In part 3 of The Dreamt Land: Chasing Water and Dust Across California , Mark Arax writes about fruit farming and the need for more water. Farmers came together with an ambitious plan to seek more water by re-plumbing rivers and underground irrigation. California fields and orchards still produce tones of the best fruit even after years of drought because of underground irrigation. As a Fresno native, Arax worries about the environmental impact as farmers continue reaching deep into the earth to find the precious resource.
The third part of the book titled “System to the Rescue” (1901-1967) has three chapters covering the events that happened in California in the mentioned timed frame. In chapter 11, the farmers realize that California was better suited for citrus, tomatoes, stone fruit farming. The challenge was that the fruits required irrigation, and yet California did not have an adequate supply of water. The ambitious farmers were willing to source water from anywhere, even beneath the Sierra Rivers’ ground. Farmers came up with the ingenious plan of re-plumbing the rivers in central California to serve their agricultural needs.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
In Chapter 12, the ambitious water projects continue. California farming continues to expand due to underground irrigation. The state and federal government also came in with the big projects, including the Central Valley Project and massive dams. The big projects were very controversial because of the adverse environmental effects, and lawsuits, and politics surrounding them. The project involved digging of canals to divert water from the rivers to large reservoirs to serve community needs during the dry season.
California’s tumultuous history is not complete without the larger than life characters who shaped it. The most memorable story is about Stewart, and Lynda Resnick also called the prince and princes of pomegranates.
They are a Beverly Hills power couple known for the drink Pom Wonderful. They have tens of thousands of pomegranate farms in Lost Hills. The couple is known for their philanthropy as they have spent millions on schools, housing, and parks. The Resnick’s are the most prominent irrigated farmers in the world, and Arax wonders where they get their water from.
In the Dreamt Land, California is half a success story and half an environmental nightmare, and this is discussed in chapter 13, “Moving the Rain.” Farmers are continually drilling massive wells that go even deeper than the water table. Farmers rely on these wells during the prolonged droughts. Unrestrained pumping has an adverse environmental impact. One consequence is the sinking of the earth in the area in Central Valley called the Red Top by a foot every year. Geological experts cannot predict how far the effects will go if underground irrigation is not regulated. On the other hand, California remains the leading agricultural state with Kern, Tulare, and Fresno as the top three agricultural counties. The agricultural success is incomplete without the farmworkers and water for irrigation.
In part 3, Arax captures important aspects of agriculture from fruit farming, the river issue, and the impact on the environment. The third part is not the fascinating part of the book, but only Arax could write a personal and authoritative as he is a Fresno native. Arax knows the people, their stories, and the challenges they face. The chapters are important as they show the effects of big agriculture, both positive and negative.
Reference
Arax, M. (2019). The dreamt land: chasing water and dust across California . Vintage.
