Advancing Local Groundwater Sustainability

Across the Lower Tule River ID & Pixley ID GSAs, farmers, landowners, and local groundwater sustainability agencies are implementing the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).

Local SGMA implementation is protecting groundwater, supporting agriculture, safeguarding communities, and strengthening California’s food system through collaboration and accountability.

Advancing Local Groundwater Sustainability

Across the Lower Tule River ID & Pixley ID GSAs, farmers, landowners, and local groundwater sustainability agencies are implementing the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).

Local SGMA implementation is protecting groundwater, supporting agriculture, safeguarding communities, and strengthening California’s food system through collaboration and accountability.

SGMA in Action

Real stories of farmers, communities, and leaders protecting groundwater and strengthening California’s agricultural future.

  • Elijah’s Story

    Local Leadership Protecting Community Water

    Elijah’s Story

    For Elijah Greidanus, farming in a world shaped by SGMA is not a transition — it is the only reality he has ever known. As part of the next generation of farmers, Elijah grew up understanding that water scarcity and accountability are permanent features of agriculture in California. Rather than resisting that reality, Elijah stepped up. Through the LandFlex program, he made the decision to cap a deep well, adjust irrigation practices, and reduce groundwater pumping on his operation. These were not abstract choices. They required planning, investment, and a willingness to operate differently than past generations. What makes Elijah’s story powerful is not just the decision itself, but the transparency behind it. His groundwater reductions are verified through satellite measurement technology, water-use monitoring, and publicly accessible dashboards. His actions protect nearby drinking water wells, reduce subsidence risks to infrastructure, and demonstrate that farmer-led solutions can deliver measurable results.

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  • Sustainability After SGMA

    A New Kind of Working Landscape

    Sustainability After SGMA

    As SGMA reshapes how water is managed, some agricultural land must change how it is used. In the Tule Subbasin, farmers and landowners are showing that this transition does not have to come at the expense of agriculture, wildlife, or community stability. Through the Multi-Benefit Land Repurposing Program, landowners are leading decisions about how their land evolves. Some acres are shifting into water-smart crops. Others are becoming habitat for migratory birds along the Pacific Flyway, recharge-compatible landscapes, or areas that support sensitive species such as the tri-colored blackbird. What makes this approach different is who is driving it. Landowners remain at the center of decision-making, choosing what works best for their land and their operations. The result is a working landscape that reduces irrigation demand, supports habitat, and keeps agriculture viable.

  • Pixley Irrigation District GSA

    Farmers leading the way on groundwater solutions

    Pixley Irrigation District GSA

    Groundwater sustainability is not something any single farmer can achieve alone. In the Pixley Irrigation District GSA, growers understand that success depends on collaboration. Farmers sit together, review data, compare impacts, and make hard decisions that affect not only their own operations, but their neighbors as well. These conversations are not easy. They involve pumping limits, tradeoffs, and near-term sacrifices that require trust and shared responsibility. Through this collaborative process, farmers are stabilizing groundwater levels, reducing subsidence risks, and protecting critical infrastructure such as canals, roads, and wells. At the same time, these decisions support something larger — California’s food system. Crops grown in this region contribute to farm-to-fork supply chains and school nutrition programs that rely on locally and sustainably sourced food.

  • Protecting Community Water

    Recharge and surface-water solutions

    Protecting Community Water

    In small, disadvantaged communities such as Teviston, Woodville, Tipton, Pixley, and Poplar, access to safe and reliable drinking water is closely tied to groundwater conditions. These communities rely entirely on groundwater. When water levels fall, the risk of well impacts increases quickly. To address this challenge, local policies now prioritize the use of surface water for recharge during storm events and high-flow periods. Recharge basins capture excess water and help replenish the aquifer beneath these towns. At the same time, some communities have secured grant funding to develop new or replacement water wells, improving reliability and reducing the risk of service disruptions. While these well projects are community-led, they complement broader recharge and groundwater management efforts across the region.

News & Updates

Stay informed about the latest developments in local groundwater sustainability.

Pixley Land Repurposing

Pixley Irrigation District landowners are making the tough choices needed to ensure a sustainable farming future.
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DWR Highlights Successful Partnership with California’s Farming Community to Protect Groundwater Supplies

DWR’s LandFlex Pilot Program has saved over 100,000 acre-feet of groundwater and protected 16,500 drinking water wells in California’s frontline communities. Enrolled lands are now in compliance with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act well ahead of the 2040 deadline.
Read more

Multi-Benefit Land Repurposing Program

A Department of Conservation Grant program, funding projects and processes for land repurposing to reduce groundwater use and restore wildlife habitat.
Read more

Local leadership and innovative thinking mean community protection and groundwater sustainability.

About

Farmers, landowners, and groundwater sustainability agencies in the Lower Tule River ID & Pixley ID GSAs are working together to implement SGMA and protect our water future.

Quick Links

Pixley Land Repurposing
LandFlex Program Expands
Multi-Benefit Land Repurposing
Community Resources

Contact Us

Lower Tule River Irrigation District

Pixley Irrigation District

[email protected]

© 2026 All rights reserved

© 2026 All rights reserved