This week’s California Water Plan eNews includes:

• Two sustainable groundwater management meetings scheduled for California tribes
• Considering fire as a drought management tool in state forests
• In-depth study looks at water use in single-family homes
• Draft guidelines released for urban rivers program offering $20 million in grants
• New request form offers path to assistance for small communities
• Annual Green California Summit opens this week in Sacramento

This week’s California Water Plan eNews includes:

• DWR accepting comments on draft water-energy grant documents
• Seminar will take a look at recently adopted stormwater strategy
• Technical panel to take up draft report on landscape water use efficiency
• Free webinar to discuss what California can learn from Australia’s drought measures
• Update on groundwater sustainability plans will be presented to CWC
• Watershed University offers a free lesson to California water managers

This week’s California Water Plan eNews includes:

• USGS offering funding to help support national groundwater network
• Forest service and conservancy present webinar on California Headwaters Partnership
• Water use efficiency training being offered in the Central Valley
• CWEMF sets schedule for annual meeting and series of workshops
• Investment program regulations to be discussed at water commission workshop
• Sustainable communities and high-speed rail on Strategic Growth Council agenda
• Scientific panel calls for coordinated action plan to preserve ocean chemistry

USDA Forest Service, et al., June 19, 2015. Meadows in the Sierra Nevada maintain summer groundwater levels at or near the land surface in an otherwise seasonally dry montane landscape. Their role in retaining and releasing water makes meadows critically important for the hydrology of California’s headwaters as well as for fish and wildlife habitat, cultural resources, forage production, wildfire fuel loading, and recreation.

Many of the meadows in the Sierra Nevada have been eroded by incised channels, also known as entrenched channels or gullies. Channel incision increases local groundwater flow gradients and, consequently, groundwater discharge from meadow aquifers to streams. This enhanced groundwater drainage results in lower water-table elevations, decreased groundwater retention, and conversion of wet meadows to forested or brush-covered alluvial flats.

Click here for full report.

This week’s California Water Plan eNews includes:

• Back-to-back groundwater symposiums offered by the GRA this month
• Drought challenges and solutions to be discussed at San Diego conference
• Details on El Nino and sea level rise highlight latest edition of WestFAST newsletter
• Meadow study looks at groundwater storage in Sierra Nevada forests
• Annual water policy conference set for next month in Sacramento
• New Envision website offers updated resources for sustainable projects
• Public workshops on Natural and Working Lands and Forest Carbon Plan

This week’s California Water Plan eNews includes:

• Action plans map out tactics for California to deal with climate change
• New tool available to submit groundwater information for adjudicated areas
• Water storage public hearing will be part of next California Water Commission meeting
• Water institute’s newsletter highlights research projects and new blog
• Preliminary program and registration information posted for annual CWEMF meeting
• Registration is open for annual IEP workshop to be held in April
• California Water Summit early bird pricing available through this Friday

Click here for the April 20^th Google Earth and Web-Mapping Workshop online web flyer and registration link hosted by the University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Registration is limited to the first 17 people. Cost for the workshop, which includes lunch, is $30/person. The workshop will be from 11am – 4pm at the Plumas County Planning Department conference room.

Click here for flyer.

This week’s California Water Plan eNews includes:

• Cal OES provides details on availability of federal disaster mitigation funding
• The combination of SGMA and climate change to be discussed at Davis conference
• Lessons California can learn from the way Australia handled a long drought
• Showcase will feature water conservation experts and topics
• State transportation plan includes goal for environmental stewardship
• Transportation and water projects will be the focus of the infrastructure symposium
• 2016 funding fair schedule kicks off this April in Sacramento

The Watershed Improvement Plan (WIP) Regional Strategy identifies key information, trends, plans, efforts, and data for major categories influencing watershed health, as well as the process and timeline for implementing the WIP.

The key activities are:

• assessing watershed restoration needs across the Sierra
• increasing investment in the Region
• addressing policy issues to ensure the implementation of needed restoration projects and the infrastructure needed to support such efforts

The SNC and the USFS Region 5 will act as the primary coordinators of the WIP and partner activity. However, given the scope and scale of this program, your active engagement and participation will be critical, which is why we are encouraging you to provide your feedback on the WIP Regional Strategy. The comment period is open until March 18, 2016. You may send your comments to SNCWIP@sierranevada.ca.gov.