California’s Department of Water Resources (DWR) has opened the public comment period for the LandFlex Program, a grant program that aims to limit unsustainable groundwater pumping by farms.
The program aims to free up water in the event of a fourth consecutive dry year, accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), and prevent drinking water supply problems in 2023.
In more detail, LandFlex is a $25 million grant program that would award funds to local groundwater sustainability agencies to pay growers to immediately idle land as a one-year drought relief measure. The proposed program would target the operators of small- and medium-size farms in areas where agricultural pumping reductions could help keep household and small community system wells from going dry.
Before LandFlex is officially launched, a public comment period on the draft guidelines will begin on Friday, Dec. 9 and close on Thursday, Dec. 29. Public comments may be submitted via email to [email protected].
In California’s drought-stricken communities, drinking water wells are going dry because groundwater is being pumped faster than it can be replenished. DWR developed the LandFlex Program in coordination with the Department of Food and Agriculture to further protect drinking water supplies.
In order to reach vulnerable communities in need and provide small or disadvantaged farmers access to the program, DWR says that it is working directly with partners in non-governmental organizations and the agriculture industry to spread the word about this program. Partners include the Community Alliance with Family Farmers, Self-Help Enterprises, Western United Dairies Foundation, and the Almond Alliance.
DWR says that, as of Nov. 2022, 1,394 dry wells have been reported statewide — a nearly 40 percent increase over the same period last year. For comparison, fewer than 100 dry wells were reported annually in 2018, 2019, and 2020.
For those interested in applying for a LandFlex grant, DWR will host an Applicant Workshop on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023. Registration for the workshop and more information about the LandFlex program are available on DWR’s LandFlex webpage.
