The California Water Action Collaborative

Investing in Forest Resilience (aka Yuba II)

Status: In development | Location: Yuba County | Region of Origin: CA-wide

Wildfires are now the biggest natural disaster facing the Western US. 65% of California’s water supply originates in watersheds at high risk of wildfire. Restoring healthy function to forests includes interventions such as thinning, prescribed fire, meadow restoration, invasive plant removal, native plant regeneration, and road decommissioning. The US Forest Service has identified 63 million acres of forest and grasslands at high or very high risk of catastrophic fire, but the USFS does not have the resources to restore these forests alone. By implementing a Conservation Finance model, Blue Forest & the World Resources Institute seek to scale forest restoration across the West, starting in California. The Yuba II Project focuses on two interrelated activities: general fuels reduction followed by underburning and prescribed fire. Removing fuels from the landscape while retaining large, fire-resistant trees creates a more fire-resilient landscape. Where possible, trees and vegetation removed by the project will be used for commercial products, supporting the local restoration economy as a co-benefit to wildfire risk reduction. Underburning will restore fire back into a fire dependent ecosystem, improve forest health, and reduce accumulations of small, dead, and downed fuels. Similar to thinning, intentional burns reduce the risk that wildfires become large and uncontrolled. Reduced fire risk also protects communities from risk to their drinking water supply from increased sediment and toxins. Reduced vegetation water use after restoration enhances water supply for the Yuba Water Agency and the communities and farmers in their service area. In addition, overall healthier forests help sustain good water quality for the communities that live downstream of the Yuba River Watershed. Protecting water quality and enhancing water quantity for the Yuba Water Agency has the potential to provide hydroelectric power, drinking water, water for agriculture, and flood control for over 30,000 people. Overall, this project reduces the risk of severe wildfires, protects ecosystems and communities, and delivers a range of other monetary and non-material benefits. Everyone benefits from a healthy forest: - Utilities benefit from enhanced water flows and avoided sedimentation and damage from large fire and post fire flooding events. - Counties benefit from increasing rural community resilience through job creation and protected homes. - Companies benefit from a more secure water supply while being able to take credit toward water positive goals and engaging in public private partnerships. - Society benefits from avoiding massive carbon emissions and poor air quality tied to wildfire.

Project lead(s): Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF), Blue Forest, World Resources Institute Participating CWAC members: National Forest Foundation, Danone, Target, US Forest Service (ally) To learn more: Contact Sara Hoversten, Director, Business for Water Stewardship, BEF –  shoversten@b-e-f.org 

California Dairy Water Quality Improvement

Status: Active | Location: San Joaquin Valley | Region of Origin: San Joaquin Valley

California’s dairy industry is incredibly important for global milk production, as well as local revenue and jobs. Over 90% of the state’s dairies are located in the agriculturally-rich Central Valley, a region suffering from poor groundwater quality and increasingly uncertain water supplies. Dairy producers in California use water to flush their cows’ stalls, and the nutrient-rich water is then applied to the crops producers grow to feed their cows through flood irrigation. While the practice is a good use of on-farm waste and reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers, many dairies often generate more manure and nutrients than can be applied safely to their crops. Excess nitrates and other potentially harmful substances can contaminate underground aquifers, threatening critical groundwater resources much of the Central Valley relies on for irrigation and drinking water. This project, led by Sustainable Conservation, partners with dairy farmers to convert irrigation of forage crops from flood to drip, deploying an innovative new technology that delivers manure nutrients directly to crops through irrigation drip tape. 217 acres are expected to be converted to manure drip irrigation systems. The manure drip fields utilize approximately 47% less water to grow 21% more crops compared to control flood fields.

Project lead(s): Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF)

Participating CWAC members: Sustainable Conservation & Netafilm

To learn more: Visit the  Business for Water Stewardship page  or contact Sara Hoversten, Director, Business for Water Stewardship, BEF –  shoversten@b-e-f.org 

California Wildfire Restoration: Camp And Carr Fires

Status: Active | Location: Butte and Shasta Counties* | Region of Origin: CA Wide

The magnitude of the 2018 California wildfire season was unprecedented. Extreme loss of life and property due to the Camp and Carr fires was particularly devastating. Between July and December, an estimated 8,000 fires burned across California, consuming more than 1.8 million acres of forestland. Five fires alone—Carr, Mendocino Complex, Camp, Hill, and Woolsey—combined to destroy more than 22,000 structures. 98 people lost their lives. The Arbor Day Foundation is working together with the American Forest Foundation and the Department of Agriculture among other local groups, replanting trees on a large-scale in the Camp Fire’s burn scar of Paradise, California. The forest will never be the same. A necessary mix of tree species are being planted. More fire-resilient, native tree types have been chosen to prevent future destruction. The oak to pine ratio previously was 20 percent oak to 80 percent pine. However, that ratio will likely be reversed for greater forest resilience. Overall, the Arbor Day Foundation has made California wildfire recovery a high priority, initially targeting 3,000,000 trees and around 10,000 acres in the Carr, Delta, and Camp fire footprints. Importantly, these forest restoration projects occur on both private and public forestlands serving as an important reminder that forest fires do not adhere to property lines. Fires moving across landscape ownership boundaries creates complexities and opportunities for uncommon collaborations such as the Wildfire Restoration Collaborative.

