Navigating the
changing waters. The San Joaquin Valley Water Collaborative Action Program (CAP), a coalition of over 80 leaders from agriculture, water agencies, safe drinking water advocates and technical assistance providers, environmental organizations, local governments, academia, and state and federal agencies, is developing recommendations for a more resilient water and land future for the Valley.

The San Joaquin Valley (Valley) is ground zero for California’s water management challenges. A significant gap exists between locally available water supplies and existing demands, which is being exacerbated by climate change, population growth, groundwater contamination, unsustainable pumping, and aging infrastructure.

Over one million Californians, principally in disadvantaged communities located in the Valley, lack access to safe and affordable drinking water.

In addition, the Valley has experienced significant groundwater overdraft, with an estimated 2-3 million more acre-feet of groundwater extracted annually than is replenished. Ecosystems have continued to be degraded, and many species are at risk. If proactive action is not taken to address these challenges, thousands more homes will lack adequate water to meet domestic needs, more than one million acres of Valley farmland will be haphazardly fallowed over the next two decades, and ecosystems will collapse. Now more than ever, collaboration is necessary to improve the Valley’s ability to maintain healthy communities, sustainable agriculture, a vibrant economy, and thriving ecosystems.

Multiple public and private organizations at the local, state, and federal levels are working to address the Valley’s water challenges through on-the-ground actions and collective efforts to implement laws like the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), which mandates groundwater sustainability be achieved by 2040 or 2042 (depending on the severity of overdraft), and the Multi-benefit Land Repurposing Program (MLRP), which provides resources to strategically manage the associated land use changes as SGMA is implemented to achieve an array of public benefits. The CAP aims to support multiple efforts like these and others across the Valley by identifying ways to overcome barriers and accelerate actions that can benefit all interests.

The CAP is the result of various interest groups in the Valley recognizing the urgent needs facing the Valley and a desire to come together to identify common problems and collaborative solutions to manage the region’s water resources.