The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) notes that irrigated farmland in California’s San Joaquin Valley is expected to contract by as much as 900,000 acres through implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). In a report titled SGMA-Ready Crops as a Low-Water Alternative to Fallowing, PPIC authors suggest that planting crops such as winter grains and forages is preferable to leaving land fallow when water supply is limited. They identify crops that help prevent dust and heat problems associated with fallow land and can generate economic return if harvested as livestock feed when there is enough moisture.
