Insider Blog: How climate change will impact Coachella Valley agriculture

As Carbon levels in the atmosphere continue to rise, so will global temperatures. Below, you can see a graph of how much Carbon is in the atmosphere and how much the planet has warmed on average since pre-industrial times. These will lead to changes all over the world, including here in the Coachella Valley. Agriculture in the valley will also be heavily affected.

Warmer temperatures will lead to more water escaping from leaves and soils via a process called evapotranspiration. This will strain water sources like the Colorado River. Since the water from the Colorado River has some salt in it, more salt will be left behind as more water evaporates. This means even more water will be needed to help flush the salt from the soils, further staining water sources.

Water in the Colorado River, our primary water source for crops, is highly dependent on how much snow falls each year in the mountains. Warmer temperatures will lead to overall less snowpack, reducing the amount of water in the river.