*Note that only the Camp Fire location is displayed because only one location could be shown on the map

Project lead(s): Arbor Day Foundation Participating CWAC members: Procter & Gamble, Target, Pepsico To learn more: Visit the  Arbor Day website  or contact Ben Wilinsky, Senior Manager, Corporate Partnerships Arbor Day Foundation –  bwilinsky@arborday.org 

Central Coast - Water for the Future

Status: Active; prior CWAC project | Location: Central Coast | Region of Origin: Central Coast

California's Central Coast is a farming powerhouse, and the fruits and vegetables grown there sustain many U.S. households throughout the year. It is also one of the most biologically diverse regions in the state, and the marine ecosystems off the coast are some of the most diverse in the world. Unfortunately, the Central Coast is facing interrelated water quality and supply issues: groundwater overdraft, saltwater intrusion, and nutrient-laden runoff that impairs waterways and groundwater. This vibrant farming region is at risk, and agricultural stakeholders must be part of the solution. To support a durable solution that benefits water quality and supply, Sustainable Conservation is working with key stakeholders from the Central Coast agricultural community to drive adoption of two key winter soil health practices into Central Coast farm operations: cover cropping and high carbon amendments. The integration of these practices can crucially help farmers prevent nitrate leaching, and can achieve a number of co-benefits including supporting pollinators, increasing soil water holding capacity, reducing fertilizers inputs, and promoting a more agroecological approach to farming.

Project lead(s): Sustainable Conservation (SusCon) Participating CWAC members: Bonneville Environmental Foundation, General Mills, Netafim, Nestlé To learn more: Visit the  SusCon website  or contact Ryan Flaherty –  rflaherty@suscon.org 

Colorado River Basin Conservation & Habitat Restoration

Status: In development | Location: Colorado River | Region of Origin: Southern California Expect more project details soon!

Project lead(s): Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) To learn more: Contact Sara Hoversten, Director, Business for Water Stewardship, BEF –  shoversten@b-e-f.org 

Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) System Conservation Project

Status: Active | Location: Colorado River | Region of Origin: Southern California

In January 2019, following 19 years of drought and unprecedented low reservoir levels at Lake Mead (recently as low as 38% full and just 1’ above shortage declaration for Arizona), Arizona Governor Doug Ducey signed  Arizona’s Drought Contingency Plan (DCP)  into law. The Arizona DCP agreement is designed to promote conservation and stabilize water levels in Lake Mead—this plan reduces risks from ongoing drought by promoting conservation, reducing demand and stabilizing water levels in Lake Mead through projects that achieve “system conservation.” The Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) have lands that stretch along 56 miles of the lower Colorado River. The CRIT have nearly 720,000 acre-feet of water rights which by law are to be used on the reservation. However, as a result of recent legal changes ushered in by the DCP, off-reservation leasing is now allowed, making the CRIT an important partner in helping achieve water security outcomes for Lake Mead, Arizona, and the lower Colorado River Basin. The CRIT System Conservation Project is a key part of Arizona’s interstate commitments under the DCP and is one of the most important projects needed to achieve water security for Arizona. The CRIT System Conservation Project is designed to compensate the Colorado River Indian Tribes for leasing up to 150,000 acre-feet of water—the CRIT have pledged to lease this water and leave up to 50,000 acre-feet per year in Lake Mead for a multi-year period in order to achieve decade- scale water supply benefits for the Colorado River, Lake Mead, Arizona and southern California. These water rights are among the most senior in the state, meaning they have priority over other rights and are more reliable. This project has the potential to contribute an approximately two-foot increase in depth to Lake Mead and will directly shore up water supplies for the lower basin (CA and AZ) and minimize the likelihood of Bureau of Reclamation shortage declarations and associated curtailments of water to Arizona. Any such shortage declarations would disproportionately affect areas of Arizona served by CAP—however, the project will also reduce shortage risks to California cities that rely on imported Colorado River water.

Project lead(s): Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF), Arizona Department of Water Resources, Colorado River Indian Tribes Participating CWAC members: Procter & Gamble, The Coca-Cola Company, Cox, EcoLab, Google, Keurig Dr Pepper, Microsoft, Danone, Target To learn more: Visit the  Business for Water Stewardship page  or contact Sara Hoversten, Director, Business for Water Stewardship BEF –  shoversten@b-e-f.org 

Context-Based Water Targets

Status: Retired | Location: Orange County | Region of Origin: Southern California

In 2018 and 2019, project partners piloted a draft approach in catchments around the world. The Pacific Institute, in its role as co-secretariat for the CEO Water Mandate, coordinated a clustered pilot in the Santa Ana River Watershed (SARW) in southern California. This was done in coordination with the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA), the California Water Action Collaborative (CWAC), and several companies with facilities and operations in the watershed. Companies that participated in this pilot are Coca-Cola, Ecolab, Hilton (represented by WWF in this pilot), Nestlé USA, Nestlé Waters North America, Niagara Water, PepsiCo, and Target. Several companies participating in the pilot had also undergone or were in the process of pursuing AWS certification, and saw this pilot as a way to complement their AWS work. The purpose of the pilot was to help participating companies understand the local water context and engage with peer companies, public sector water managers, and other stakeholders in the catchment to align on key water challenges and set meaningful site targets. This target-setting process can help companies prioritize actions and investments that address the key water challenges in the region.

