Managing California's Groundwater
Topic: Managing California's Groundwater
Speaker: Ellen Bruno, Cooperative Extension Specialist in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at UC Berkeley
When: Friday, October 17, 12 pm to 1 pm
Where: Virtual (via Zoom)—Link to virtual seminar to be sent upon RSVP
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Topic Overview
California's agricultural economy relies heavily on groundwater, and its management is increasingly important due to climate change. The state passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) in 2014 to bring basins into balance over 20 years. Despite passing almost 10 years ago, there is still a long road ahead to achieve sustainability. This presentation will examine how farmers are responding to anticipated regulation under SGMA by presenting empirical research on the effects of future regulation on new perennial plantings and agricultural well drilling. The talk will also provide an overview of SGMA management actions, with a focus on the potential for groundwater trading. An empirical analysis of one of the world's largest and most liquid groundwater markets in California's Mojave Desert, which has been trading since the mid-1990s, illustrates lessons for groundwater markets.
About the Speaker
Ellen Bruno is a Cooperative Extension Specialist in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at UC Berkeley. She conducts applied research and outreach on economic and policy issues relevant to California's agriculture and natural resources. Much of her work evaluates the potential for and effectiveness of different policies for managing groundwater. She received her PhD from UC Davis in Agricultural and Resource Economics.
