Large global-scale vegetation sensitivity to daily rainfall variability

Nature Portfolio (Springer Nature) | December 11th, 2024

Click here for a plain language summary from NASA.

Click here for a plain language summary from NASA.

Letter in support of the Temporary Urgency Change Petition (TUCP)

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | February 19th, 2023

Levee Decisions and Sustainability for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

University of California, Davis (UC Davis) | August 15th, 2010

Managing Agricultural Irrigation Drainage Water: A guide for developing Integrated On-Farm Drainage Management systems

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | May 6th, 2004

Chronic problems of salt, selenium, boron and other naturally occurring elements in surface and groundwater supplies plague agricultural regions throughout the Westside o

Chronic problems of salt, selenium, boron and other naturally occurring elements in surface and groundwater supplies plague agricultural regions throughout the Westside of the San Joaquin Valley and the western U.S. Compounding the problem is the build-up of salty subsurface groundwater resulting from dense clay layers and inadequate natural drainage. The Integrated On-Farm Drainage Management (IFDM) system was developed to manage these problems. A state-of-the-art, yet practical irrigation management system, the IFDM provides for drainage water reuse to improve water availability for crop production and to minimize salt and selenium risks to water quality and the environment. IFDM manages irrigation water on salt sensitive, high value crops and reuses drainage water to irrigate salt-tolerant crops, trees and halophyte plants. Salt and selenium are removed from the farming system and can be marketed. This system views the subsurface drainage water containing salts and selenium as resources, rather than considering them as wastes and environmental problems.

Mid-Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency 2022 First Amended Groundwater Sustainability Plan

Mid-Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency (MKGSA) | July 27th, 2022

Due to size, this file has been divided. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9

Due to size, this file has been divided. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9

Minimizing the Impact of Cannabis Cultivation on California Lands and Waterways

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | February 17th, 2017

Following recent changes in state law and voter-approved initiatives, California’s commercial cultivation of cannabis for recreational and medical use is expected to gr

Following recent changes in state law and voter-approved initiatives, California’s commercial cultivation of cannabis for recreational and medical use is expected to grow significantly. The State Water Resources Control Board has adopted a state cannabis policy to set up strict environmental standards, and a permitting system to protect local surface water from dewatering, protect water habitat and prevent pollution in the state’s rivers and streams. Left unregulated, cannabis cultivation can pose serious threats to water quality and the environment. Cannabis cultivation impacts include the release of fertilizers, pesticides and other supplements that degrade water quality and threaten wildlife. Excessive water diversions can injure fish or even dewater smaller streams. The physical alteration of the land can harm stream habitat and wildlife by the sediment and debris that is deposited in waterways by unregulated cultivation. Overview: The State Water Board’s “Cannabis Cultivation Policy, Principles and Guidelines for Cannabis Cultivation” (Policy) will be implemented through a water quality permit and a water right. The water quality permit is referred to as a Statewide General Order for Cannabis Cultivation Activities (Cannabis General Order). The water right is referred to as a Cannabis Small Irrigation Use Registration. Tiered Approach: The Cannabis General Order consists of a tiered permit structure based on threat to water quality. Tier 1 Cannabis Cultivators have a disturbed area greater than 2,000 square feet and less than 1 acre (43,560 square feet). Tier 2 Cannabis Cultivators have a disturbed area equal to or greater than 1 acre.

Modeling the dynamic penetration depth of post-1950s water in unconfined aquifers using environmental tracers: Central Valley, California

Journal of Hydrology (Elsevier) | December 5th, 2022

The penetration depth of post-1950s recharge (D-1950) in aquifers is a marker that is frequently used to identify groundwater that is susceptible to anthropogenic contami