Project lead(s): Pacific Institute (PI) Participating CWAC members: Ecolab, Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, The Nature Conservancy, WWF To learn more: Read the  PI publication  or contact Cora Kammeyer, Senior Researcher, PI –  ckammeyer@pacinst.org 

Corporate Water Stewardship and the California Water Action Plan

Status: Retired | Location: CA-wide | Region of Origin: CA-wide

In January 2014, the administration of Governor Brown released the California Water Action Plan – a roadmap for the first five years of the state’s journey toward sustainable water management. The plan identifies how state agencies, municipalities, and their partners can work together to create a more reliable water supply for farms and communities, restore important wildlife habitat and species, and help California’s water systems and environment become more resilient. There is a strong opportunity for California's business community to contribute to the Action Plan, improving the measurement, management, and stewardship of shared natural resources in a manner that also supports sustainable economic growth. Toward this end, the CEO Water Mandate – a corporate water stewardship initiative administered jointly by the UN Global Compact and the Pacific Institute – facilitated a statewide collaboration with CWAC members and other partners to identify specific opportunities where the private sector can help accelerate progress toward the Plan's vision. In the first phase of this project, participants worked to identify relevant stakeholders, examples of successful collaborative water projects across the State, and gaps in the Action Plan's implementation that the business community can help fill. Participating organizations are now working to jointly develop, commit to, and implement new water stewardship initiatives aligned with Action Plan goals and needs.

Project lead(s): Pacific Institute (PI) & CEO Water Mandate Participating CWAC members: Nestlé, Olam, WWF To learn more: Visit the  CEO Water Mandate page  or contact Jason Morrison, President, PI -  jmorrison@pacinst.org 

Cosumnes Watershed: From The Foothills To The Floodplains

Status: Active | Location: Sacramento County | Region of Origin: SF Bay Area

The Cosumnes watershed is one of the last major undamned river systems in the east side of the Central Valley. The State of California has identified it as a critical watershed for the many special status and culturally important species, ranging from Chinook salmon to Sandhill cranes. The bottom of the watershed includes the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and divides the Sacramento Valley and the San Joaquin Valleys. In this tidally influenced area, there is the federal Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, and the Cosumnes River Preserve. The Freshwater Trust and Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (Regional San), in collaboration with regional stakeholders, including the Nature Conservancy and Ducks Unlimited who are already supporting local programs, are engaged in elements of the Harvest Water program. We see an opportunity to offer multiple benefits including replenishment in a critical watershed, multiple paths to support Bay area drinking water supplies, habitat protection efforts, and near-term benefits to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Within this area, Regional San has developed a tertiary-treated recycled water program that can provide up to 50,000-acre feet of year for in lieu groundwater substitution for farms to reverse a cone of depression. In the middle Cosumnes watershed, there are numerous opportunities on working lands to recharge surface water and improve agricultural water use efficiency. Pilot programs have begun to use surface water from the Folsom South Canal to recharge the aquifer. In the upper watershed, preliminary conversations have begun to assess the opportunities to increase forest resilience, reduce the risk of interface fires, and improve watershed health. Severe drought has begun in the State of California and the impacts have brought an increased spotlight to water recycling, conjunctive use, watershed fire risk reduction, and the benefits the integration of these benefits can provide. More than ever, the Sacramento region and the entire State of California need to increase use of recycled water and investigate and implement new sustainable water supply projects. CWAC members have an exceptional opportunity to proactively restore and manage groundwater, while improving stream flows in the lower Cosumnes River, enhancing riparian habitats and wetlands, sustaining prime agricultural lands, and improving regional water supply reliability.

The Cosumnes watershed is one of the last major undamned river systems in the east side of the Central Valley. The State of California has identified it as a critical watershed for the many special status and culturally important species, ranging from Chinook salmon to Sandhill cranes. The bottom of the watershed includes the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and divides the Sacramento Valley and the San Joaquin Valleys. In this tidally influenced area, there is the federal Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, and the Cosumnes River Preserve. The Freshwater Trust and Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (Regional San), in collaboration with regional stakeholders, including the Nature Conservancy and Ducks Unlimited who are already supporting local programs, are engaged in elements of the Harvest Water program. We see an opportunity to offer multiple benefits including replenishment in a critical watershed, multiple paths to support Bay area drinking water supplies, habitat protection efforts, and near-term benefits to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Within this area, Regional San has developed a tertiary-treated recycled water program that can provide up to 50,000-acre feet of year for in lieu groundwater substitution for farms to reverse a cone of depression. In the middle Cosumnes watershed, there are numerous opportunities on working lands to recharge surface water and improve agricultural water use efficiency. Pilot programs have begun to use surface water from the Folsom South Canal to recharge the aquifer. In the upper watershed, preliminary conversations have begun to assess the opportunities to increase forest resilience, reduce the risk of interface fires, and improve watershed health. Severe drought has begun in the State of California and the impacts have brought an increased spotlight to water recycling, conjunctive use, watershed fire risk reduction, and the benefits the integration of these benefits can provide. More than ever, the Sacramento region and the entire State of California need to increase use of recycled water and investigate and implement new sustainable water supply projects. CWAC members have an exceptional opportunity to proactively restore and manage groundwater, while improving stream flows in the lower Cosumnes River, enhancing riparian habitats and wetlands, sustaining prime agricultural lands, and improving regional water supply reliability.

Project lead(s): The Freshwater Trust (TFT), Stone Lakes NWR, Cosumnes River Preserve Participating CWAC members: The Nature Conservancy & Ducks Unlimited To learn more: Contact Erik Ringelberg, California Director, TFT –  erik@thefreshwatertrust.org 

CRIT NDrip (Tribal Irrigation)

Status: Active | Location: Colorado River | Region of Origin: Southern California

This project would convert 1,600 acres of CRIT lands to drip irrigation. May 2022 is the target installation date. Installation includes education and training for CRIT members as part of tribal economic development. Minimum requested contribution = $250,000 (can be combined funds from more than one entity). * Estimated initial annual volume benefit associated with $250,000 contribution = 78 million gallons per year.

