DOCSLIB.ORG

Report: Impact of the Drought in the San Joaquin Valley of California

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Report: Impact of the Drought in the San Joaquin Valley of California Impact of the Drought in the San Joaquin Valley of California A Study Funded by Wells Fargo Foundation California State University, Fresno July 2015 Overgrown Boat Ramp Lake Success: Sierra Reservoir, Eastern San Joaquin Valley Wildflowers grow where water should be. A recent rain has greened the hillsides and the lakebed but has done little to reverse the dwindling water level. The boat ramp is a full 100 yards shy of the current water level. Geographic Area: Town of Porterville which has run out of water. Photograph: Neil Chowdhury Principal Investigator Dr. Lynnette Zelezny, Provost Co-Principal Investigator, Project Director Dr. Xuanning Fu, Associate Dean of College of Social Sciences Editor Dr. Gillisann Harootunian, Director, University Initiatives Co-Project Director David Drexler, Henry Madden Library Faculty/Staff Researchers Dr. Antonio Avalos, Department of Economics Neil Chowdhury, MFA, Department of Art and Design Dr. Fayzul Pasha, Department of Civil and Geomatics Engineering Dr. Samendra Sherchan, Department of Public Health Jes Therkelsen, MFA, Department of Mass Communication and Journalism Dr. Chih-Hao Wang, Department of Geography and City and Regional Planning Dr. David Zoldoske, California Water Institute Sargeant Green, California Water Institute Photographer Cary Edmondson, University Communications Department Table of Contents Introduction …………………………………………………………………………..... i 1. Severity of the Drought and its Impact on Agriculture and Use of Energy ……... 1 Editorial Snapshot: Is There a “Central” Valley? ……………………………... 53 Photo Spread: The Vineyard ………………………………………………….... 54 Video Vignette: Switching to Almonds: Drought Impact on Farming and People ……………………………………………………………………... 57 2. The Economic Impact of the Drought in the California San Joaquin Valley …...58 Editorial Snapshots: Who Are They?: Moving from Economic Impact to Human Impact ….. 72 The Shadow Economy: How to Document the Un-Documented? ….…. 73 Food Insecurity in the San Joaquin Valley, with a video vignette …...… 74 Sharing the Bounty: Fresno State Food Insecurity Project 3. Water Usage and Residential Water Consumption in the California San Joaquin Valley …………………………………………………..………...….. 75 Intra-Chapter Snapshot: A Census-Designated Place: A Glimpse into One Disadvantaged Community ………………………………………….… 89 4. Public Health Implications of Drought ...........................................................……. 90 Editorial Snapshots: The Health Drought ……………………………………………..……. 112 From Economic Distress to Psychological Distress …………..……… 113 Map: San Joaquin Valley: Environmental Justice Areas ……………..………. 114 Video Vignette: East Porterville: Drought Impact on one Disadvantaged Community ………………………………………………………………..…. 115 Conclusion and Recommendations ………………………………………………… 116 References ……………………………………………………………………….….. 121 Appendices Appendix 1 Maps …………………………………………………………….…….… 129 Appendix 2 Annotated bibliography …………………………………………….…… 134 Appendix 3 Stakeholder organizations, with contact information ……………….….. 145 Appendix 4 Data Sources (URL links) ……………………………………………..… 151 INTRODUCTION For the past three years (2012–2014), California has experienced the most severe drought conditions in its recorded history. When examined by using two paleoclimate reconstructions of drought and precipitation for Central and Southern California to place this current event in the context of the last millennium, the current drought was determined to be the most severe in the last 1,200 years, with 2014 moisture deficits worse than any previous continuous span of dry years (Griffin & Anchukaitis, 2014). The rainy season of 2014–15 has resulted in disappointment for the fourth straight year: the drought has deepened. The Sierra Nevada snowpack is only 5% of average, one-fifth the size of the smallest ever recorded, prompting Governor Jerry Brown to announce the state’s first mandatory water reductions, aiming at cutting water use by 25%. Brown promised more enforcement in cities and actions against water agencies in groundwater-depleted areas that have not shared data with the state (Grossi, 2015). Historically, the state of California has faced many droughts, and several studies have been completed to assess the impacts on different sectors. These studies have considered the entire state, and not focused on the San Joaquin Valley, the center of agriculture in the state. The impact of late 1980s drought in California on the societal and environmental costs was assessed by Gleick and Nash (1991). The Institute for Water Resources (IWR) of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also published a report on the 1987–1992 drought, focusing on all of California. The lessons that were learned from this study were published in Dziegielewski, Garbharran & Langowski, 1993. The Pacific Institute published a report on the drought from 2007 to 2009. The report analyzed the impacts on California’s economy and environment (Christian-Smith, Levy, & Gleick, 2011). Recently the Center for Watershed Science, University of California Davis (UC Davis) published “Economic Analysis of the 2014 Drought on for California Agriculture,” a report focusing on the current drought’s impact on the state’s agriculture (Howitt, Medellín- Azuara, MacEwan, Lund, & Sumner, 2014). This was followed on May 31, 2015 by “Preliminary Analysis: 2015 Drought Economic Impact Study.” Also issued was the “Preliminary 2014 Drought Economic Impact Estimates in Central Valley Agriculture” (Howitt, Medellín-Azuara, MacEwan, & Lund, 2014) which studied all 25 counties of the Central Valley. None of the reports focused on