Study Finds That Subsidence, Groundwater Over-Pumping Could Limit Future Water Deliveries if No Action is Taken

ca.gov
A recently released technical report concludes that the sinking of land in the Central Valley due to over-pumping of groundwater, referred to as subsidence, has restricted the amount of water the State Water Project (SWP) can deliver in a year by 3 percent. By 2043, if no action is taken, the current trajectory of subsidence, combined with climate change, could reduce deliveries by 87 percent. The SWP, one of California’s primary water storage and delivery systems, helps supply water to 27 million Californians and 750,000 acres of farmland and businesses throughout the state.

The technical report, an addendum that builds on the Delivery Capability Report (DCR) released in 2024, analyzed the capability of the SWP to deliver water under both current and potential future conditions in the year 2043. The new findings underscore the importance of eliminating groundwater overdraft in the Central Valley and repairing existing damage to the state’s main water-delivery arteries.

Read the full article at ca.gov