Project lead(s): Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF), N-Drip, Colorado River Indian Tribes Participating CWAC members: The Coca-Cola Company, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble To learn more: Contact Sara Hoversten, Director, Business for Water Stewardship, BEF –  shoversten@b-e-f.org 

Dairy Irrigation Innovation

Status: Active; prior CWAC project | Location: Kern, Merced, Madera, Kings, & Tulare counties | Region of Origin: San Joaquin Valley

California’s $7.5 billion dairy industry is the largest in the United States, producing 21% of the nation’s milk supply. The sector is also a major contributor to groundwater withdrawal, nitrate contamination and greenhouse gas emissions in the Central Valley, a region with a high concentration of disadvantaged communities that rely on drinking water from rural wells. To improve dairy nutrient and water use efficiency, Sustainable Conservation is driving the adoption of an innovative manure subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) system for California dairies. This award-winning, first-of-its-kind technology uses manure nutrients instead of synthetic fertilizers to fertigate dairy feed crops. Compared to flood irrigation, this system enables dairies to grow feed for their cows with 35% less water, 45% less nitrogen, and 70% less irrigation- related greenhouse gas emissions .The system was co-developed with CWAC member Netafim with support from CWAC members Nestle, General Mills and Bonneville Environmental Foundation. The SDI system is now commercially available through Netafim dealers. To help meet demand for the system from California dairies, Sustainable Conservation has helped facilitate cost-share and financial incentives from the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) and from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). If this system can reach scale, the environmental benefits are considerable: if installed on 100,000 of the ~350,000 acres of feed crop acreage in California, we estimate annual reductions of 74 billion gallons in water use, 9 million pounds in nitrogen loading (and likely leached to groundwater), and 370 million kilograms in irrigation-related greenhouse gasses.

Project lead(s): Sustainable Conservation (SusCon) Participating CWAC members: Bonneville Environmental Foundation, General Mills, Netafim, Nestlé To learn more: Visit the  SusCon website  or contact Ryan Flaherty, Director, Business Partnerships, SusCon –  rflaherty@suscon.org 

Expanding Groundwater Recharge

Status: Active; prior CWAC project | Location: Madera County | Region of Origin: CA-wide

Sustainable Conservation and its partners are leading an innovative project to optimize the capture of floodwater on private lands to recharge depleted groundwater supplies. Together, they're putting into action and evaluating an affordable and promising water management practice that enables farmers and water managers to help move groundwater basins in the San Joaquin Valley toward a sustainable balance of pumping and replenishment. Their solution mimics the natural floodplain process of rivers spreading seasonally across the valley to replenish the groundwater aquifers below while ensuring farmers have control over the timing and amount of water captured. The project enlists the support of farmers, industry groups, irrigation districts, researchers, policy makers and businesses to help ensure water supply continuity for agricultural production and community drinking water, improved groundwater quality, environmental flows, and flood protection for rural communities.

Project lead(s): Sustainable Conservation Participating CWAC members: Bonneville Environmental Foundation, General Mills, Olam, The Coca-Cola Company, The Nature Conservancy To learn more: Contact Daniel Mountjoy, Director of Resource Stewardship, Sustainable Conservation –  DMountjoy@suscon.org 

French Meadows

Status: Active | Location: Sacramento County | Region of Origin: CA Wide

In August 2015, The Nature Conservancy assisted the American River Conservancy in acquiring the American River Headwaters, a 10,115-acre forested property in the Sierra Nevada west of Lake Tahoe. The property is situated directly upstream of French Meadows and Hell Hole Reservoirs, two critical sources of drinking water and hydropower for Sacramento and the surrounding region. The land also has high recreational value – it is traversed by the renowned Western States and Tevis Cup trails, and it supports an outstanding fishery for rainbow trout. The Nature Conservancy and partners are implementing a landscape-scale forest restoration and research project on the property and adjacent Forest Service lands, referred to as the French Meadows Project. The Project aims to increase the pace and scale of ecologically-based forest and watershed management to reduce the risk of high-severity wildfire, protect water supply, and increase watershed resilience. The Project also includes an important research component. Led by CWAC member The Nature Conservancy, and with support from other CWAC members, researchers will test the hypothesis that thinning small trees and brush from unnaturally dense forests to reduce wildfire risk and increase forest health may increase downstream water supply. By working with University of California researchers, local water utilities, surrounding landowners like the U.S. Forest Service, and other stakeholders, CWAC members aim to implement ecologically-based practices on a landscape scale, while identifying policy and management best practices that can be implemented in other Sierra watersheds and across the American West.

Project lead(s): The Nature Conservancy (TNC)

Participating CWAC members: Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, Anheuser Busch, MillerCoors

To learn more: Visit the  Northern Sierra Partnership page  or contact Angel Herslet –  angel.hertslet@tnc.org 

Groundwater Exchange

Status: Active | Location: CA-wide | Region of Origin: CA-wide

Groundwater contributes 40 percent of California’s annual water supply in a normal year and more than 60 percent in a dry year, according to the California Department of Water Resources. During the historic drought that ended in 2017, the state’s largest water users— agriculture and cities— over-pumped groundwater, which reduced river flows, caused land to sink faster than ever before, and left many poor communities without access to groundwater. Under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), California’s landmark groundwater legislation passed in 2014, more than 250 local agencies are now tasked with developing Groundwater Sustainability Plans. The California Department of Water Resources has provided substantial SGMA materials to the agencies, but many agencies have limited financial, technical and personnel resources. The Groundwater Exchange is a free, collaborative online platform designed to connect water managers, water users and community members with tools and resources to support successful implementation of SGMA. It brings together materials (reports, white papers, tools, etc.) developed by NGOs, academic institutions, groundwater sustainability agencies and others onto a central, publicly accessible website to support successful SGMA implementation. Key features of the Groundwater Exchange include: - A forum to post questions, start discussions and share materials. - An introduction to SGMA, including frequently asked questions, publications on public engagement in English and Spanish, and links to organizations that help give community members a voice in water policy and decisions. - Searchable maps and a basin watch list that alerts users when new information about their basin becomes available. - A calendar and news section consolidating the latest content related to SGMA from across the Internet. - Weekly email updates featuring new content on the Groundwater Exchange and upcoming events.

