GRA's Groundwater 101 Week starts next Monday
The Groundwater Resources Association (GRA) of California will host “2026 Groundwater 101 Week,” a series of 11 virtual training sessions spread over five days. The week-long event runs Monday–Friday, July 13–17. Each two-hour session starts at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. (Monday’s event also includes a 45-minute session beginning at noon.) Registration is required for the series and for individual sessions. For details, see the agenda on the GRA website.
New PPIC report suggests an alternative to farmland fallowing
The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) released a report last month that questions the practice of widespread and uncoordinated fallowing of San Joaquin Valley farmland. PPIC’s investigation concluded that irrigated farmland in the San Joaquin Valley may shrink by up to 900,000 acres, or 20 percent, as the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) is implemented. Instead of widespread fallowing, the report suggests, growers can adopt “SGMA-ready” crops, especially winter grains and forages, which require little water and modest investment. Research shows these crops, managed with early planting, limited irrigation, and early harvest, conserve groundwater while maintaining recharge comparable to fallow and even improving rainfall recharge in wet years. These crops also reduce dust, pests, and heat; generate income; and provide flexible options under varying weather conditions. To learn more, read SGMA-Ready Crops as a Low-Water Alternative to Fallowing on the PPIC website.
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Second CWP Advisory Committee Meeting in August
DWR will host its second California Water Plan 2028 Advisory Committee meeting in Southern California next month. The two-day event will be on Tuesday, August 25 (1–5 p.m.), and Wednesday, August 26 (8 a.m.–noon), at the Los Angeles County Public Works building in Alhambra. The meeting will also be viewable via YouTube livestream; links to the livestream will be available soon on the CWP Advisory Committee meetings page. To prepare properly for this event, DWR requests an RSVP from individuals planning to attend. More information about this meeting is provided in the event flyer. The Advisory Committee is an appointed body, and all committee meetings are open to the public.
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California Wildlife and Landscape Resilience Action Plan
The California Wildfire & Forest Resilience Task Force (Task Force) has released its draft California Wildfire and Landscape Resilience Action Plan (2016–2031) and is encouraging public comments through Friday, August 7. To share key components of this five-year action plan, including the framework for mobilizing regional action, the Task Force is offering a series of four webinars, each tailored to a different region of the state. Attendees will hear directly from regional partners working collaboratively to advance wildfire resilience in their region, and each webinar will conclude with a Q&A. More information, including an agenda and a list of presenters, is available on the Task Force website. Registration is required for each webinar.
- Sierra Nevada regional webinar: Thursday, July 9, 2:00–3:15 p.m.
- Southern California regional webinar: Tuesday, July 14, 1:00–2:15 p.m.
- Northern California regional webinar: Thursday, July 16, 10–11:15 a.m.
- Central California regional webinar: Thursday, July 16, 2–3:15 p.m.
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WestFAST webinar on DOJ and water in the West
The Western States Federal Agency Support Team (WestFAST) will host its fourth webinar of 2026 on Thursday, July 9, at noon. “Overview of Water Rights Litigation Nationwide” will provide an update on the U.S. Department of Justice’s current water-related litigation in the West. Registration is not required to attend this webinar; simply click on link in the webinar announcement to attend via Microsoft Teams or by phone. A recording of this webinar will be available online within two weeks following the webinar.
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AWE Launches New Resource on Data Centers & Water
As data centers continue to expand across North America, concerns have emerged about data center water use, missed opportunities to improve water efficiency, and water reuse. To help utilities and other water practitioners engage more effectively in the planning and design of data center projects in their communities, the Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE) has released a new resource: A Data Center Primer for Water Service Providers. The resource addresses concerns about growing water demand, limited stakeholder involvement, and missed opportunities for water efficiency and reuse. It also provides technical background and practical guidance on data center types, cooling technologies, water use, and integrating water considerations into development decisions. The publication also includes a Data Center Coordination Workbook to support early collaboration, informed planning, and long-term water sustainability. To learn more, visit Maven’s Notebook to read Data Centers: Alliance for Water Efficiency releases data center primer for water service providers.
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