the San Joaquin Valley’s agriculture, an industry of significance. The story of the San Joaquin Valley has largely gone untold, being included as one chapter within the history of the State of California. The drought has changed that, with the story of the San Joaquin Valley, complete with interactive maps and high tech reader resources, published almost weekly in the New York Times and other major media. The San Joaquin Valley has become the focus of a national conversation. To better understand the impact of drought on the San Joaquin Valley, and so to inform the national conversation, Fresno State conducted a drought impact study in spring 2015, funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation. The study was conducted by a selected team of faculty and staff at Fresno State, focused on the goal of delivering usable information for public officials, private officials, and the general public, on the range of impacts (economic, public health, municipal) resulting from the drought. i Chapter 1 Severity of the Drought and its Impact on Agriculture and Use of Energy Dr. Fayzul Pasha, Department of Civil and Geomatics Engineering Abstract The San Joaquin Valley of California is historically known for its agricultural production and ranks as one of the highest agricultural producers in the world. It produces a wide variety of crops, livestock, and poultry. Agriculture contributes significantly towards the economy of the San Joaquin Valley (SJV). Adverse events in agriculture will result in multiple adverse effects in the region’s economy, which can impact employment, population migration, and wage levels and food prices which the most vulnerable residents can experience in the most direct and harshest manner. For this reason, this study of the drought’s impact on agriculture and use of energy sets the stage for this report. Although there are numerous studies conducted on the economic impacts of the historical droughts in California, there are a limited number of studies to assess the economic impact focusing on the SJV. This study focuses on a key economic impact of the recent drought on the SJV, specifically the impact on energy usage and agricultural revenue, in its eight counties (Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tulare). Agriculture consumes a huge amount of water and energy. The availability of surface water, which is directly affected by the amount of precipitation, is decreasing as a result of the lower precipitation in recent years. A year that has the mean annual precipitation much lower than the historical mean precipitation can be defined as a drought year. With this definition, a tremendous drought has been affecting the SJV in recent years starting in 2012. This drought is not only lowering the surface water availability but also affecting the groundwater depth, as there is not enough surface water to recharge the groundwater basins. SJV agriculture is heavily dependent on groundwater which needs to be pumped from a significant depth, causing high energy consumption. It is therefore expected that the drought has a significant impact on energy consumption. By examining the historical trends related to precipitation, streamflow, reservoir water storage, irrigation water use, and groundwater depth, the impact of the drought was assessed. Agriculture, water, and energy usage are highly correlated. As noted, energy consumption increases from heavier pumping as a result of lower groundwater levels, lower streamflow, and lower water levels in lakes and reservoirs due to the drought. Therefore, this study is structured as follows: 1. Examining the impacts of drought on surface water availability including streamflow and water storage in lakes and reservoirs and groundwater storage. 2. Examining the impacts of the above decreased surface water availability and groundwater storage on agriculture and energy consumption. 1 3. Assessing the final impact of increased energy consumption
Load more

Recommended publications
  • “Shorten and Streamline” Federal Land Use Planning While Being “More Transparent and Accessible”
    The Original Rule Was Intended To “Shorten And Streamline” Federal Land Use Planning While Being “More Transparent And Accessible” A 2008 And 2009 Biological Opinion Found That The Central Valley Project And State Water Operations Would Threaten Endangered Species And “Destroy Or Adversely ModiFy” Critical Habitat. “The 2008 and 2009 BiOps found that the Central Valley Project and State Water Project operations would jeopardize the continued existence of listed species, including endangered Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon, threatened Delta smelt, and threatened Central Valley steelhead, and would destroy or adversely modify these species' designated critical habitat.” [California Attorney General Xavier Becerra Press Release, accessed 10/07/20] In 2019, The Fish And Wildlife Service Was Told To Prepare A New, More Limited Environmental Review Of The Shasta Dam. “This year the Interior Department’s Fish and Wildlife Service was told to prepare a new environmental review of the dam project, but this one will be much more limited in scope, according to a person familiar with the plans, who requested anonymity out of fear of retribution. The new plan would not analyze the effects on salmon habitat downstream or the effects on several rare species.” [New York Times, 09/28/19] The New Biological Opinion Weakened Protections For The Delta Smelt, Allowing Large Amounts OF Water To Be Diverted From The San Francisco Bay Delta. “The Trump administration on Tuesday moved to weaken protections for a threatened California fish, a change that would allow large amounts of water to be diverted from the San Francisco Bay Delta to irrigate arid farmland and could harm the region’s fragile ecosystem.