Project lead(s): Environmental Defense Fund Participating CWAC members: General Mills, The Freshwater Trust, Sustainable Conservation To learn more: Visit the  Groundwater Exchange website 

Humbug Thompson Meadows Restoration

Status: Active | Location: Plumas County | Region of Origin: SF Bay Area

The purpose of the Thompson Meadow Restoration Project is to restore Thompson Meadow, a degraded 47-acre meadow located on the Beckwourth Ranger District in the Plumas National Forest, Plumas County, CA. Thompson Creek flows through the meadow and is a tributary to McReynolds Creek, which flows into Red Clover Creek, in the Feather River watershed. The project is a partnership between the US Forest Service, the California Department of Water Resources, and Plumas Corporation. The project seeks to prevent further degradation of the stream and meadow system along Thompson Creek in order to improve flow conditions, meadow productivity, vegetative cover, and water quality. Under existing conditions, Thompson Creek is incised, which means the stream channel has been cut off from its historic floodplain causing eroded stream banks. This accelerated erosion during large floods has washed away willows, sedges, and other riparian vegetation that stabilize stream banks and channel structure. As a result, the meadow has dried out, leaving sagebrush to dominate where wet meadow vegetation once existed, and reducing the quantity and quality of forage available to wildlife and livestock. Restoration of Thompson Meadow will be accomplished by reconnecting the stream channel with the meadow floodplain utilizing a variety of techniques, including partial and complete channel fill, raised rock riffles, and a rock grade control structure, riparian vegetation planting, and construction of livestock fencing. Project lead(s): Bonneville Environmental Foundation & Plumas Corporation Participating CWAC members: Microsoft; Procter & Gamble; The Coca-Cola Company To learn more: Visit the  Business for Water Stewardship page  or contact Sara Hoversten, Director, Business for Water Stewardship BEF –  shoversten@b-e-f.org 

Kings River Upper Watershed Restoration (Pine Flat)

Status: In development | Location: Kings County | Region of Origin: San Joaquin Valley

The partners aim to restore at least 2,000 acres of forest over a 2-3-year period, improving watershed health and reducing wildfire risk. This project will reduce an estimated 80,000MT CO ₂ e and replenish water by up to an estimated 650M gallons. The project will provide water for over 3 million acres of irrigated cropland within the basin including 22,207 acres of Olam Spices’ operations.

Project lead(s): Olam Spices (OFI) & National Forest Foundation (NFF) Participating CWAC ally: USFS (CWAC ally) To learn more: Read the  press release  or contact Claire Loudis, Sustainability Manager, OFI – claire.loudis@olamnet.com; Marcus Selig, Vice President, Field Programs, NFF –  mselig@nationalforests.org 

Merced Avenue Greenway

Status: Active | Location: Los Angeles County | Region of Origin: Southern California

City streets are now recognized as important public spaces that must meet the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists, as well as achieve specific stormwater standards while mitigating the impacts of climate change. The City of South El Monte (City), a highly urbanized and severely disadvantaged community located in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County, is constructing its first livable green street along the southern, residential section of Merced Avenue. Merced Avenue currently has four through-lanes and lacks any vegetation, canopy cover, or permeable surfaces. Park space and recreational opportunities are scarce in the City. The corridor's existing single-purpose design, coupled with minimal greening, and lack of best management practices (BMPs) to address stormwater runoff from nearby industrial land uses, elevates the need for a multi-benefit solution. Transforming Merced Avenue with green infrastructure will help maximize the City's opportunities to clean and capture stormwater, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and urban heat island effect, and provide safe active transit connections to local parks and river connections. The project partners include the City of South El Monte, Council for Watershed Health, Active San Gabriel Valley, Climate Resolve, Alta Planning and Tetra Tech to create a multiple benefit approach to enhance public health and beautify the neighborhood. Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) and the Pacific Institute brought this project opportunity to CWAC, and Target chose to partner on the project by providing funding for some of the activities that improve quality of life and climate impact reductions. The Merced Avenue Greenway project focuses on the plan and design of a shovel-ready multiple-BMP retrofit of a 1.3-mile corridor. The project proposes a multi-benefit approach to manage stormwater runoff at its source in order to meet regulatory compliance by improving water quality and enhancing watershed health. The Greenway will connect to San Gabriel Valley Water Company’s recycled water line for supplemental irrigation of local native and climate appropriate plants, which have reduced water needs once established. Additional benefits include reducing the urban heat island effect and its carbon footprint, creating new safe bike and pedestrian connections, enhancing public health and beautifying the neighborhood. The Greenway project aims to change Merced Avenue into a community resource, and will specifically benefit low-income communities of color that do not have direct access to ample parks and open space. The project will incorporate a community-based approach that provides opportunities for watershed education and neighborhood involvement in designing the project. Using a watershed approach, this Greenway will help address water quality issues in catchment areas surrounding the Merced Avenue community. The Greenway will feature low impact development (LID) BMPs and green infrastructure strategies that include bioswales, bioretention and biofiltration landscape areas, and permeable pavement to capture and clean urban runoff. The Greenway project will provides the following key quantifiable benefits: - Water Quality. Capture, treatment, and infiltration of dry and wet weather runoff from industrial, commercial, and residential land areas. - Public Health. Pedestrians and bicyclists using the Greenway’s protected bike lanes and ADA compliant sidewalks; increased shade and reduced urban heat island effect. - Habitat. 133 new trees, as well as native shrubs and groundcovers within the biofiltration areas to increase habitat for birds, pollinators, and small reptiles.

