Water remains one of the most limiting factors for agricultural productivity in our region, yet the near term outlook is for greater water stress and scarcity due to increased competition for limited supplies for growing municipalities, energy needs and environmental flows.

Twentieth century policy decisions to essentially mine groundwater resources will exacerbate this stress in the next few decades as these aquifers continue to decline and intersect with drought and climate variability. Research needs abound in both agricultural water quantity and water quality. The seminar will discuss present and future water stress points for agriculture, potential solutions and the research needed to inform the policy and institutional changes required to secure food production and our water supplies.