CFWC Releases 2025 Impact Report: A Year of Advocacy, Outreach, and Partnership The California Farm Water Coalition has released its 2025 Impact Report, offering a comprehensive look at how the Coalition continues to serve as the trusted, fact-based voice for California agriculture—a mission it has carried out since its founding in 1989. The report chronicles a year of strong advocacy, effective partnerships, and innovative public outreach that elevated the farm water story with policymakers, media, and consumers across the state and beyond. A Year of Unified Advocacy In 2025, CFWC deepened its leadership role as a unified voice for California agriculture, working alongside the Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley and the San Joaquin Valley Water Collaborative Action Program. Through

Michelle Paul Selected as New CFWC Executive Director The California Farm Water Coalition is pleased to announce the selection of Michelle Paul as its next executive director. Ms. Paul will replace Mike Wade, who is retiring in February from his role as the Coalition’s executive director, a position he has held since 1998. Ms. Paul was selected following a comprehensive statewide search led by the Coalition’s executive director selection committee, which considered a strong and diverse field of candidates from across California. She will join the Coalition in mid-January and assume full responsibilities on March 1. “We were fortunate to meet with a number of exceptional individuals who demonstrated a deep commitment to California agriculture and the vital role water plays

On July 24, 2025, the State Water Resources Control Board released an updated Bay-Delta Water Plan, a critical framework designed to protect the ecological health of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta while addressing California’s diverse water demands.

The golden mussel, an invasive species from East and Southeast Asia, is spreading rapidly in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta since its discovery in October 2024. This tiny invader threatens California’s $50 billion agricultural industry by clogging irrigation systems, which could disrupt water deliveries, reduce farm production, and raise food prices. Efforts are underway to monitor and control its spread to protect our food supply.

This week, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced an increase in the Central Valley Project (CVP) water allocation for south-of-Delta agricultural contractors, raising it from 50% to 55% for the 2025 water year. While this modest increase offers some relief to farmers, farm workers, and rural communities in the San Joaquin Valley, it underscores the ongoing challenges of California’s unreliable water supply system. Insufficient water allocations have far-reaching consequences, not only for agriculture but also for the nation’s food supply.