Our Blog
What Are Depleted Aquifers? Understanding the Basics
At a glance Aquifer depletion happens when groundwater is pumped out faster than rain and snowmelt can refill it. When pumping keeps outpacing refill year after year, it’s called “overdraft.” Read full summary ▾ Groundwater provides roughly 40% of California’s water supply, and up to 60% in dry years. California has designated 21 groundwater basins…
Economic Impacts of Climate Change: National Trends and California Solutions
At a glance Climate change drops US GDP by an estimated 3% as global temperatures tick upward. Read full summary ▾ US households pay up to $1,000 every year in climate-related costs like spiked insurance premiums and utility bills. Wildfires destroy billions in property annually, causing major insurance companies to pull out of high-risk states…
Sustainable Conservation Celebrates the Reauthorization of a Vital Permitting Tool
Restoration projects throughout California come in all shapes and sizes. Practitioners often need to move quickly to take advantage of seasonal conditions, available funding, construction windows, and opportunities to improve habitat. Restoration-specific permitting pathways, like the HREA, have long track records of ensuring measures are in place to reduce temporary impacts, while enabling long-term environmental gains.
How New Research Could Make On-Farm Nitrogen Management Easier
Across three California dairies and more than 90 samples, EC measurements closely tracked total nitrogen, ammonium, and estimated plant-available nitrogen concentrations in blended lagoon water. The relationship was strong across farms and different manure management conditions, suggesting EC could provide a useful estimate of nitrogen even as manure composition and dairy characteristics change.
Accelerating Ecological Restoration in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and the Suisun Marsh
Restoring wetlands and re-wetting soils are among the most direct tools the state has to reverse these effects while strengthening the Delta’s resilience to climate change and increasingly volatile weather. Meeting these goals will require restoration projects to move from planning to implementation at a faster pace and greater scale.
Donor Profile: Brenda Christensen and Thomas Barry
You don’t have to give thousands or millions. Small gifts make big differences, too. Finding effective organizations that use the money well and get results makes it easier to give.
CEO Column: The Uncomfortable Middle
Much like the youngest child in the backseat of a station wagon, we tend to find ourselves in the “uncomfortable middle.” Not many people or organizations would envy that position, but we love it.
California Drought History: Main Drought Events and Their Lasting Impact
At a glance California experienced its worst drought in 1,200 years from 2012 to 2016. This severe multi-year event triggered the first mandatory statewide water conservation measures in the history of the state. Read full summary ▾ Dry cycles cause parts of the Central Valley to sink by several feet. This land subsidence from heavy…
San Joaquin Valley Watershed Studies Blog Series: Ecosystem Infrastructure
The I-FIRM strategy models habitat improvements through reservoir reoperations and additional natural infrastructure that includes river restoration, flow-through basins, and shorebird habitat. This blog walks through each of these components and outcomes as they relate to ecosystem impacts in the Watershed Studies.
Groundwater Recharge Incentives and Strategies
Distributing water across the landscape for groundwater recharge benefits the groundwater basin and helps reduce downstream flood risks. The State of California has promoted the practice of on-farm recharge by making it easier for landowners to access floodflows for recharge without a water right.
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.
2026 California Leopold Conservation Award Finalists
Three finalists have been selected for the 2026 California Leopold Conservation Award. The award honors farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat on working land.