In California’s Central Valley, the value of farmland is closely tied to agricultural production, which relies on water. Cropland prices can range from less than $10,000 per acre to over $60,000 per acre. … Land prices can also be influenced by longer-term changes in water scarcity and environmental factors. For instance, implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), passed in 2014, will likely require reductions of intense agricultural production in areas of long-term groundwater overdraft. If less irrigation water is available, how will cropland production and acreage be affected? Are long-term regulatory changes already getting incorporated into farmland values in the state? Parsing out these influences from the many factors affecting farmland values requires lots of data, especially to detect both spatial and temporal trends.

Other agricultural water news:

• Politico: This farmer (Stuart Woolf) is taking the long view on Trump
• The Manteca Bulletin (Calif.): South San Joaquin Irrigation District may assist fish flow, farmers south of the Delta