California’s Water Supply Should Keep Valley Farmers Afloat This Summer

Two years of heavy rain have helped the state recover from the drought, but experts say sustaining supplies will require more infrastructure.

Water pump pipes are seen at the Little Connection of the San Joaquin River in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta near Stockton, Calif., on Sept. 28, 2005. David McNew/Getty Images

Farmers in California’s Central Valley are confident that there will be enough water for this summer’s crops, thanks to two years of robust rainfall and a plentiful Sierra snowpack.

It’s welcome news for Californians working in agriculture, especially after the state has survived several years of on-and-off drought. For the Sierra snowpack, which helps supply water to the valley through sources such as the Kings River and Pine Flat Dam, the 2024 rainy season brought a “surprisingly average” year, as one University of Utah expert put it.