The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) recently released a study that reinforces concerns long raised by the Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley: without stabilizing groundwater levels and repairing critical water infrastructure, the Valley’s water system, and the farms and communities that depend on it, face increasing risk.
The study documents severe land subsidence that has reduced the capacity of major canals, including the San Luis Canal, the California Aqueduct, the Delta-Mendota Canal, and the Friant-Kern Canal. In some areas, canals have sunk more than eight feet, cutting conveyance capacity by up to 44 percent and reducing water deliveries by hundreds of thousands of acre-feet. These impacts limit the state’s ability to move water in wet years and worsen shortages in dry periods.
The report also emphasizes that water availability remains the Valley’s most significant constraint. In response, the Water Blueprint continues to advocate for expanded groundwater recharge, strategic canal repairs, conveyance improvements, and coordinated operations to capture high-flow storm events and rebuild depleted aquifers.
The Water Blueprint is advancing practical, science-based solutions to restore balance to the Valley’s water system. CCM President Casey Creamer serves on the Water Blueprint board, ensuring California citrus growers’ voices are represented as efforts continue to secure a reliable water future for Valley farms, communities, and businesses.
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