Breaking the Silos: Why the San Joaquin Valley Needs Regional Collaboration on Water

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For decades, the San Joaquin Valley has tried to tackle its water challenges in isolated corners. Cities, water agencies, agriculture, environmental groups, and counties all work in silos. But the scale of our water crisis is too large for any one sector or agency to fix alone. Despite long efforts, little progress has been made because we have not coordinated our efforts.

The floods of 2023 made this reality undeniable. Kings River runoff surged to a 40‑year record of 4.5 million acre‑feet. Tulare Lake reappeared. Nearly 94,000 acres of farmland were inundated and communities were threatened. But in many places, the infrastructure and coordination needed to capture that floodwater for recharge simply were not in place. Legal uncertainties over water rights compounded the problem. We lacked regional collaboration, and so that precious water slipped away.

Flooding is one of our greatest threats and also our greatest opportunity. If we work together across counties, agencies, and industry, we can capture floodwater, recharge aquifers, protect communities, and build resilience.

That is why regional collaboration is not just a concept. It is our only path forward. Insurance and housing markets are recognizing flood risks. Farmers, cities, and ecosystems all share the same aquifer. The next flood is only a matter of time. When it comes, will we be ready to act as one?

The California Water Institute is already working across Fresno, Madera, Merced, and Tulare counties to build tools and frameworks that help region-wide recharge using floodwater. It is leveraging GIS to visualize recharge capacity and planning for regional coordination.

But Valley advocates should not act alone. The Water Blueprint shows how a united voice increases influence, shaping funding decisions, policy reform, and project implementation. Imagine a Valley where we pool ideas, infrastructure, and strategies, not simply duplicate local efforts but elevate them through synergy.

Siloed responses will not secure the Valley’s water future. Only by collaborating across boundaries, agency, industry, county, can we prepare for floods, restore groundwater, and safeguard our communities.

The San Joaquin Valley’s water story does not have to be one of shortage and crisis. It can be one of shared innovation, resilience, and success but only if we choose to speak and act as one.