/ Modified jul 2, 2022 11:13 a.m.

Yuma Farmers Assess Water Usage Amid Drought

What are regional lettuce producers doing to make lettuce farming more sustainable, and what is the future of this water-intensive crop that depends on the Colorado River?

Water is a finite resource in the American Southwest, though it hasn’t always been viewed as such. As states in the Colorado River Basin manage their water supplies, agriculture is adapting to new restrictions. Despite Arizona’s limited water resources, it’s a major agricultural center with a portfolio that includes several water-intensive crops, such as lettuce. The Colorado River is responsible for irrigating over 230,000 acres of farmland in #Yuma, #Arizona, and 90 percent of all leafy winter vegetables grown in the United States come from this area. What are regional lettuce producers doing to make lettuce farming more sustainable, and what is the future of this water-intensive crop that depends on the Colorado River?

Producer: Liz Scherffius, Megan Myscofski
Videographer/Editor: Nate Huffman

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