    [Show full text]
  • HYDROLOGY and WATER QUALITY 3.8 Hydrology and Water Quality
    3.8 HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY 3.8 Hydrology and Water Quality This section of the Draft EIR addresses the potential for the Merced General Plan to affect or modify the existing hydrology and water quality of the Planning Area. Two comment letters were received on the NOP from the Merced Irrigation District (MID) in which they said that they would “Upon development of new and existing land covered within the scope of the 2030 General Plan, MID will provide a detailed response in regards to the proposed projects and their impacts upon MID facilities.” The second letter received was in response to the NOP regarding hydrology and water quality. The commenter wants the City to prepare a Water Element and “perform an environmental review of the potentially positive environmental effects that could be based upon such additional elements.” 3.8.1 SETTING Environmental Setting CLIMATE The climate of the City of Merced is hot and dry in the summer and cool and humid in the winter. The average daily temperature ranges from 47 to 76 degrees Fahrenheit. Extreme low and high temperatures of 15°F and 111°F are also known to occur. Historical average precipitation is approximately 12” per year, with the rainy season commencing in October and running through April. On average, approximately 80% of the annual precipitation occurs between November and March. The hot and dry weather of the summer months usually results in high water demands for landscape irrigation during those months. REGIONAL TOPOGRAPHY The project area is located in and immediately adjacent to the City of Merced.
    [Show full text]
  • Brief for Respondent Westlands Water District in Orff V. United States, 03
    No. 03-1566 ================================================================ In The Supreme Court of the United States --------------------------------- ♦ --------------------------------- FRANCIS A. ORFF, et al., Petitioners, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, et al., Respondents. --------------------------------- ♦ --------------------------------- On Writ Of Certiorari To The United States Court Of Appeals For The Ninth Circuit --------------------------------- ♦ --------------------------------- BRIEF OF RESPONDENT WESTLANDS WATER DISTRICT --------------------------------- ♦ --------------------------------- Of Counsel STUART L. SOMACH DANIEL J. O’HANLON Counsel of Record WILLIAM T. CHISUM ANDREW M. HITCHINGS KRONICK, MOSKOVITZ, ROBERT B. HOFFMAN TIEDEMANN & GIRARD SOMACH, SIMMONS & DUNN 400 Capitol Mall, 27th Floor 813 Sixth Street, Sacramento, California 95814 Third Floor Telephone: (916) 321-4500 Sacramento, California 95814 Telephone: (916) 446-7979 DONALD B. AYER JONES DAY Counsel for Respondent 51 Louisiana Avenue, N.W. Westlands Water District Washington, D.C. 20001-2113 Telephone: (202) 879-3939 ================================================================ COCKLE LAW BRIEF PRINTING CO. (800) 225-6964 OR CALL COLLECT (402) 342-2831 i QUESTION PRESENTED Respondent Westlands Water District addresses the following question presented by this case: Whether the court below correctly determined that the Petitioner landowners within Westlands Water Dis- trict are not intended third-party beneficiaries of West- lands’ 1963 water service
    [Show full text]
  • Bridging the Safe Drinking Water Gap for California's Rural Poor
    Hastings Environmental Law Journal Volume 24 | Number 2 Article 4 1-1-2018 Bridging the Safe Drinking Water Gap for California’s Rural Poor Camille Pannu Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.uchastings.edu/ hastings_environmental_law_journal Part of the Environmental Law Commons Recommended Citation Camille Pannu, Bridging the Safe Drinking Water Gap for California’s Rural Poor, 24 Hastings Envt'l L.J. 253 (2018) Available at: https://repository.uchastings.edu/hastings_environmental_law_journal/vol24/iss2/4 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Journals at UC Hastings Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Hastings Environmental Law Journal by an authorized editor of UC Hastings Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Bridging the Safe Drinking Water Gap for California’s Rural Poor By Camille Pannu* Spurred by decades of inaction and continued