Trump budget signals long-overdue shift toward pragmatic water management | Opinion

By William Bourdeau, Special to The Fresno Bee

To meet the challenges of climate variability, California must double down on modernizing its water system. Robert Gauthier Los Angeles Times

Over the years, a troubling narrative has taken hold in political circles and media coverage — one that portrays irrigated agriculture in California’s San Joaquin Valley as a misuse of precious water.

As someone who has spent decades farming this land and advocating for its future, I can say with certainty that this argument isn’t just misinformed, it’s dangerously disconnected from the realities of how our food system works.

Fortunately, times are starting to change. The pendulum is beginning to swing back toward common sense, and the voices of those who understand the importance of agriculture are finally being heard.

California’s Central Valley is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world. We feed America. Yet, under the guise of environmental protection, the federal and state governments have systemically restricted water deliveries to farms, even in wet years with ample precipitation and full reservoirs. This is not a water shortage problem; it is a policy failure.

Governmental agencies have used outdated interpretations of the federal Endangered Species Act to limit water deliveries in the name of species protection.

Meanwhile, the state Water Resources Control Board, while not directly enforcing the federal act, has enacted regulations that not only go beyond federal requirements, but are often crafted with the apparent goal of being more restrictive. They prioritize theoretical environmental models over results, leading to devastating consequences for communities, California’s economy and our domestic food supply.

Thankfully, there is reason for hope: The Trump administration’s recent budget proposal signals a long-overdue shift toward pragmatic, America-first water management. Reforms under the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of the Interior promise to put science, common sense and working families back at the center of water policy.

This budget includes provisions to expedite water storage and conveyance projects, streamline permitting for critical infrastructure and reduce the regulatory choke-hold that has paralyzed progress for decades. These are not giveaways; they are necessary investments in national food security and our economy.

A recent study by UC Davis underscores the urgency of these reforms: It found that reduced Central Valley Project water allocations have not delivered measurable environmental benefits, but have inflicted real harm on the state’s economy and environment. Less irrigation means less food, fewer jobs, more fallowed land and increased reliance on foreign imports. It’s a policy that undercuts both sustainability and resilience — driving up emissions, draining aquifers and weakening California’s role in feeding the nation.

To meet the challenges of climate variability, California must double down on modernizing its water system. That means building and expanding above-ground storage facilities, repairing and improving conveyance through the Delta and Central Valley and investing in groundwater recharge and banking infrastructure. These are smart, future-proof projects that will benefit us all.

The public deserves to know the truth: Irrigated agriculture is not the enemy of environmental sustainability; it is a cornerstone of it. Farmers have adopted cutting-edge irrigation technologies, pioneered groundwater recharge facilities and consistently produce more with less. What we need now is a regulatory framework that supports our efforts, rather than punishes them.

I urge lawmakers, regulators and everyday Americans to stand with the people who feed them. Support the Trump administration’s common-sense reforms. Invest in infrastructure that keeps food growing and communities thriving. And reject the false choice between farming and the environment.

This article was originally published by The Fresno Bee. Used with permission.