The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) has released a 50-page report, Improving Groundwater Security in the United States, addressing the condition of America’s groundwater aquifers. These essential resources support nearly half of the nation’s drinking water supply, sustain agricultural production, and power industries across the country. The report offers evidence-based strategies and several recommendations to assist State, Tribal, and local leadership in making informed decisions and plans for ensuring groundwater accessibility and sustainability. A summary of PCAST's key recommendations is provided in the White House press release about the report. And a recent Los Angeles Times article explores how this report plays a role in California farming.

The 2024 California Water Leaders cohort has released a report with targeted recommendations on Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) implementation for policy makers and government agencies to consider. The recommendations aim to ensure that the state’s over-pumped groundwater basins reach sustainability under SGMA, which became law in 2014. The 21-page report, Recommendations for Implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, published by the Water Education Foundation, proposes fostering a more equitable and transparent approach to groundwater sustainability as California grapples with the increasing pressures of climate change, prolonged droughts, and the demands of a growing and diverse population.

The Internet of Water Coalition recently collaborated with Colorado State University’s Ross Lab to create the policy brief Open-Source Collaborations for a Sustainable Water Future. The brief addresses data deficit gaps in data collection, lack of transparency in data documentation, user interface challenges, and barriers that inhibit informed decision-making, among other issues. The brief also offers water sustainability recommendations to empower leaders to get the most from their data and make the best decisions for their constituents.

The Natural Floodplain Functions Alliance (NFFA), a 3,000-member affiliation dedicated to the protection and preservation of floodplains and coastal areas, will host a three-part webinar series on expanding floodplain restoration work across the nation. The webinar series, called “Community-Led Solutions in Floodplain Management,” will address opportunities to improve the climate crisis, biodiversity crisis, and racial justice crisis through the lens of an integrated floodplain management framework and floodplain restoration. The first webinar will be on Thursday, Jan. 16, noon–1 p.m., and will focus on frontline communities most affected by flood risk. The second and third webinars will be held in April and July. Registration is required.