Project lead(s): Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) & The Council for Watershed Health Participating CWAC members: Pacific Institute, Target To learn more: Visit the  Merced Greenway website  or contact Sara Hoversten, Director, Business for Water Stewardship, BEF –  shoversten@b-e-f.org 

Onsite Water Reuse in Silicon Valley

Status: Active | Location: Santa Clara County | Region of Origin: SF Bay Area

There is growing interest in distributed water systems as a climate adaptation strategy to protect natural resources and foster urban water resilience. In 2020, the Pacific Institute developed a research report examining the opportunities and challenges of corporate investments in onsite non-potable water reuse in Silicon Valley. The key conclusion of that research is that private sector investments in onsite water systems have the potential to provide many benefits, but only if they are incorporated into the long-term regional water planning and decision-making of the public sector. To date there has been little effort to bring these groups together to find common ground or develop a roadmap for how centralized and distributed systems can complement one another. This project will bring public and private sectors together in multi-stakeholder convenings to help establish a shared understanding of the issue and advance community-informed, strategic, and coordinated investments in distributed water systems in Silicon Valley. There are four objectives of this work: Advance multi-stakeholder discussion and understanding about distributed water systems and what is needed to scale them effectively and collaboratively. Ensure distributed water systems complement centralized systems. Leverage private investments in distributed water systems to generate economic, environmental, and social benefits. Increase water resilience to climate change and other stressors. The Pacific Institute will facilitate regular meetings with regional stakeholders (i.e., companies, municipalities, local water utilities, regulators, and environmental and community groups) to foster dialogue and develop a shared understanding of challenges and opportunities around distributed water systems in Silicon Valley.

Project lead(s): Pacific Institute (PI) Participating CWAC members: Target, Google To learn more: Read the  PI publication  or contact Cora Kammeyer, Senior Researcher, PI –  ckammeyer@pacinst.org 

Regenerative Agriculture and Water

Status: Active | Location: San Joaquin Valley | Region of Origin: San Joaquin Valley

In California, extended droughts, increasing heat, decreasing snowpack, and overdrafting of groundwater aquifers are all increasing risks and costs to agriculture. This includes crop loss as well as adverse effects on ecosystems and biodiversity. Excess nitrogen fertilizers and pesticides also threaten water quality. Building water resilience is essential. Agriculture, including food and beverage companies and their supply chains, must address these costs and risks with innovative solutions that solve multiple problems simultaneously. Regenerative agriculture and related resource-efficient practices is one such approach with considerable promise. It does so in part by helping nature and biological processes do more of the work in building soil health and water resilience, while also generating other ecological, climate, and social benefits. This project seeks to 1) better understand effective combinations of agronomic practices, rather than singular ones, to achieve on-farm benefits, including farmer profitability, 2) identify ways to estimate and measure beneficial outcomes previously under valued, and 3) pilot ways to support effective and accelerated farmer transitions, especially for medium and large farms in the San Joaquin Valley (where they receive only 5 -16 inches of rain /yr). A regenerative agriculture approach tends to include principles that are flexibly applied to meet the specific needs of each farm and crop to achieve a range of healthier outcomes. Practices tend to include cover cropping, crop diversity, soil protection/minimal disturbance, compost and manures, highly efficient water use, and finding ways to work with nature to build biodiversity in and above the soil. Practices often reduce inputs (e.g., nitrogen, pesticides, water) and improve farmer profitability. Using less fertilizers and water leaves more for the ecosystem and improves water quality for drinking, and makes the soil better for on-farm groundwater recharge. A healthy soil also absorbs and sequesters more carbon dioxide than it emits, mitigating climate change. General Mills and others are leading a new project with other CWAC members to define and develop regenerative solutions. The project will begin with an initial focus on almond crops given its potential for positive change. Given the complexity and challenges to large-scale change, CWAC partners will also coordinate and collaborate with parallel efforts to minimize unproductive duplication of efforts and develop a more collective-impact approach where parties complement and build upon each others’ efforts. Partners will conduct social and on-farm research to track water outcomes of regenerative agriculture approaches and better understand hydrologic health, and make linkages to holistic co-benefits such as soil health, habitat and ecosystems, air quality, and community health and well-being. Through technical assistance, peer-to-peer learning, and incentives, the project aims to show cost savings and ways to mitigate new costs and risks associated with transitioning to regenerative agriculture. The project will test and scale both farmer transition support practices in the San Joaquin Valley and markets for regeneratively-grown agricultural commodities that create a virtuous cycle of supply and demand throughout the value chain. General Mills has begun research with 30 on-farm projects to better understand the outcomes of early adopters on water, soil health, yield, profitability, biodiversity, tree health, and more. Sustainable Conservation has conducted research with dozen farmers, researchers, and farm advisors on barriers to adoption.

