DWR kicked off December with the release of the San Joaquin Basin Flood-MAR Watershed Studies (Watershed Studies) last week. The Watershed Studies include a summary document and five individual watershed reports that, together, provide an in-depth look at the future climate challenges and adaptation opportunities in the San Joaquin Basin. The basin has suffered through decades of groundwater overdraft and increasingly severe floods that put water supplies, communities, agriculture, and the environment at risk. The Watershed Studies explore how capturing and storing floodwater underground — a practice known as Flood-Managed Aquifer Recharge (Flood-MAR) — can turn extreme weather events into opportunities. These comprehensive reports open the door for pilot projects that could be implemented to learn from real-world experience and improve over time. FAQs, factsheets for each watershed, additional resources, data, and related information are available at DWR’s Watershed Studies webpage. For an overview of the study, see the DWR Watershed Studies press release.

Because of technical issues, last week’s Lunch-MAR webinar is rescheduled for next Thursday, Dec. 18, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. This month’s presentation will be from the San Joaquin Flood-MAR Watershed Studies team; they will present and describe results from the five watershed studies that provide a compelling case for innovative and at-scale implementation of Flood-MAR strategies and actions. Because this webinar is a rescheduled event, registration is required. (Note: This unique link is for this session only.) The presentation will be recorded and posted on the California Flood-MAR Network’s YouTube channel and on the Flood-MAR Hub.

The California Wildfire & Forest Resilience Task Force will hold its last meeting of 2025 this Friday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the California Natural Resources Agency headquarters building in downtown Sacramento. Agenda items for the quarterly meeting include discussing the Director’s Report, Senate Bill 252 (Natural Catastrophe Resiliency Study), the draft 2026 Action Plan, wildfire trends, investment outcomes, and progress made in 2025. No registration is needed for in-person attendees; those joining via Zoom will need to register online.

With the first day of winter less than two weeks away, it’s easy to forget about wildfires. Fortunately, the California Wildfire & Forest Resilience Task Force (Task Force), established by Governor Newsom in 2021, continues year-round to tackle one of the state’s most urgent challenges: reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire while restoring the health of California’s forests and wildlands. The Task Force is a collaborative effort to align the activities of federal, State, local, public, private, and Tribal organizations to support programs and projects tailored to the unique priorities and risks of each region. The Task Force’s fall newsletter includes eight important articles on wildfire-prevention and forest resilience-building efforts, including a new executive order (N-35-25) directing State agencies to reduce red tape and expand tools to safely deploy beneficial fire projects; U.S. Senate-driven “Fix Our Forests Act” bipartisan legislation; a U.S. Forest Service $32 million investment in California, in part to fund 18 state projects to remove more than 275,000 tons of biomass that otherwise would remain in the forests and present a wildfire risk; and two new research towers that will provide critical forest health information on California’s coast redwood forest. To sign up for the Task Force e-Newsletter, visit their subscription webpage.

Watershed Solutions Network and the California Water Data Consortium will host a free event celebrating the achievement of near-statewide light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data coverage. This event will take place tomorrow, Dec. 11, from 4 to 6 p.m., at the Elks Tower in downtown Sacramento, The celebration will commence with a keynote address from California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot and will highlight how this comprehensive data resource strengthens our shared ability to advance forest resilience, watershed management, climate adaptation, and more. Attendees will enjoy hors d'oeuvres, refreshments, and demonstrations of how LiDAR data supports fire response and recovery across California. Registration is required.