The San Joaquin Valley groundwater crisis developed through generations of decisions that often made sense at the time. Now SGMA has brought the bill to our table, and what we do next will become the inheritance we leave behind.

SGMA is reshaping groundwater management, agricultural land, rural economies, and community life across the San Joaquin Valley. The decisions being made today will determine what future generations inherit.

SGMA may be necessary, but implementation does not land evenly. For small farms, one more fee, deadline, report, or requirement arrives on top of everything farming already costs. The 40-acre test asks whether small farms can survive the cost of farming and the cost of compliance at the same time.