The National Grazing Lands Coalition’s mission is to promote ecologically and economically sound management of all private grazing lands for all their adapted uses and multiple benefits to society. The NatGLC recognizes grazing lands as a major source of watershed filtration, ground water recharge, and carbon sequestration, providing improved soil, water and air quality. The purpose of these grants are to facilitate the following: (1) demonstration of how improved soil health afects grazing lands sustainability (2) establishment of conservation partnerships, leadership, and outreach, (3) education of grazing land managers, professionals, youth and the public, (4) enhancement of technical capabilities, and (5) improvement in the understanding of the values and multiple services that grazing lands provide. Projects must include soil health as it relates to grazing lands sustainability and include at least one of the following components: demonstration projects; field days; workshops; or publication and/or media development and distribution.  Click here for more information.

Learn how grazing and irrigation management impact soil health and effect productivity. The workshop will be held from 9:30am to 12:30pm on Friday, October 2nd, at the Johnson Ranch in Taylorsville. Click here for the meeting flyer.

Click here for the Update, which includes information on an upcoming release of Proposition 1 funds for storage and drought relief.

This week’s Water Plan eNews includes:

• South Lahontan chapter completes regional reports for groundwater update
• New look for Water Use Efficiency makes it easier to apply for funding
• Proposition 1 workshop will collect input on $510 million in IRWM grant funding
• Discussion of direct potable reuse set for this month in Berkeley
• California Water Commission sets agenda for two-day meeting this month
• Annual conference will provide outlook for California agriculture in 2016
• Looking to strike a balance between food production and water demands

This week’s Water Plan eNews includes:

• Three groundwater update chapters posted, webinar to be held next week
• Final meeting on basin boundary modification set for tomorrow
• Water video explains the value of services provided by utilities
• Mountain counties association to take a look at water issues in the Delta
• Save the date for a workshop on a list of priority natural resources
• Desalination strategies and technologies highlight two-day conference

Don’t expect El Niño to end the drought or increase rain and snow in Northern California.

“The strongest signal for El Niño for the storm track to increase in activity is for Southern California,” says Meteorologist Michelle Mead, with the National Weather Service in Sacramento. “California is a pretty large state, and, while we do have reservoirs in Southern California, the major reservoirs that are responsible for the water management of the state are actually located in Northern California.” Click here for full article.

DAVIS, Calif. — Drought strategies for managing alfalfa and many other crops are available free from UC Agriculture and Natural Resources. As California endures a fourth year of drought and ever-tightening water supplies, water-management strategies have become even more critical to farmers.

To help farmers make the best use of the water they have available, a series of new and updated drought tips fact sheets has been developed by UC ANR scientists and funded by the California Department of Water Resources. Click here for full article.

This week’s Water Plan eNews includes:

• California’s drought response to be examined at joint agency workshop
• More materials from draft UWMP Guidebook hearing posted online
• New date set for webinar on four chapters of Groundwater Update 2013
• DWR releases draft guidelines for groundwater planning, and basin grants
• NASA radar images reveal Central Valley land subsidence
• Groundwater association offers a symposium on creating a sustainability plan
• Delta Plan performance measures on the next agenda for the DSC

This week’s Water Plan eNews includes:

• DWR advisory group offers climate change perspective and guidance
• CalEPA reports on research plan needed to address climate change
• Project WET providing a climate science curriculum for teachers
• Sierra Nevada Conservancy opens draft strategic plan to public comments
• How NASA satellite missions are contributing to water resource management
• Groundwater basin overdraft to be discussed at meeting and webinar
• Sharing strategies for creating successful water rate structures
• California’s Groundwater Update 2013 webinar postponed

Since October 2011, nearly all of California is “missing” at least a year’s worth of rainfall. Parts of the southern Sierra Nevada and Los Angeles basin are missing over two year’s worth.