Water and the Future of the San Joaquin Valley 3
FEBRUARY 2019 Ellen Hanak, Water and the Future of Alvar Escriva-Bou, Brian Gray, the San Joaquin Valley Sarge Green, Thomas Harter, Jelena Jezdimirovic, Jay Lund, Josué Medellín-Azuara, Peter Moyle, Nathaniel Seavy Supported with funding from the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, the TomKat Foundation, the US Department of Agriculture, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the Water Foundation © 2019 Public Policy Institute of California PPIC is a public charity. It does not take or support positions on any ballot measures or on any local, state, or federal legislation, nor does it endorse, support, or oppose any political parties or candidates for public office. Short sections of text, not to exceed three paragraphs, may be quoted without written permission provided that full attribution is given to the source. Research publications reflect the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of our funders or of the staff, officers, advisory councils, or board of directors of the Public Policy Institute of California. SUMMARY CONTENTS The San Joaquin Valley—California’s largest agricultural region and an important contributor to the nation’s food supply—is in a time of great change. Acronyms 5 The valley is ground zero for many of California’s most difficult water Chapter 1. Introduction 6 management problems—including groundwater overdraft, drinking water contamination, and declines in habitat and native species. Chapter 2. Balancing Water Supplies Local water supplies are limited, particularly in the southern half of the region. and Demands 14 To irrigate their crops, many farmers use water imported from the Sacramento– Chapter 3.
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