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.

California’s agricultural landscape is transforming due to water supply challenges and the push for renewable energy. With projections of 500,000 to 1 million acres fallowed in the San Joaquin Valley by 2040, driven by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and decades of environmental water policies curtailing water supplies, farmers face tough choices: grow crops, convert land to solar, or try to do both.

Water Scarcity’s Economic Toll on California Agriculture: Why We Must Act Now If egg prices are any indication of what happens when a disruption occurs