Jennifer Clary - Program Manager

With all that’s happening right now, it can be difficult to pay attention to  anything other than the news of the day. I’m focused on groundwater; how we use it – and use too much; how we protect it from pollution – or don’t; and how we can ensure that it’s available when we need it. And even on a day when we’re not focused on a pandemic, groundwater can be easy to forgot about -- it's our invisible resource.

What's behind the recent headlines on California groundwater? Does a new study suggest the problem is solved, and that we can all go home? Er...no! 

On Wednesday, the California Water Commission approved emergency regulations for the implementation of the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).  These regulations are a significant milepost in what will be a very long journey towards groundwater sustainability in California.   

The regulations are intended to provide requirements for local agencies developing groundwater plans as well as identify the evaluation tools that will be used by the Department of Water Resources to determine if a local agency is making adequate progress towards sustainability.

Agriculture was a $54 billion industry in California in 2014, and the numbers have continued to grow each year despite the drought.  But that profit comes at a cost and one of those costs is water quality in our farming communities. 

In the wake of the Flint water crisis, a lot of media attention has focused on the country’s aging water infrastructure, nationally. Here in California, many people do not have access to clean drinking water.

You know that feeling when there’s something that really needs discussing, but nobody wants to talk about it?