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Independent, objective, nonpartisan research
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PPIC Water Policy Center

The PPIC Water Policy Center spurs innovative water management solutions that support a healthy economy, environment, and society—now and for future generations.

photo - Farmers Shaking Hands in Field
Report · September 2023

Managing Water and Farmland Transitions in the San Joaquin Valley

photo - Dripping Faucet
Fact Sheet · April 2023

Water Use in California

photo - Olive Ranch in Bakersfield, California
Policy Brief · February 2023

Policy Brief: The Future of Agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley

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Blog Posts

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photo - Flooded Fields and Structures on Eastern Side of Tulare Lake in California, -pixel-ca-dwr-2023_05_12_ZZ_0031_Tulare_Lake
September 27, 2023

The Weird Weather of 2023: Better Get Used to It

Jeffrey Mount, Gokce Sencan, Michael Dettinger

photo - Farmers Shaking Hands in Field
September 26, 2023

Video: Managing Water and Farmland Transitions in the San Joaquin Valley

Sarah Bardeen

photo - California Aqueduct in the Central Valley near Tracy, California
September 26, 2023

Commentary: Water-use Challenges Affecting Farmers Means Reinventing the San Joaquin Valley

Ellen Hanak, Caitlin Peterson

photo - Rolling green hills on Fresno farm
September 13, 2023

How Might Small Farms Fare Under SGMA?

Spencer Cole, Ellen Hanak, Alvar Escriva-Bou

Events

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Managing Water and Farmland Transitions in the San Joaquin Valley

September 20, 2023

Fact Sheets

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photo - Dripping Faucet
April 2023

Water Use in California

Jeffrey Mount, Ellen Hanak, Caitlin Peterson

photo - Cultivated Fields with Irrigation
April 2023

Water Use in California’s Agriculture

Caitlin Peterson, Alvar Escriva-Bou, Josué Medellín-Azuara, Spencer Cole

photo - Water Faucet with Hand and Glass
April 2023

Water Use in California’s Communities

Andrew Ayres, Caitlin Peterson, Annabelle Rosser

photo - Whitewater River in Forest
April 2023

Water Use in California’s Environment

Jeffrey Mount, Caitlin Peterson, Gokce Sencan

Featured Blog Post · August 30, 2023

Mapping Farms by Size in the San Joaquin Valley

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Key Areas

Fact Cards

About 40% of water used by California cities and farms comes from underground aquifers.
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Southern California’s cities and suburbs rely on the dwindling Colorado River for about one-third of their water.
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Who uses water in California?
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240+ The number of endangered or vulnerable California freshwater species.
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Most California water systems that fail to meet safety standards are in rural, low-income communities of color.
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California added more than 5 million people since 1990, yet urban water use changed little.
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The past 20 years have been the warmest in California history, making droughts more intense.
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Two-thirds of dams in California are more than 50 years old.
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1 in 5 Californians are vulnerable to flooding.
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