Project lead(s): General Mills (GM), Coca-cola, American Farmland Trust, Sustainable Conservation; other partners include UC Davis, Ecdysis Foundation, Ecosystem Services Marketplace Participating CWAC members: Ag Capital, American Farmland Trust, Bowles Farm, Olam, Sustainable Conservation, The Nature Conservancy To learn more: Contact Margot Conover, Senior Sustainability Analyst, GM –  Margot.Conover@genmills.com 

Sacramento Valley Water Resilience Initiative

Status: Active | Location: Butte County | Region of Origin: SF Bay Area

Major technological and agricultural enterprises and significant population centers call California’s Sacramento Valley home. The Valley, and its water resources, plays a key role in sustaining Microsoft operations, supports the most productive agricultural area in the nation, and it ultimately conveys water to more than half of California's population. The surface and groundwater resources of the Sacramento Valley support interdependently-connected farmlands, refuges, managed wetlands, and rivers that sustain fisheries and wildlife. These same freshwater resources also supply cities and rural communities with drinking water. Yet, land and water management decisions have contributed to declines in water quantity and quality of surface and groundwater in this region. Corporate sustainability initiatives frequently lack the region-specific detail and actionable information needed to implement external environmental programs that both meet company goals and have a long-term, positive impact on the region’s resources. This opportunity combines the technological and on-the-ground resources of its California Water Action (CWAC) members in Northern California, and a toolset that helps address those critical questions. The Freshwater Trust (TFT) and partners seek to provide corporations, resource agencies and agricultural producers the insight needed to drive the coordinated investment that recovers and sustains water quality and quantity conditions, upon which the resiliency of our communities and ecosystems rely. To recover and sustain water resources, this project provides both an assessment of existing water use and management, and a system for targeting and prioritizing opportunities for field-scale conservation actions that improve quality and quantity for groundwater dependent ecosystems, and rural and otherwise underserved communities. This project supports a technology platform that coordinates cross-jurisdictional actions and facilitates collaboration toward impact investment.

Project lead(s): The Freshwater Trust (TFT) Participating CWAC members: Microsoft, Pacific Institute, Bonneville Environmental Foundation To learn more: Contact Erik Ringelberg, California Director, The Freshwater Trust –  erik@thefreshwatertrust.org 

San Gabriel Watershed Restoration

Status: Active | Location: Los Angeles County | Region of Origin: Southern California

The San Gabriel Mountains, located in southern California, just outside of the city of Los Angeles, contain more than half of the open space in Los Angeles County and provide county residents with a substantial amount of drinking water. This range provides habitat to a number of rare, threatened, and endangered species while also hosting important historical and archeological features. Tamarisk (or salt cedar), are invasive, non-native deciduous, loosely branched large shrubs or small trees found across much of the western part of the United States. The largest infestation in the San Gabriel Mountains is located along the San Gabriel River. Tamarisk threatens native plant species by direct competition and limiting natural regeneration, reducing overall biodiversity and habitat for wildlife. Tamarisk has already been treated in other nearby areas of the Angeles National Forest, including upstream areas along the East Fork, and in Big Tujunga Canyon in 2018. The National Forest Foundation is partnering with Google and the US Forest Service to remove stands of invasive tamarisk across 40 acres in the East Fork of the San Gabriel River in the OHV (Off-Highway Vehicle) Area to allow native vegetation to re-establish. In this project area, the tamarisk occupies both riparian and floodplain areas. Upstream tamarisk will be removed in the riparian zone and downstream tamarisk will be removed across the floodplain.

Project lead(s): National Forest Foundation Participating CWAC members: Google To learn more: Contact Dania Gutierrez, Southern California Program Senior Manager, NFF –  DGutierrez@nationalforests.org 

Southern California Sustainable Landscapes Initiative

Status: Active | Location: SoCal | Region of Origin: Southern California

With climate change altering the timing and volume of precipitation, climate-resilient urban landscapes and water supply strategies are critical – particularly for those who depend on imported water like Southern California. Pressures on water resources are intensifying due to aging infrastructure, population growth, and climate change, among other factors. With vast expanses of water-intensive turf grass and large impervious surfaces, most urbanized communities are ill-adapted to these pressures. This project is a collaboration with the Southern California business community to motivate the installation of landscapes on their properties that provide multiple benefits. Sustainable landscapes improve surface water quality, flood management, and water supply reliability, while also reducing energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions, sequestering carbon, improving ecosystem and human health, promoting economic activity, and enhancing community resilience. Investment in sustainable landscapes is a highly visual way for the business community to showcase its commitment to sustainability and will help to promote similar actions by others. The Pacific Institute’s initial study finds that there are significant opportunities for the business community in California’s Santa Ana River Watershed to contribute to shared watershed goals through investments in sustainable landscape practices on their properties. While focused on the Santa Ana River Watershed, the project approach and findings are relevant to urban communities around the world.

Project lead(s): Pacific Institute (PI) Participating CWAC members: The Coca-Cola Company, Netafim, Nestlé To learn more: Read the  PI publication  or contact Cora Kammeyer, Senior Researcher, PI –  ckammeyer@pacinst.org 

Sycamore Slough Groundwater Recharge

Status: Active | Location: Butte County | Region of Origin: CA-wide

Davis Ranches plans to be farming in the year 2100 and remain committed to sustainable farm practices, resource management, and conservation. Their groundwater recharge project continues to build on past years of success and research developed to identify areas of the property ideal for surface water recapture. With the help of expert partners, Davis Ranches will monitor how much water makes it into the underground aquifers during targeted flood events and how significant the sphere of influence is by coordinating additional monitoring on neighboring farms. These flood events will both help replenish the aquifer and create seasonal habitat for migrating shorebirds along the Pacific Flyway. “Davis Ranches is committed to demonstrating the connection between surface and groundwater in the Sacramento Valley. Our groundwater recharge project with P+G expands on our work with The Nature Conservancy, illustrating the capacity surface water users can have on recharging groundwater in our region. Our long-term goal with our neighboring landowners is to restore the historic Sycamore Slough by reconnecting, revegetating, and reactivating its natural recharge capability.” – Emily Reinhart, Business Manager, Davis Ranches

