• Caitilin Peterson, PPIC

How much water is available for recharge in California’s Central Valley?

Presenter: Caitlin Peterson, Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC)

Sneak Peek: Designing better policies to bolster recharge during wet periods is key. But California’s complex regulatory environment makes it difficult. In a survey we conducted last year, we found that even though California made great deal of progress on groundwater recharge during the banner wet year of 2023, a lot of water was left on the table. We suspected that more water could have been captured for recharge without impacting the environment or downstream users: approximately 3.5 million acre-feet, according to our initial estimate. PPIC will present their findings from a new report, where we unpack that number, explore the potential restrictions on using this water, and highlight the inter-agency partnerships that could help get more water in the ground in the future.

Lunch-MAR (September 3, 2025)

• PPIC

• Hydrology Observation and Prediction
• People and Water
• Soils, Geology, and Aquifer Characterization
• Water Quality