Site selection water considerations

Hello there,
My wife and I are looking for a piece of land, and I have a question about site selection that some here hopefully might be able to help me with.

We are looking at land in southern Europe, Mediterranean climate, between 400-600mm annual rainfall with dry summers. Our intention is to establish an agroforesfry system with trees that are adapted to that climate (olive,  cork, pomegranate, mulberry, etc) to regenerate land under threat from desertification. Plot size 5-10ha.

I’m hoping to get some tips/advice on site selection considerations when it comes to water availability on the property.
1. would you say it is feasible to establish a productive orchard/food forest in that context without supplemental irrigation? I.e. relying solely on rainwater harvesting & earthworks
2. or is access to a water source necessary/highly advisable - whether a source/well or access to the water grid?
3. In the case that there is a well on the land, should we be looking out for any maximum depth? I.e. is there any general wisdom on how high the water table should at least be for the well to be usable/reliable?
4. Do you have any other advice/tips/warnings when it comes to considerations of water when looking for property in a Mediterranean climatic context?

Many thanks in advance! And my apologies if similar questions have already been asked on this forum, I couldn’t find them.

Kind regards,
Berend

WOW! You have a lot of ground tp cover.
Some questions;
- mainland or island
- Is languages an issue
- connectivity to the world, road, internet, telephone
- experience
- remote or near village
- living expenses
- with / without shelter
- pre existing plantings
- are there markets for what you will be growing
- labour sources paid or volunteer
- off farm income needed or possible
- sources of plants
maybe these need consideration before you start dealing with water?

Hi John,

Thanks for the reply. You raise very good points, but luckily we've already figured out our preferences/solution wrt most of those issues.

It is really specifically the minimum criteria for water availability that I'm trying to figure out.
I know that with the right methods the hydrology of the land can be greatly improved - which we will implement as much as possible. But I'd like to know others' thoughts on whether there is a minimum threshold / hard requirements of water availability when scoping out potential sites. Elements/features that make or break the potential to rehydrate a landscape and establish a thriving agroforestry system within a human lifetime.

Of course the answer is: "It depends", but I'd love to hear what it depends on .

Again, given the context of 400-600mm annual rainfall Mediterranean climate with dry summers. Plus the desire to establish a commercially viable orchard of mediterranean species.

Hope this clarifies my question

best,
Berend

Welcome to the forum!

I don't know about site selection water consideration for Europe.

Here in the USA, there is what is called "Water Rights".

So here the state, county, or city can tell a person how they can use their water sources.

These sources could be a river, stream, creek, or even rainwater.

To me, this would be my very first concern.

Will I be able to use the water on my land and how can I use it?

It would be a shame to buy waterfront property and then be told you cannot water your crops with that water.

We do rainwater catchment though there are places in the USA where this is not allowed.

My suggestion is if this is your biggest concern that you learn the "Water Right Rules" or whatever it might be called where you are looking.

Berend, looks like you are well organised.So on reading your latest noite you seem to be seeking knowledge about the minimum volume of water that you will need for the plantings.

Here is a research paper about "These results evidence the need for better management of orchards irrigation water in the region,
and the current study provides for reliable information on the Kc of tree crops to support improving the management of local orchard systems
and the preservation of soil and water resources.
Aimed at these resources and the sustainability of their use, simulated alternative irrigation schedules were performed,
which identified possible water savings of 20 mm in case of olives, up to 855 mm for citrus."
use of water for irrigating tree crops in Southern Portugal

Another "Mediterranean Olive Orchards under Climate Change:"
Climate change in the Mediterranean
"The Mediterranean Basin is considered a climate change “hotspot,” as future projections hint at considerable warming and drying trends.
Changes in olive tree suitability have already been reported over the last few decades. "

Hi Anne and John,

Thanks for your responses.
@Anne, great tip, really fundamental - and something I might have easily overlooked!

@John, good resources, recommended for anybody trying to figure out water requirements for their orchard (one paper is a bit technical, but worth going through the numbers).

The paper on olive production contained reference to another interesting paper that deals with how the effects of climate change on olive oil production are expected to vary greatly depending on location within the mediterranean (bottom line: some places will actually see increases in productivity and profitability, others will suffer).
Recommended for anybody located in the mediterranean, especially if you're (thinking about) cultivating olives - but probably has some relevant insights for other tree crops too.

Fine-scale ecological and economic assessment of climate change on olive in the Mediterranean Basin reveals winners and losers
https://www.pnas.org/doi/pdf/10.1073/pnas.1314437111

best,
Berend

For dry warm climates, vetiver grass can be an asset. It helps with water retention, building soil carbon, preventing erosion etc...

It's application in Europe is still fairly new, but it has extensive history of use in Asia and Africa.