Here, in one of the oldest farming communities in the Colorado River Basin, ranching is king. One in three farmed acres in the valley is devoted to growing alfalfa, which is dried into a high-protein hay commonly used as animal feed. The plant looms large in the desert Southwest, not only because it’s the region’s largest crop but also because it’s one of the thirstiest—its deep roots soak up water in an area scorched by a 22-year drought. Large-scale alfalfa production during a long drought is, in large part, possible because the Imperial Valley is the single largest controller of Colorado River water rights. Now, with the basin on the brink of the most severe water cuts in history, the alfalfa industry has been thrust into the center of long-running debates about sustainable water use and the future of agriculture in the West.
“Slapped aside”: a declining water supply
The stakes have never been higher. The Colorado River, which provides fresh water to more than 40 million people in seven states and 29 federally recognized tribes in the Southwest as well as northern Mexico, is in rapid decline. Reduced snowpack, drought conditions and higher average temperatures have reduced the river’s flow in recent decades. The two largest reservoirs along the river, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, are each close to levels so low that the Colorado River could stop flowing altogether, a condition known ominously as a dead pool. “We’re on edge,” said Jack Schmidt, professor and director of the Center for Colorado River Studies at Utah State University. Lake Powell is no longer surrounded by water. More than two decades of severe drought have left the Colorado River at critical levels. Photo: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images The tough conditions have cast an uncomfortable spotlight on the Imperial Valley’s alfalfa industry, which is not only one of the basin’s biggest water users, but also one of its most powerful. Farmers have faced growing criticism for what some have described as the “perverse” practice of growing a thirsty crop – none of which goes directly to feed people – in a drought-stricken region. “We’re watering alfalfa in 120-degree temperatures in late July…how does that make sense?” Smith said. Trevor Tagg, who runs a 3,000-acre (1,200 ha) farm in the Imperial Valley that focuses on forage crops, is well aware of this criticism, but says he finds it frustrating. “Our country is so disconnected from our food supply chain,” Tagg said. “People don’t know what alfalfa is or exactly what it’s used for. So it’s very easy to say, “Oh, we’re not eating that. So get rid of it.” Forage crops are part of a larger food system that includes the beef and dairy industries both in the U.S. and abroad, Tagg said. He believes that some issues – such as rapid urban growth – should be controlled equally for water use. “Look at Vegas, Phoenix, Orange County and San Diego,” he said, cities that have seen significant growth. “Anytime there was ever a need for water in the metropolitan areas, it always came to the ag areas,” he said. Farmers in the Southwest have long been drawn to alfalfa because of its reliability. The crop stores well and enjoys steady demand. But while alfalfa remains a dominant crop in the Imperial Valley, thanks to the region’s steady water supply, the acreage devoted to production across California has declined significantly over the past two decades, in part due to rising water costs. According to an analysis by the nonprofit Pacific Conservation Institute, alfalfa production in California uses about 5 feet per acre (6167.4 cubic meters) of water, making it one of the most water-intensive crops along with almonds, peanuts and the rice. . Crops such as sugar beets use about 3 feet per acre (3,700 cubic meters) and dry beans only 1.5 feet per acre (1,850 cubic meters). The drying up of the Colorado River basin has raised questions about the equitable distribution of dwindling water resources. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
‘We need to tackle agriculture directly’: find new crops to conserve water resources
In the Imperial Valley, some farmers have already taken steps to conserve water by switching to less water-intensive crops. About five years ago, Stephen Hawk, a fourth-generation farmer who grows a mix of livestock and vegetables, decided to cut back on alfalfa — then his biggest crop. It increased the production of vegetables such as lettuce, onions, carrots and sugar beets. In addition to saving water, the decision allowed him to diversify his income streams and practice soil rotation, which comes with soil health benefits. Today, he estimates that less than half of his farm is devoted to forage crops like alfalfa. “We are ultimately stewards of our land and our resources,” Hoke said. “And our water is our most precious resource.” He added: “There are many farms that are 100% forage. It will be very difficult for them to continue. When there’s a shortage, they won’t have enough water to grow all their acres.” As the Colorado River crisis has worsened over the past two decades, a rift has emerged between municipal and rural interests over how to equitably distribute dwindling resources. Agricultural water use accounts for nearly 80% of total water use in the Colorado River Basin, with about half of that going to alfalfa hay production, according to a 2020 study. However, producers the Guardian spoke to said that all residents of the basin, not just farmers, should bear the brunt of water conservation. In recent years, policymakers have imposed various restrictions aimed at limiting residential water use, including limiting pool sizes and paying people to mow their lawns. But others argue that municipal conservation measures can only go so far. “Even if everyone tore up their lawns and planted native plants that didn’t need irrigation, we’d still have this problem. We need to tackle agriculture head-on,” said Amanda Starbuck, director of research at Food & Water Watch, an agriculture and water advocacy group. “Alfalfa is one of the most important crops grown with this water. And they are unfortunately among the most thirsty for water.’
‘There won’t be enough water:’ a thirsty export crop and global food supply chains
Environmental groups have further criticized basin growers for exporting a significant portion of their alfalfa crop to countries in the Middle East and Asia, which has been likened by some to “shipping water” overseas from some of the country’s most water-scarce countries. Alfalfa is one of the most water intensive crops. Almost 20% is exported to Asia and the Middle East. Photograph: Alamy In 2021, nearly 20% of alfalfa produced in the West will be shipped overseas, according to an analysis of United States Department of Agriculture data. Nationally, alfalfa exports hit a record high last year, driven by strong demand from China. Japan, South Korea and Saudi Arabia are among other leading importers. But farmers in the region argue that producers in the Southwest cannot simply opt out of participating in a global food system, one that also serves the U.S. — the world’s second-largest agricultural importer after China. “What people don’t understand is whether we like it or not, we are interconnected in the food supply chain,” Tagg said. “The livestock products that we produce here are fed to cattle or sheep or poultry in all these other countries. We can’t just starve people because countries don’t have the infrastructure to feed them.” What farmers and environmentalists tend to agree on is that adapting to a water-scarce future requires a substantial reassessment of the current food system, and that funding can be a useful incentive to help growers switch to crops that are more efficient as towards the water. “There should be no say in what crops are grown,” said Maurice Hall, vice president of climate-resilient water systems for the Environmental Defense Fund. “That said … helping to create alternative markets, providing equipment and providing incentives so that the financial balance sheet makes more sense for them to grow lower water-use crops makes sense.” States are considering proposals that would pay farmers to use less water, helping them offset economic losses from reduced production. Funding could come from the inflation and climate bill signed by President Biden in August, which includes $4 billion for water conservation initiatives in the Colorado River Basin. Elsewhere in the basin, some farmers are finding ways to make agriculture work with significantly less water. When faced with shortages this year that reduced their water to only a third of their normal allotment, Landon and Brian Wilson, a father and son duo in Dolores County, Colorado, opted to plant a forage mix in some of their fields instead of let it dry. The mix includes wheat, barley, oat, rye and pea varieties and uses about half the water of straight alfalfa. “We had to constantly adjust to what would work for us financially as well as water-wise,” Landon said. It’s the kind of change farmers say they may all have to make in the coming years – if not by choice, then by eventual necessity. “I’ve seen how dry everything is,” Hoke said. “One day, there won’t be enough water… Our land is worthless if we don’t have the water to grow it.”
