Ellen Hanak, Alvar Escriva-Bou, and Sarge Green write:
“The San Joaquin Valley is on the brink of a major transition as it seeks to balance its groundwater accounts. California’s largest farming region has the state’s biggest groundwater deficit — almost 2 million acre-feet per year by our estimates.
To put it in context, that’s about one Don Pedro Reservoir’s worth of water a year. Groundwater overdraft — pumping more than is replenished over the long term — makes wells go dry, increases energy required to pump water and causes land to sink, which in turn damages major regional infrastructure. These harmful impacts have become increasingly costly to address. … ”
Read more from the Fresno Bee here: Analysis says to end Valley’s groundwater overdraft, farmland must be retired