exposure to unsafe drinking water, community leaders from California’s disadvantaged communities1 (DACs) advocated for the creation of a human right to water2 under state law.3 Shortly * Camille Pannu is the Director of the Water Justice Clinic, Aoki Center for Critical Race and Nation Studies at UC Davis School of Law. I thank the residents of California’s disadvantaged communities, and the organizations that amplify their voices, for their tireless efforts to extend water justice to our state’s most vulnerable people. Additionally, I thank Olivia Molodanof, Jessica Durney, and the Editors of the Hastings Environmental Law Journal for their patient and thoughtful editing. All errors are, of course, my own. 1. “Disadvantaged community” has become a legal term of art for an alternative poverty measure that compares a community’s relative socioeconomic status (median household income) to the statewide median household income level.
    [Show full text]
  • California's San Joaquin Valley: a Region and Its Children Under Stress
    CALIFORNIA’S SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY: A REGION AND ITS CHILDREN UNDER STRESS January 2017 Commissioned by Study Conducted by California’s San Joaquin Valley: A Region and Its Children Under Stress January 2017 Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to share with you California’s San Joaquin Valley: A Region and its Children Under Stress, commissioned by the San Joaquin Valley Health Fund, with funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Sierra Health Foundation, and prepared by the UC Davis Center for Regional Change. In preparing this report, researchers met with residents and those working with and on behalf of Valley communities to learn what their priorities are for policy and systems change. As detailed in the report, their quest for a more equitable region is focused on several priorities that include early education, healthy food, healthy living environments and equitable land use planning as the primary issues of concern. While the report documents the many racial, health and other inequities, and the particular effects they have on the lives and life chances of families raising children in the region, it also presents the vision of local leaders and community residents. We know the challenges that lie ahead will be difficult to address. While the San Joaquin Valley includes the top agricultural producing counties in California, almost 400,000 of the region’s children live in poverty and seven of the 10 counties with the highest child poverty rates in the state are in the Valley. One out of every four Valley children experiences food insecurity and they are much more likely to be exposed to pesticides while in school and to go to schools with unsafe drinking water.
    [Show full text]
  • San Joaquin Valley, California
    SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, CALIFORNIA Largest human alteration of the Earth’s surface CALIFORNIA ining ground water for agriculture has enabled the San Joaquin Valley of California to become one of the world’s most productive agricultural regions, while simulta- S a M c neously contributing to one of the single largest alterations of the r a m C land surface attributed to humankind. Today the San Joaquin Valley e n t o is the backbone of California’s modern and highly technological E R . S N . agricultural industry. California ranks as the largest agricultural R r I e h t producing state in the nation, producing 11 T E a e F R percent of the total U.S. agricultural value. R R A The Central Valley of California, which A L includes the San Joaquin Valley, the Sacra- Delta mento Valley, and the Sacramento-San N E Joaquin Delta, produces about 25 percent S V a n A of the nation’s table food on only 1 percent San Francisco Bay Jo a D q of the country’s farmland (Cone, 1997). u A in V R iver In 1970, when the last comprehensive sur- A Mendota L veys of land subsidence were made, sub- L sidence in excess of 1 foot had affected E more than 5,200 square miles of irrigable Y San Joaquin Valley P land—one-half the entire San Joaquin a c i Valley (Poland and others, 1975). The f i c maximum subsidence, near Mendota, was O c more than 28 feet. e a n 0 80 Miles 0 80 Kilometers Approximate location of maxi- mum subsidence in United States identified by research efforts of Joseph Poland (pic- tured).
