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How California’s new Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program aims to ensure communities and farmers are more involved in land and water use planning by making their engagement a requirement for funding recipients. The post California’s new farmland repurposing program requires community engagement. This guide describes how. first appeared on Growing Returns.

EDF-UC Merced guide that provides best practices for community and grower engagement for implementation of California's Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program.

Why this new program is so critical to San Joaquin Valley's water. The post Gov. Newsom proposed nearly doubling funds for a new farmland repurposing program. Here are 4 ways it can help people and wildlife. first appeared on Growing Returns.

Arizona needs to protect groundwater for all Arizonans, not just the ones who can drill the deepest. The post Arizona water is at a crossroads. Will the Legislature respond? first appeared on Growing Returns.

Legislation to protect rural Arizona groundwater has stalled for two years but Arizonans across the state have spoken: It’s time to move forward on a vote to protect this vital natural resource. The post Arizonans have spoken: It’s time to protect rural groundwater. first appeared on Growing Returns.

Last February, Texans got a terribly clear view of the fragility of their state’s water infrastructure, as a statewide freeze left millions of Texans without heat or electricity and almost half of the state’s population lost water. This event provided a stark reminder of what’s at stake. The state’s 2022 water plan estimates that more …

Tom Neltner, Chemicals Policy Director The Cincinnati City Council has voted unanimously to authorize Greater Cincinnati Water Works (GCWW) to pay 100% of the cost of replacing private lead service lines (LSLs) that bring drinking water to customers’ homes and other buildings. The Council’s December vote supports its larger strategy to “provide quality healthy housing …

Jennifer Ortega, Research Analyst, Environmental Health This past Wednesday, Rhode Island’s Childhood Lead Action Project (CLAP) led a coalition of groups in submitting a civil rights complaint to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) against the Providence Water Supply Board (Providence Water), pursuant to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The administrative complaint highlights the discriminatory …

Statement by Kevin Moran in response to Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey State of State address proposing $1 billion for water projects, in particular desalination.

Tom Neltner, Chemicals Policy Director and Lindsay McCormick, Program Manager  Dr. Karen Baehler and her team at American University’s Center for Environmental Policy, with support from EDF, recently published a peer-reviewed case study highlighting the environmental justice issues that arise when water utilities require property owners to pay when they replace lead service lines (LSLs) that connect …

Protecting Texas’ vulnerable groundwater supplies raises a challenging dilemma: How can you motivate people to stand up for an underground resource they cannot see? So, we made a video to bring this vital resource to life. The post New EDF video helps Texans visualize and protect the groundwater they cannot see first appeared on Growing Returns.

The Biden-Harris Administration announced a broad action plan across ten federal agencies to replace all lead pipes in the country within a decade.

Groundwater management in Texas is headed in the wrong direction, but groundwater agencies have the authorities and tools to reverse this alarming trajectory. The post Wells and springs are drying up in Texas. Here is what leaders can do about it. first appeared on Growing Returns.

Water for Arizona Coalition and Kevin Moran, Senior Director, Colorado River Program, on solutions to Colorado River challenges, including less water use.

EDF report focuses on groundwater conservation districts and the regulatory tools that are available to these districts to manage groundwater sustainably.

EDF Guide to existing authorities and management tools for groundwater conservation districts and communities in Texas.

With the Grand Canyon Protection Act, Congress has an opportunity to help safeguard a global treasure and its waters while advancing environmental justice. The post The Grand Canyon Protection Act would advance water security and environmental justice at critical time first appeared on Growing Returns.

Many have established Chief Resilience Officers to provide coordinated statewide leadership to reduce risks, protect communities, and the environment.

It’s critical we prepare now to capture and store water during shorter, intense wet periods so that more water is available during the inevitable increasingly severe drought years ahead. The post Capturing water from atmospheric rivers will help build drought resilience in California. Here’s how. first appeared on Growing Returns.

Real-time data will put farmers and policymakers on the same page when making water management decisions. The post Measuring water use in California’s Delta is a “fool’s errand.” OpenET will change that. first appeared on Growing Returns.

OpenET uses satellites to estimate water consumed by crops, providing critical data for water management in 17 western states for the first time.

This new platform from EDF, NASA, Desert Research Institute, Google and others helps farmers figure out how to get as much as they can out of every drop of water.

As Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close while the drought in California stubbornly marches on, here are three critical steps state and local leaders need to take to address water equity. The post 3 critical actions for water equity in California’s Latino communities – ¡apúrense! first appeared on Growing Returns.

Gov. Gavin Newsom approved a budget in SB 170 that dedicates $50 million for a new land repurposing program to help farmers reduce groundwater use.

To tackle 21st century water challenges, we need new skills. The Water Leadership Institute can help. The post Developing rural water leaders as drought and water scarcity intensify first appeared on Growing Returns.