Do First - San Joaquin Valley

The San Joaquin Valley is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the nation. All of the agriculture in the area creates a high demand for water. Farmers have been withdrawing groundwater from the valley since the 1920s. By the 1970s, some areas had subsidence, or sinking, of up to 8.5 m!

Think about what happens when you leave a sponge out to dry. It shrinks! This is similar to what is happening in the San Joaquin Valley. As water is taken out of the ground, the pores are left empty. The pressure from everything above ground causes the soil to become compacted.

The valley is still subsiding with sinking increasing during periods of drought. The subsidence negatively impacts California water supplies, bridges, roads, groundwater wells, permanent groundwater storage, and more. California state and federal water agencies have spent an estimated $100 million on related repairs to the San Joaquin Valley since the 1960s.