By Frank Mendonsa, Local Dairy Farmer and Board Member, Western United Dairies

As a farmer in a critically overdrafted basin, I know firsthand that California’s groundwater challenges are not abstract policy debates. The decisions we make about water affect our farms, our communities, and whether agriculture can continue for generations to come. A few years ago, local farmers partnered with the State, local water agencies, and community organizations through LandFlex to reduce groundwater pumping where those reductions could make the greatest difference.

The goal was to protect vulnerable drinking water wells while giving agriculture practical tools to move toward long-term groundwater sustainability. Today, we know that approach worked and have the results to prove it.

Since its launch in late 2022, the California Department of Water Resources, or DWR, reports that LandFlex has awarded $23.3 million to six Groundwater Sustainability Agencies and helped save more than 100,000 acre-feet of groundwater while protecting approximately 16,500 drinking water wells. The program also reduced over-pumping, supported recharge and helped protect critical water infrastructure from land subsidence.

Those results should matter as California decides how to continue investing Proposition 4 funding. Approved by voters in 2024, Proposition 4 is a $10 billion climate bond supporting safe drinking water; drought, flood, and water resilience; wildfire and forest resilience; coastal resilience; extreme heat; biodiversity; climate-smart working lands; parks; and clean air. Within that investment, $75 million is available to DWR for projects that increase agricultural and urban water conservation. LandFlex should be a priority because we already have evidence that it delivers measurable benefits.

The need for tools like LandFlex is only becoming clearer. A recent study found that parts of the Sacramento Valley experienced permanent land subsidence of up to 2.7 feet during the 2020–2022 drought. Subsidence can reduce aquifer storage and damage the infrastructure California relies on to move water. LandFlex helps address that challenge by reducing groundwater overdraft in targeted areas.

At the same time, implementing the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act will require agriculture to adapt to reduced groundwater availability. The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) estimates that irrigated farmland in the San Joaquin Valley could decline by as much as 900,000 acres. LandFlex offers a viable response to PPIC’s recommendation that the State pursue alternatives to leaving farmland bare, including lower-water crops and practices that reduce groundwater demand while maintaining productive uses.

For farmers like me, that distinction matters. Sustainability cannot simply mean taking land out of production without considering what comes next. Farmers need practical options to reduce water use, adapt our operations, and keep land productive where conditions allow.

That is exactly the type of transition LandFlex was designed to support. The program provided incentives for temporary fallowing, permanent reductions in groundwater overdraft, and climate-resilient agricultural practices. It also worked through local Groundwater Sustainability Agencies, allowing decisions to reflect local conditions rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all solution.

Partnership was another reason LandFlex succeeded. DWR worked with local agencies and farmers to target investments where they could provide the greatest benefit. In total, 52 farms enrolled 4,474 acres, with participating lands brought into SGMA compliance well ahead of the 2040 deadline for critically overdrafted basins.

California does not need to start over. We have a program that has protected drinking water wells, reduced pumping, supported groundwater recharge, and given farmers practical tools to transition toward sustainability. We also have lessons from the pilot that can make the next version even stronger.

As farmers, we understand that adapting to California’s water future will require change, but the best solutions recognize agriculture as a partner in that work. Proposition 4 gives California the opportunity to build on a proven investment and expand a program that has already delivered measurable results. We know LandFlex works. Now we should put it back to work.

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Frank Mendonsa is a local dairy farmer and board member of Western United Dairies, which represents dairy farm families throughout the state.