Our Blog
Charting a Future for CA’s Water
This year we’ve been hard at work alongside the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) on building a coalition of researchers, industry groups, agencies and non-profit organizations. The goal? Replenish more groundwater across California for dry times ahead. The strategy? Work together to identify the key questions, information gaps, incentives, policies and opportunities needed so…
California wildfires underscore the need to work together
Our hearts go out to the individuals, families, and businesses affected by the recent string of wind-fueled wildfires that ravaged communities and displaced hundreds of thousands up and down the state. Three years running, California has experienced some of the most frequent, intense, and devastating fires in its – and the nation’s – history. The…
Permitting, Habitat Wins for Wildlife on CA’s North Coast
Critical restoration is happening! Last month, we visited the Big River watershed in Mendocino County to chat with Elizabeth Mackey of Trout Unlimited’s North Coast Coho Project about the program’s great work to restore salmon habitat at a watershed scale, and how they use Sustainable Conservation-sponsored permits to help get their projects off the ground…
A Year of Action on Water
In 2019, California lawmakers introduced more than three dozen bills relating to water supply and storage, clean water for people and wildlife, and even reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate the effects of a changing climate on future water supplies. Since his first days in office, Governor Newsom made water – clean, affordable, reliable…
Dairy Field Days Demonstrate Clean-Water Benefits of Innovative Irrigation System
We love what we do every day to make sure California has clean, affordable and reliable water, but the most satisfying part of our work is seeing the solutions we craft with partners start to take off. We’ve been updating you on our innovative manure subsurface drip irrigation system over the past few years and…
Award Finalists Show California How to Attain a Sustainable Future
When it comes to keeping California leading in conservation, you may be surprised to learn that landowners are key front-line defenders of the environment. Over 50% of all land in California is privately owned, and how people manage this land has a dramatic effect on our environment, from combatting climate change, to boosting clean…
Water 101: What is “Beneficial Use”?
California’s water is, in a word, complicated. We’re here to try and make it easier to understand. We sat down with our Policy Director, Stacey Sullivan, to dig into the term “beneficial use,” as it’s of particular importance in regard to groundwater recharge now that the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act is in place. Watch our…
Governor Signs Drinking Water Legislation Into Law
In case you haven’t been following along with our previous policy breakdowns, California advocates and legislators have been hard at work on a drinking water solution for the over 1 million Californians who don’t have reliable access to clean water in their communities. This includes communities with wells that went dry during our last drought…
Strengthening CA’s Drought Resilience
With a record-setting snowpack this year on the heels of a near-legendary drought, California needs more ways to manage its water so we can store water when we get it, for dry times ahead. The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) is convening the state’s leading experts on water, from agencies and researchers to NGOs…
Invasive-Plants Campaign Caps Off a Successful Career with a New Home
Sustainable Conservation is in the business of fixing serious issues affecting California’s environment and people – for good. We don’t like spinning our wheels, and “this is going to take forever” will never be a strategy or rallying cry. Besides prioritizing environmental challenges and affected regions where we’ll have the greatest impact, we tackle problems…
CA’s Road to Safe Drinking Water: Update
California’s focused on safe and affordable drinking water this year, and there are many different bills on the legislative docket this year that propose different pathways to get to our water goals. As we shared earlier this month, it can all be a little confusing! Here are a few of the latest bills that’re in…
Open Nominations for the 2019 CA Leopold Conservation Award
Do you know a California farmer, rancher or forester who goes above and beyond to steward the natural resources under their care? Nominate them for the 2019 California Leopold Conservation Award®! The Award Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes landowners who inspire others with their exemplary dedication to land, water…