The utilization of salty groundwater in almond orchards can damage trees and production for years, according to research by Agriculture Research Service (ARS).

ARS soil scientist Ray Anderson says that while the study was not surprising, it did reveal something unique about almond trees.

"It is not surprising that almond trees in the western SJV are seeing more damage from higher amounts of salinity as growers are forced to substitute ground water for surface water,” Anderson said. "However, previous models predicted a yield loss of more than 60 percent with the soil salinity we measured, so almonds have greater salt tolerance than we previously thought."

The USTA reported that irrigating almond orchards with salty groundwater causes not only tree damage but may also cut production by more than 30%.

At the epicenter of the crisis is the ongoing drought in Central California, which is the chief region for the $6 yearly billion almond industry, which has forced producers to forgo freshwater for saltier water, according to a news release.

The USDA reported that ARS researchers examined several locations in three commercial almond orchards and concluded that salty water doesn’t damage the trees as much as hypothesized, however, the damage can last for years.