    [Show full text]
  • 4.9 Biological Resources
    METROPOLITAN BAKERSFIELD METROPOLITAN BAKERSFIELD GENERAL PLAN UPDATE EIR 4.9 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES The purpose of this Section is to identify existing biological resources within the Metropolitan Bakersfield area. In addition, this Section provides an assessment of biological resources (including sensitive species) impacts that may result from implementation of the General Plan Update references General Plan goals and policies, and, where necessary, recommends mitigation measures to reduce the significance of impacts. This Section describes the biological character of the site in terms of vegetation, flora, wildlife, and wildlife habitats and analyzes the biological significance of the site in view of Federal, State and local laws and policies. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING The study area for the Metropolitan Bakersfield General Plan Update encompasses 408 square miles of the southern portion of the San Joaquin Valley, the southernmost basin of the Central Valley of California. Prior to industrial, agricultural and urban development, the San Joaquin Valley comprised a variety of ecological communities. Runoff from the surrounding mountains fostered hardwood and riparian forests, marshes and grassland communities. Away from the influence of the mountain runoff, several distinct dryland communities of grasses and shrubs developed along gradients of rainfall, soil texture and soil alkalinity, providing a mosaic of habitats for the assemblage of endemic plants and animals. Agriculture, urban development and oil/gas extraction have resulted in many changes in the natural environment of the San Joaquin Valley. For example, lakes and wetlands in the delta area have been drained and diverted, native plant and animal species have been lost and a decrease in the acreage of native lands has occurred.
    [Show full text]
  • About Kern County • Background Kern County • Water Use • Water Sources R.I
    Water in Bakersfield and Kern County About Kern County • Background Kern County • Water use • Water sources R.I. Connecticut 1,212 sq. mi. • Entities that control water 5,018 sq. mi. • Groundwater recharge Delaware 2,045 sq. mi. Area 8,170 sq. mi. – Kern County covers 5.21 million Sources: acres, roughly the area of Tom Haslebacher, Kern County Water Agency Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Jon Parker, Kern Water Bank Authority Island. About Kern County About Kern County Delano Kernville Area Ridgecrest McFarland About one-third of Inyokern Wasco Kern’s area is on Shafter the valley floor, Oildale BAKERSFIELD which is intensively Population Lamont cultivated. Kern County’s Arvin California City Taft There are 860,000 irrigated acres population is Tehachapi 677,400. It is one of on the valley floor, one-third of Maricopa which are permanent crops. the fastest growing counties in the state, Kern consistently ranks 3rd or 4th in growing 19% since the state in value of production. 1995, and about 2% per year. Kern is California’s 14th most populous county. Annual water usage in Kern County: Municipal and industrial - 182,000 acre-feet Agricultural - 2,250,000 acre-feet 1 Gross Water Supplies and Net Water Requirements San Joaquin Valley Portion of Kern County Acre-Feet July 5, 2001 4,500,000 4,000,000 Additions to Kern County water sources: 3,500,000 Groundwater Storage 3,000,000 Kern River - 22% 2,500,000 Withdrawals from 2,000,000 Groundwater Storage State Water Project (California Aqueduct) - 1,500,000 23% 1,000,000 500,000 Federal (Friant-Kern
    [Show full text]
  • Westlands Water District – Warren Act Contract for Conveyance of Kings River Flood Flows in the San Luis Canal
    Final Environmental Assessment Westlands Water District – Warren Act Contract for Conveyance of Kings River Flood Flows in the San Luis Canal EA-11-002 U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation Mid-Pacific Region South-Central California Area Office Fresno, California January 2012 Mission Statements The mission of the Department of the Interior is to protect and provide access to our Nation’s natural and cultural heritage and honor our trust responsibilities to Indian Tribes and our commitments to island communities. The mission of the Bureau of Reclamation is to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public. Table of Contents Page Section 1 Purpose and Need for Action ....................................................... 1 1.1 Background ........................................................................................... 1 1.2 Purpose and Need ................................................................................. 1 1.3 Scope ..................................................................................................... 1 1.4 Reclamation’s Legal and Statutory Authorities and Jurisdiction Relevant to the Proposed Federal Action.............................................. 2 1.5 Potential Issues...................................................................................... 3 Section 2 Alternatives Including the Proposed Action............................... 5 2.1 No Action Alternative ..........................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • San Joaquin Valley Groundwater Basin Kings Subbasin
