Richael Young: Why Groundwater is More Important than Ever
Sustainable Conservation’s team is hard at work to scale multibenefit groundwater recharge to capture water in wet years, store it underground, and make it available in dry years.
Tag Archives: Water for the Future
Recharge and Beyond: A New Viewer for Multibenefit Land Repurposing
With California’s landmark groundwater regulations coming into effect, pumping groundwater to irrigate agriculture at its current acreage is unsustainable in some regions. Without alternatives, land managers might be left with idling their land as the most affordable option, but this can contribute to dust, pollution, weeds, pests, and other negative impacts for neighboring farms and nearby communities — all while providing no earning potential.
Soil Health Meets Recharge: Lessons from the Field
Cover crops are a known practice in California agriculture for reducing water runoff, increasing the amount of water that can infiltrate and stay in the soil, improving biodiversity, limiting groundwater pollution, and supporting better air quality, among other benefits. But under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), concerns persist about whether cover crops “count against” growers’ limited water budgets and begs the question, is cover cropping worth the risk?
CEO Column: Josette Lewis’ Reflections to Start 2026
“There is no miracle prescription that will solve all of California’s climate and natural resource challenges, but a combination of science-backed solutions that can be feasibly scaled across the state is what gives me hope right now.”
People, Place, and Policy Webinar Series Recap
Join our donor community for invites to future events like this and to help us advance the collaborative stewardship of California’s land, air, and water for the benefit of nature and people!
From Concept to Practice: Reflections on the 2025 Flood-MAR Network Forum
On November 5-6, 2025, over 120 water professionals, researchers, farmers, and agency representatives gathered for the Flood-MAR Network’s biennial forum. The energy in the room told a story years in the making: flood-managed aquifer recharge (Flood-MAR) is gaining widespread adoption across California. Mike Antos (Stantec) opened the forum with a quote from Charles F. Brannan,…
Sustainable Conservation’s Hopes for Water Year 2026
Each October 1st, the start of the new Water Year quietly slips by most Californians’ calendars — but not Sustainable Conservation’s Water for the Future Team!
Welcoming New Staff Members Wendy Rash and Kristen Murphy
Join us in giving Sustainable Conservation’s newest staff members, Wendy Rash and Kristen Murphy, a warm welcome!
Notes from the Field: Central Valley Climate Resilience Tour
On October 14th, more than 30 Sustainable Conservation community members, donors, Board members, and staff piled into a tour bus for a jam-packed day of sightseeing cutting-edge climate resilience projects throughout the Central Valley.
Welcoming our New GrizzlyCorps Fellows: Ryan Wakefield and Hayley Willner
Join Sustainable Conservation in welcoming its two GrizzlyCorps Fellows for the 2025-26 term, Ryan Wakefield and Hayley Willner!
2024 Annual Report
Read our 2024 annual report to learn what your generosity made possible last year.
Improving Recharge Outcomes and Soil Health: Combining Cover Cropping and On-Farm Recharge in California Pistachio Orchards
What if we could make OFR even better? What if we could enhance water infiltration, reduce nutrient leaching, and improve soil health all at the same time? That’s exactly what we’re exploring through this Specialty Crop Block Grant Program project combining cover cropping with on-farm recharge in California pistachio orchards.