You have likely heard us describe Sustainable Conservation’s work as scaling highly collaborative, science-backed solutions. But how does a single idea grow from a pilot to a statewide solution? It takes time, research, cross-sector collaboration, and lots of trial and error to arrive at a scientifically valid, scalable, and economically viable solution. This newsletter presents our current solutions as parts of a watershed – showing what we’re testing today to pave the way for future environmental and community benefits.
First come several projects in the research phase, which we will equate to headwaters. Snowmelt has the potential to build rushing rivers, but at this vital point in the solution-finding process, meticulous progress is necessary to ensure scientific validity and scalability. New solutions and partnerships will be highlighted, along with a proven success that has the potential to scale across California.
Next, we will spotlight our longstanding projects that have gone from snowmelt to stream to fast-flowing river. These most recognizable Sustainable Conservation solutions, like groundwater recharge, restoration permitting, and manure subsurface drip irrigation (MSDI), are spurring meaningful advancements in adoption, policy, and partnerships to support clean, bountiful water.
Finally, a few projects are poised to serve as trail-blazing models for similar solutions. These breakthroughs can be thought of as dam removals, clearing the way for a river to reconnect with other ecosystems and waterways. Your support at each phase of the watershed enables us to turn years and even decades of testing into solutions that can scale and sustain.
Many thanks,
Ashley Boren
P.S. In case you have yet to hear, I’ll be transitioning my role to a new CEO at the end of 2025. After 28 years, I’m entering a season of “lasts,” including this newsletter. Time flies as sure as our rivers run. Stay tuned for more information on the leadership transition and what’s next for Sustainable Conservation!
Our program lifecycle starts with research and intentional listening. Then, we build partnerships to test and quantify impacts. The progress in this stage is sometimes slow and always methodical, like how a snowcap gradually melts to feed a downstream river.
Three examples of projects currently in this stage:
High-Carbon Amendments (HCAs)
Feeding soil’s microbial community with HCAs such as almond hulls can temporarily immobilize nitrogen, potentially leading to safer regional water quality. In partnership with a team of local experts, research on the specific relationship between winter HCA applications and nitrate leaching is underway on California’s Central Coast.
Manuresheds
An estimated 92% of the San Joaquin Valley’s surplus dairy manure could be beneficially used within just 10 miles of existing dairies. Solving fertilizer needs in California’s Central Valley with a manure-based fertilizer economy can help limit nitrogen imports and protect local water quality, all while generating revenue and environmental benefits for farm-adjacent communities.
Nutrient Reuse on Almonds
Netafim USA, a longtime partner on the MSDI system is once again teaming up with Sustainable Conservation to adapt the technology to fertilize and irrigate almond orchards. With food safety as the top priority, the De Jager Dairy pilot is designed to prove MSDI’s efficacy in recouping the fertilizer potential of manure byproducts for a wider range of crops.
Some of Sustainable Conservation’s most familiar projects have spent decades evolving from snowmelt to trickling streams and then to roaring rivers. These flagship initiatives are defined by deep-rooted partnerships, a long track record of success, and a demonstrated ability to scale for statewide impact.
See what these programs look like in 2025.
Accelerating Restoration Permitting
Our 2024 report, Accelerating Restoration in the Sacramento Valley and Beyond, found that 75% of restorationists consider dedicated permitting pathways “essential.” Building on this, a collaborative statewide roadmap is now in development to help practitioners navigate the fastest routes to project approval so connected swaths of habitat can be revitalized.
From January to June 2025, two of the most recent permits developed with Sustainable Conservation’s support have been used over 65 times. These tools enabled projects like San Luis Obispo County’s Arroyo Grande Stream Gauge Modification, which reconnected 8 miles of steelhead habitat, and Mendocino County’s Ten Mile Habitat Enhancement, which saw a record-breaking return of 5,500 Central California Coast coho salmon.
Recharging Our Groundwater
Since 2014, the Water for the Future team has piloted and scaled on-farm recharge. Trail-blazing partners like Don Cameron and Christine Gemperle demonstrated that recharge is among California’s most cost-effective practices to mitigate both the peaks and troughs of the water supply. The Public Policy Institute of California found on-farm recharge volumes nearly doubled between 2017 and 2023, validating these efforts and reinforcing our commitment to realizing its full potential.
In partnership with the Department of Water Resources, watershed-scale analysis is advancing to better understand when, where, and how recharge can deliver maximum water security along with community and habitat benefits.
Safely and Efficiently Fertigating Feed Crops
The MSDI system has grown from its first pilot in 2014 to a widely adopted solution for dairy feed crops. Today it irrigates 5,581 acres (about the area of JFK Airport) in California, saving 3.18 billion gallons of water, cutting 8,366 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, and preventing 3.49 million pounds of nitrate leaching each year. Its proven ability to conserve water and nutrients while reducing groundwater pollution has led USDA to incentivize commercial adoption.
Nitrate – largely from manure and synthetic fertilizers – is one of the most widespread groundwater pollutants affecting the Central Valley. While MSDI curbs nitrate leaching on dairies, it doesn’t solve the Valley’s overall surplus. That is why new research in manuresheds and almond orchard trials is underway to expand the system’s use cases and amplify its impact.
In 2025, our programs achieved two first-of-their-kind victories that we hope will serve as models for replication. These milestones – built on years of collaborative work and catalyzed by key funding, science, or policy – are like dam removals, opening the floodgates for future projects to flow more easily and with greater impact.
Regional Policy Breakthrough The East Turlock Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (ETSGSA) implemented a water credit for growers who use cover crops. Incentives like this one reward growers for improving their soil health while shifting systems toward practices that support long-term sustainability for agriculture and communities. We’re excited to continue working with ETSGSA and other GSAs across the state to elevate innovative models like this one.
Transforming Farmland for Community Benefit In Fairmead, an unincorporated San Joaquin Valley community facing both groundwater insecurity and flood risk, a community-led project is turning a retired 17-acre orchard into a multi-benefit stormwater basin. Supported by the California Department of Conservation’s Multi Benefit Land Repurposing Program, the project will recharge groundwater, reduce flood risk, restore native habitat, and create the town’s first publicly accessible green space – a powerful example of community-led conservation advancing our environmental resilience.