The penetration depth of post-1950s recharge (D-1950) in aquifers is a marker that is frequently used to identify groundwater that is susceptible to anthropogenic contamination. Here, we compute D-1950 values at wells, interpolate them in space, and project them across time to map the moving front of modern recharge in four dimensions in the Central Valley aquifer system, California, USA. Tracers of groundwater age (tritium, carbon-14, noble gases, sulfur hexafluoride, and chlorofluorocarbons) were collected at 650 wells spatially distributed throughout the Central Valley and were fit to a lumped-parameter model that assumes a logarithmic age-depth profile in the aquifer. For samples where tritium was present (>0.3 tritium units), the model was used to predict D-1950 at wells screened above or across the modern-premodern interface (n = 484). Wells with samples where tritium was absent (≤0.3 tritium units) were used to define the depth beyond which groundwater is completely premodern (n = 166). Predicted D-1950 values were below the depth of screen bottoms for wells where groundwater is completely modern, and above the depth of screen tops for wells where groundwater is completely premodern. The interpolated surface of D-1950 is dynamic, less prone to extreme values, and produces maps with lower interpolation errors due to a higher spatial density of wells than maps based on the depth of premodern groundwater. Between 2005 and 2025, D-1950 is expected to deepen by 11 and 12 m in the northern and southern parts of the Central Valley, respectively. Areas where D-1950 increases rapidly are likely to see increases in nitrate and other anthropogenic contaminants associated with the downward moving front of modern water.

More with Less: Agricultural Water Conservation and Efficiency in California – A Special Focus on the Delta

Pacific Institute | September 8th, 2008

California farmers can grow more food and fiber with less water, according to the Pacific Institute report, More with Less: Agricultural Water Conservation and Efficiency

California farmers can grow more food and fiber with less water, according to the Pacific Institute report, More with Less: Agricultural Water Conservation and Efficiency in California – A Special Focus on the Delta. The report offers a comprehensive analysis of how to maintain a strong agricultural economy while improving the efficiency of water use and reducing groundwater overdraft and water withdrawals from the critically threatened Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The study finds agricultural water-use efficiency can be improved through careful planning, adopting existing, cost-effective technologies and management practices, and implementing feasible policy changes. The report also provides recommendations to overcome some of the financial, legal, and institutional barriers that can hinder farmers from implementing such adaptations and investments.

Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program Annual Report 2023

California Department of Conservation (CDoC) | April 9th, 2024

The Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program (MLRP) increases regional capacity for repurposing irrigated agricultural land to uses that reduce reliance on groundwat

The Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program (MLRP) increases regional capacity for repurposing irrigated agricultural land to uses that reduce reliance on groundwater while providing community health, economic well-being, water supply, habitat, renewable energy, and climate benefits. The program provides funding for regional block grants, tribal grants, and a Statewide Support Entity to provide technical assistance to block grantees and support progress toward program goals.

Multiple Benefits of Water Conservation and Efficiency for California Agriculture

Pacific Institute | July 29th, 2014

California farmers have made progress in updating and modernizing irrigation practices, but despite past efforts, great untapped potential remains to use water more effic

California farmers have made progress in updating and modernizing irrigation practices, but despite past efforts, great untapped potential remains to use water more efficiently. Water efficiency – defined as measures that reduce water use while maintaining the benefits water provides – has been shown to be a cost-effective and flexible tool to adapt to drought as well as to address longstanding water challenges in California. Moreover, today’s investments in efficiency will provide a competitive advantage in the future and ensure the ongoing strength of the agriculture sector in California. Water-efficiency strategies provide important benefits to farmers, ecosystems, and society. Some of the water saved represents new supply that can be dedicated to other uses. But there are also compelling reasons to seek reductions in total water withdrawals, e.g., allowing farmers to maintain and even improve crop yields and quality; protecting water quality; reducing fertilizer, water, and energy costs; and boosting profits. The multiple benefits associated with reducing both consumptive and non-consumptive water uses argues for a comprehensive approach for promoting water-efficiency improvements that allows us to address complex and interrelated water management challenges in California, including water-supply reliability, conflicts among water users, the risks of droughts, worsening water quality, and ecological degradation. This fact sheet and infographic, The Multiple Benefits of Water Efficiency for California Agriculture, describe some of these important benefits.