California Water Plan 2013: San Joaquin River Hydrologic Region Report

The San Joaquin River Hydrologic Region remains one of the largest agricultural regions in California with irrigated acreage increasing slightly from 2005 to 2009, at the same time that overall water supplies declined. The 2007-2009 drought caused reduced surface water supplies, leading to increased groundwater pumping. Agricultural groundwater use increased from a little more than 1.6 million acre-feet (maf) in 2005 to more than 3.2 maf in 2009. Nonetheless, agricultural values increased from 2005 to 2008, declined somewhat in 2009, but bounced back in 2010.

Furthermore, the urban population continues to grow, gaining 5 percent from 2005 to 2010. While agriculture is a stable economic sector, disadvantaged communities (DACs) still exist in the region, with four of the most populous cities in the region also qualifying as DACs: Stockton, Merced, Lodi, and Madera. To address the issues of lower water supplies and higher demands, as well as attempt to ameliorate water problems for DACs, local stakeholder groups are accelerating their use of resource management strategies via integrated regional water management group efforts.