    Tulare Lake Hydrologic Region California’s Groundwater San Joaquin Valley Groundwater Basin Bulletin 118 San Joaquin Valley Groundwater Basin Kings Subbasin • Groundwater Subbasin Number: 5-22.08 • County: Fresno, Kings, and Tulare • Surface Area: 976,000 acres (1,530 square miles) Subbasin Boundaries and Hydrology The San Joaquin Valley is surrounded on the west by the Coast Ranges, on the south by the San Emigdio and Tehachapi Mountains, on the east by the Sierra Nevada and on the north by the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Sacramento Valley. The northern portion of the San Joaquin Valley drains toward the Delta by the San Joaquin River and its tributaries, the Fresno, Merced, Tuolumne, and Stanislaus Rivers. The southern portion of the valley is internally drained by the Kings, Kaweah, Tule, and Kern Rivers that flow into the Tulare drainage basin including the beds of the former Tulare, Buena Vista, and Kern Lakes. The Kings Subbasin is bounded on the north by the San Joaquin River. The northwest corner of the subbasin is formed by the intersection of the east line of the Farmers Water District with the San Joaquin River. The west boundary of the Kings Subbasin is the eastern boundaries of the Delta- Mendota and Westside Subbasins. The southern boundary runs easterly along the northern boundary of the Empire West Side Irrigation District, the southern fork of the Kings River, the southern boundary of Laguna Irrigation District, the northern boundary of the Kings County Water District, the southern boundaries of Consolidated and Alta Irrigation Districts, and the western boundary of Stone Corral Irrigation District.
    [Show full text]
  • Analysis of San Joaquin County Economic & Social Indicators
    SJC Index San Joaquin County 2020 Analysis of San Joaquin County Economic & Social Indicators Prepared by: Meredith Huang, Jeremy Padge and Thomas E. Pogue 2 Forward This report is being released in fall 2020, a year defined by extreme social and economic change due to the global COVID‐19 pandemic. At this time, very few of the indicators highlighted in this report have any local, San Joaquin County, data available for 2020, and what is available covers only the very initial stages of the pandemic. As a result, we have decided to only present data indicators in this report through the end of 2019. In this sense, we believe it provides a useful snapshot of the current state and progress of San Joaquin County just prior to the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic. As we review these indicators in the future, some social, economic, and demographic characteristics of the county described in these pages will return to pre‐pandemic trends while others may be fundamentally changed. Thus, this edition of the San Joaquin County Index can serve as a useful benchmark for measuring the effects of COVID‐19, and a picture of the County’s comparative profile without the confounding effects of COVID‐19 that have made many traditional data indicators difficult to interpret. By reviewing data indicators for San Joaquin County and its communities in comparison to the other counties, regions, the state and the nation, the Index fosters a shared understanding about opportunities and challenges. Thus, the Index provides a foundation of reliable information to support actions to advance economic and community development.
    [Show full text]
  • Central Valley Latino-Led Organizations
    CENTRALCENTRAL VALLEYVALLEY LATINO-LEDLATINO-LED ORGANIZATIONSORGANIZATIONS ABOUT LATINO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION (LCF) LCF IS ON A MISSION TO UNLEASH THE POWER OF LATINOS IN CALIFORNIA. LCF fulfills its mission by building a movement of civically engaged philanthropic leaders, investing in Latino- led organizations, and increasing political participation of Latinos in California. LCF connects donors to emerging leaders, community organizations with funding, and advocates with key decision makers. At LCF, our approach is rooted in the very essence of what it means to be Latino, with a fierce tenacity and a focus on community and authentic relationships. LATINO NONPROFITS We believe in our community’s ability to lead change. That is why we invest in Latino-led nonprofits working on the frontlines of social change. Our grantees have the entrepreneurial vision and passion to transform their communities. We stand beside them to get it done. Below you will find a working list of Latino nonprofits in the Central Valley. To see our full database of Latino nonprofits in California, visit latinocf.org/map. THE CENTRAL VALLEY The economic engine and the heart and soul of California—the 6th largest economy in the world. The Central Valley is home to a $35 billion agricultural industry fueled by Latino and immigrant labor. Comprising half the population, Latino families from the Valley are proud, resilient people who believe in the promise of the American dream. Yet, they are battling the reality of poverty, pollution, and violence daily. Fresno, Modesto, and Bakersfield-Delano—cities with the highest revenues from agriculture—are among the top five U.S.
    [Show full text]