From our blog: News

GrizzlyCorps Fellow Hayley Willner’s Final Reflections

Sustainable Conservation’s Accelerating Restoration team was interested to hear perspectives from experts, project proponents, and funders throughout California on funding mechanisms for habitat restoration and what else could be done to create a stable, adequate funding system.

San Joaquin Valley Watershed Studies Blog Series: Modeling the Future of Groundwater Recharge

To understand how water managers may protect California against flooding and groundwater overdraft in a warming climate, DWR linked several distinct pieces of software that simulated upper watershed snowpack and runoff, routed river flows, managed reservoir pools, optimized recharge operations, and modeled the resulting groundwater movement to determine the ultimate fate of recharged water.

San Joaquin Valley Watershed Studies Blog Series: A Roadmap for a Changing Climate

The Watershed Studies are a novel approach to modeling climate change impacts at the watershed scale, from precipitation trends in the upper watershed to groundwater behavior beneath the Valley floor.

Riparian Restoration 101: Definition, Techniques & Benefits

At a glance Riparian zones (the thin ribbons of green along riverbanks) are California’s most wildlife-dense habitats, supporting over 225 species of birds, mammals, and reptiles. Read full summary ▾ Over the last 100 years, development and river regulation have destroyed between 90% and 95% of these critical corridors. Investing in riverbank restoration is a…

New Guide to Help Winegrape Growers Perform Recharge on Vineyards

A Groundwater Recharge Guide for Vineyards Sustainable Conservation and the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA) have released A Groundwater Recharge Guide for Vineyards to help winegrape growers evaluate, plan, and implement on-farm groundwater recharge to contribute to regional groundwater sustainability. As California’s wine regions face growing groundwater pumping regulations under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), the guide equips growers with…

New Fact Sheets Bring Cover Crop Guidance for California Growers

Each fact sheet combines the latest research with grower experience on the ground, going well beyond general cover crop guidance to meet farmers where they are. The suite builds on the foundation of practical considerations for managing cool-season cover crops with maximal water benefits and minimal water use laid out in the May 2025 guidance document, and extends it with a depth of context, data, and practical implementation detail.

Sustainable Conservation Donor Profile: Jeff Loomans and Patricia Munter

Sustainable Conservation Board Chair Jeff Loomans and his wife, Patricia Munter, first became involved with Sustainable Conservation in 2018. Since then, they have become dedicated champions of the organization’s work, with Jeff joining the Board and stepping into the role of Board Chair at the beginning of this year.