Water Stress Leads to Tough Choices (IMAGE) University of California - Irvine Caption During a prolonged drought, annual crop fields can be left fallow without causing lasting economic damage, but almond groves, such as these in California's Central Valley, require consistent irrigation to stay alive. UCI researchers paid special attention to such flexible and inflexible water uses in a new study published in Nature Sustainability. Credit Steven Davis / UCI Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.