‘Crazy’ California farmer lauded for pioneering flooding of farm

Photo: Don Cameron stands next to one of his flood capture projects on his Terranova Ranch in Helm, California, the US, January 25 2023. Picture: MIKE BLAKE/ REUTERS

If more farmers inundate their fields, that excess could seep underground and remain there for when drought returns

Helm — When Don Cameron first intentionally flooded his central California farm in 2011, pumping excess stormwater onto his fields, fellow growers told him he was crazy.

Today, California water experts see Cameron as a pioneer. His experiment to control flooding and replenish the groundwater has become a model that policymakers say others should emulate.

With the drought-stricken state suddenly inundated by a series of rainstorms, California’s outdated infrastructure has let much of the stormwater drain into the Pacific Ocean. Cameron estimated his operation is returning about 9.87-million cubic metres of water back to the ground monthly during this exceptionally wet year, from both rainwater and melted snowpack. That would be enough water for 16,000 to 18,000 urban households in a year.

“When we started doing this, our neighbours thought we were absolutely crazy. Everyone we talked to thought we would kill the crop. And lo and behold, believe […]

Full article: ‘Crazy’ California farmer lauded for pioneering flooding of farm