, but restrictions will reduce supplies in many western states.
The Yuma Valley agricultural oasis feeds the table and employs thousands of workers each year.
Fertile land and year-round sunshine have helped nurture Arizona’s $23 billion agricultural industry, but as farmers look to the future, their biggest concern is drought. It’s an industrial water outage. Experts say these cuts are inevitable. drought continues and intensifies.
In 2021, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior declared the first Tier 1 shortage on the Colorado River, followed by a Tier 2 in 2022. water outageas the water level lake mead dropped to alarmingly low levels. Arizona has been hit hardest by her 21% water outage on the Colorado River in 2023.
Chelsea McGuire, director of government relations for the Arizona Department of Agriculture, said the 2022 water outage has depleted about 50 to 60 percent of Pinal County’s agriculture. It is an industry that generates economic revenue worth $2.3 billion.
“I call it important because it means it’s time to take action,” McGuire said.
The Restoration Act gives Yuma farmers priority over water rights, but that power may be limited.
Bruce Gwynn, president of the Yuma County Historical Society, said any major water outages in the Yuma Valley in the future would pose a threat to residents, workers and nations that depend on the area for agricultural products. I’m here.
“There’s an old saying: ‘Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting,'” Gwynn said. “There will be some fights. You can give up some. How much? I don’t know, but you can’t give up everything. Giving up everything will kill Yuma.”
Lee says his business is more than a money-making farm. It’s about the workers he considers family and the opportunity for his children to continue the family legacy.
“We have generations of memories in these lands. We have worked with generations of support and people who have walked through our doors,” he said. .
But McGuire said now is not the time to panic, adding that last year’s investment in water infrastructure was a step in the right direction.
“There’s no silver bullet, so it’s really hard to say, ‘This is the solution,'” McGuire said. “But what I want to say instead is that I believe there is a solution out there. That solution is painful for everyone involved, and for it to be effective, it must be I believe it has to be right.Growth and development must adapt.Agriculture likewise must adapt to a drier future and a drier reality.”
The mighty Mississippi River is running dry
Mississippi River levels are dropping to record lows, mostly in the Great Plains and Midwest.
