The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) program enhances dam release decisions to improve flood management, water supply, groundwater recharge, and environmental flows. Following successes at pilot sites, FIRO screening is expanding nationwide to assess benefits, barriers, and forecast skill across reservoirs. This presentation highlights nationwide screening results, with a focus on the Southwest and connections to downstream Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR
The Basin Characterization (BC) Program builds off of DWR’s historic role of characterizing groundwater basins and publishing California’s Groundwater. The BC Program will provide the latest data, tools, and information about California’s groundwater aquifers, a critical component to California’s natural infrastructure .
This presentation provides an overview of an integrated flood forecasting and notification tool for agencies and diverters to facilitate diversion of floodwaters for groundwater recharge in the San Joaquin Valley.
Flood-MAR Network Workshop: 2024 Recap and 2025 Visioning
Friday March 28, 2025, 10 AM – 12 PM
This virtual workshop aimed to reflect on the progress made in 2024, re-energize our collective efforts, and collaboratively shape priorities for 2025. Key objectives were:
• Showcase recent impactful work from Network Members
• Advance collaborative initiatives for Flood-MAR implementation in CA
• Encourage active participation in the Network’s activities
• Engage members in the planning of the 2025
State Water Resources Control Board, CA Department of Water Resources, and CA Department of Fish and Wildlife co-hosted a workshop on the 180-day temporary water rights permit application process and the technical and regulatory assistance available for local public agencies working on recharge projects using high flows.
This workshop reviewed actual Flood-MAR efforts, highlight successes as well as missed opportunities, and culminated in the identification of Network actions that are needed to place California on the path to realizing the goal of increasing average annual managed groundwater recharge by 500,000 ac-ft.
Dual presentation on Building Partnerships and Opportunities from a Tribal Liaison Perspective by Dirk Charley, Dunlap Band of Mono Indians, and Making Connections with Sharon Farrell, CA Landscape Stewardship Network.
Topic I. Partnership and Opportunities for Collaboration: The solutions to California’s water challenges can be effectively advanced through partnerships among experts and practitioners with the capacity and motivation to coordinate efforts and exchange knowledge and expertise. Making Flood-MAR possible requires a network that accommodates multiple levels of engagement of existing initiatives and collaboratives.
Institutional silos and inefficiencies impede watershed-based solutions, multi-sector management strategies, and multi-benefit projects. Cooperation and alignment of agencies and partners is essential to facilitating the preplanned and real-time decision-making needed for Flood-MAR projects. Achieving the public and private benefits of Flood-MAR requires expediting permitting processes, incentivizing landowner participation, and protecting floodplains and recharge sites.
Copyright 2022-Present, Flood-MAR and Contributing Authors.