Project lead(s): Sustainable Conservation (SusCon) Participating CWAC members: The Freshwater Trust, Bonneville Environmental Foundation, Microsoft, The Coca-Cola Company To learn more: Visit the  Business for Water Stewardship page  or contact Sara Hoversten, Director, Business for Water Stewardship BEF –  shoversten@b-e-f.org 

Tahoe Headwaters Restoration

Status: Retired | Location: Placer County | Region of Origin: San Francisco Bay Area

A legacy of extractive uses in the northern Sierra Nevada mountain range has negatively impacted forest and watershed health since the California gold rush. Intensive activities like hydraulic mining and clear cutting changed the structure and function of these forests, making them more vulnerable to insect, disease and wildfire. Fire suppression and intensive grazing throughout the 20th century negatively impacted high elevation meadow systems- important natural water reservoirs - leading to incised stream channels, conifer encroachment and overly-dense forests. When healthy, the forested headwaters of the Truckee, American, and Yuba Rivers are resilient to wildfire, insects, and disease. Functioning meadows and forests can also effectively store and release high quality water for humans and natural communities. Small diameter woody biomass accumulated from forest thinning can also be used to generate bioenergy and wood products. The National Forest Foundation is working with the U.S. Forest Service and partners Coca-Cola and Olam to restore the Tahoe National Forest Headwaters to optimum health by thinning vegetation, restoring meadows and river channels, eradicating invasive species, improving water flows, increasing sustainable recreation, and enhancing volunteer opportunities for youth. Project lead(s): National Forest Foundation (NFF) Participating CWAC members: The Coca-Cola Company, Olam To learn more: Visit the  NFF website  or contact Marcus Selig, Vice President, Field Programs, NFF –  mselig@nationalforests.org 

Upper Los Angeles River Habitat Restoration

Status: Active | Location: LA County | Region of Origin: Southern California

The Los Angeles River is a major river in Los Angeles County, California. It flows nearly 51 miles from Canoga Park through the San Fernando Valley, Downtown Los Angeles, and the Gateway Cities to its mouth in Long Beach. Urban development and periodic droughts have increased the need for water conservation and groundwater recharge. Climate change has further elevated current drought conditions in California bringing record high temperatures (2014) and the lowest annual rainfall on record (2013). California’s snowpack hit an all-time low in 2015 creating a significant water deficit and unexpected longer-term recovery times. It is imperative to preserve what local water resources remain, protect native habitat, and restore watersheds. The Council For Watershed Health is leading efforts to target the eradication of Arundo donax, a highly non-native invasive and high-water-use riparian plant, within the Upper Los Angeles River Watershed. Arundo (commonly referred to as giant reed) has significant negative impacts on water availability, water quality (i.e. sediment loads, temperature, pathogens, nutrient loading, flow modification), habitat, fires, and infrastructure. Arundo transpires water at a rate that is 5x higher than native vegetation. Invasive Arundo populations that negatively impact local water resources have been identified, both in the City of Los Angeles and upstream in the surrounding San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica Mountains. The eradication of Arundo and re-establishment of native plants will improve water availability and water quality downstream.

Project lead(s): Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) & The Council for Watershed Health Participating CWAC members: National Forest Foundation To learn more: Visit the  Business for Water Stewardship page  or contact Sara Hoversten, Director, Business for Water Stewardship, BEF –  shoversten@b-e-f.org 

Water Efficiency Upgrades For Low-Income Multifamily Housing In Los Angeles

Status: Active | Location: Los Angeles County | Region of Origin: Southern California

As climate-change-driven aridification worsens water scarcity throughout the Western United States, cities like Los Angeles that rely on energy-intensive water supplies from distant, over-tapped watersheds must make major investments in water efficiency and conservation to ensure local water resilience. In 2021, an unlikely group of allies came together to advance a technological innovation to save water in low-income, multi-family housing in California’s South Coast. Together this group of companies, NGOs, and water utilities enabled three installation projects that equipped 1,200 toilets with leak sensors and alert systems. Leaky toilets are one of the biggest sources of water waste inside the home; this sensor technology allows for real-time, remote identification of water leaks, enabling them to be identified and fixed quickly. This saves water and energy, improves maintenance efficiency, and reduces water bills. The three installations to date are helping nonprofit-owned, low-income apartment buildings save an estimated 6.4 million gallons of water per year (24.2 million liters per year). All three installations are leveraging performance-based water utility rebates, which will help create further investment for future installations. More installations are under development now, and this project is open to new funders and partners.

Project lead(s): Pacific Institute (PI) Participating CWAC members: Procter & Gamble, BlueTriton, Google, The Coca-Cola Company, Target To learn more: Visit the  Water Action Hub page  or contact Cora Kammeyer, Senior Researcher, PI –  ckammeyer@pacinst.org 

Westside Water: Distributed Stormwater Capture And Aquifer Recharge

Status: In development | Location: San Francisco County | Region of Origin: SF Bay Area

This innovative next-phase pilot project will capture clean rainwater off residential rooftops, deliver to onsite rain gardens and/or percolation fields, and recharge the Westside aquifer. Since SF has a combined stormwater and sewer system, any water captured on site and not flowing into the sewer system reduces the need for water treatment and reduces discharges into the ocean, improving water quality. More importantly, as this project will recharge the local aquifer reducing demand for imports from the Hetch Hetchy reservoir and increase self-reliance. Economically, reduction of stormwater into the sewer reduces wastewater treatment costs and aquifer recharge reduces import of expensive water. Both reduce GHG emissions from pumping and treating water.

Project lead(s): Google Participating CWAC members: To be confirmed To learn more: Contact Laura Weintraub, Vice President and Senior Environmental and Water Resources Engineer, Limnotech –  lweintraub@google.com