October 17, 2025

Managing Groundwater: From Policy to Practice

29 minutes

California’s 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) was designed to stabilize the state’s groundwater resources, but its implementation has posed significant challenges, particularly for small-scale farmers. Many of these producers across the state face barriers to accessing technical support and taking part in decision-making processes under SGMA. While large agricultural operations can invest in efficient irrigation systems or purchase extra water, small-scale farmers stand to be hit the hardest by water caps and overuse fees.

On this episode of Terra Verde, host and producer Hannah Wilton is joined by Catherine Van Dyke, Deputy Director of Water Policy at the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), and Ngodoo Atume, SGMA Small Farms Technical Assistance Coordinator with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Small Farms Network. They discuss how SGMA is playing out on the ground and share their insights on how policy actors can work together to ensure the state’s most vulnerable farmers aren’t left behind.

The post Managing Groundwater: From Policy to Practice appeared first on KPFA.

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