The California Water Institute at Fresno State convened water leaders and stakeholders from across the region for the two-day San Joaquin Valley Water Resilience Summit May 20 and 21 – focused on moving the Valley from reports to results, and from results to action.
Hosted in partnership with the California Department of Water Resources, the summit was designed to identify shared regional priorities, policy needs, pilot projects and next steps to strengthen long-term water resilience in the San Joaquin Valley.
Throughout the summit, participants emphasized that the Valley’s water challenges – including groundwater sustainability, flood management, conveyance limitations, infrastructure constraints, land-use transitions, ecosystem needs and safe drinking water – cannot be addressed in isolation.
“The Valley already has reports, studies and plans. What we needed was a space to bring leaders together, identify where there is alignment and begin shaping a clear, actionable message about what the San Joaquin Valley needs.”
Laura Ramos, director of the California Water Institute at Fresno State.
Day 1 of the summit focused on understanding the system, including presentations on Department of Water Resources studies, climate risks, conveyance challenges, flood-managed aquifer recharge opportunities and the Unified Water Plan. Day 2 shifted toward implementation, with participants working to identify regional priorities, regulatory and permitting barriers, pilot initiatives, funding needs and accountability structures to guide future action.
Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval emphasized the national significance of the Valley’s water future, noting the Central Valley produces 25% of the nation’s food supply and 45% of U.S. fresh fruits and vegetables.
“This is not just a regional issue. It is a national food security issue,” Jiménez-Sandoval said. “The summit must lead to concrete advocacy with Sacramento and the federal government.”
Speakers throughout the summit also stressed the importance of developing a more unified Valley voice around water priorities and solutions. Discussions highlighted the need for collaboration across agencies, districts, industries, researchers and communities to advance practical and implementable solutions.The California Water Institute will now synthesize input from the summit into a follow-up letter to state leadership and a summary report outlining regional priorities, pilot project concepts, policy directions, regulatory considerations and opportunities for continued collaboration. The report will be available on the California Water Institute website.
