A new study organized by state agencies points toward significant improvement in understanding and managing agricultural water use in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

Measuring actual water use by crops in the Delta has always been a challenge. In the most recent drought (2012-2016), lack of accurate and timely estimates on crop water use in the complex setting of the Delta hampered both water resource management and water use regulation. In response, scientists from several state agencies and universities organized the first rigorous scientific effort to compare and improve seven emerging methods for estimating crop water use in the Delta.