The Water Course

The Central Valley of California provides a third of the produce grown in the U.S., but recent droughts and increasing demand have raised concerns about both food and water security. The pathway that water takes from rainfall to the irrigation of fields or household taps ('the water course') determines the quantity and quality of the available water. Working with various data sources (measurements made on the ground, in wells, and from satellites) allows us to model the water budget in the valley and explore the recent impacts on freshwater supplies.