A recent viewpoint in the Sacramento Bee highlights the modern and innovative thinking that is underway in the Sacramento Valley to manage water for multiple beneficial uses. In “Here’s how rice farmers prevent flooding and help wildlife,” the authors discuss how a “multi-benefit approach to flood and water management is at the core of the … Continue reading “Multi-benefit Approaches for Water in the 21st Century”

By Charleen Beard, Associate Engineer, Shasta County The Redding Area Groundwater Basin underlies south central Shasta County. It is a healthy basin with minimal water elevation changes over the past fourteen years as you can see from the four locations shown on the graph below. Surface water supplies were curtailed during the recent drought and … Continue reading “Shasta County – Sustainable Groundwater Management”

By Todd Manley Over the years, I have witnessed (and, at times, have been personally guilty of) suggested strategies for addressing water management issues, particularly those with an environmental context, that have centered on proposals that start off with the phrase “They should.”  Prime examples of this are, “They should pay for it,” “They should … Continue reading “The Shift from “They Should” to “We Are””

By Tim O’Halloran, General Manager, Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District During the recent drought, there were many stories about declining groundwater levels throughout California, which is expected when less surface water is available. What has not been covered as much is that in most areas groundwater returns to levels that existed before … Continue reading “What is Sustainable Groundwater Management in Yolo County?”