Past Cooperating Organizations:

Toward Sustainable Groundwater in Agriculture - An International Conference Linking Science and Policy

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The 2024 Conference

June 17-20, 2024

Burlingame/San Francisco, California

(We have a new conference website for the 2024 conference)

The 2016 Conference

Program overview:

The conference featured discussions about threats to groundwater, such as overuse; salinity; nonpoint source pollution from agricultural activities, animal farming, agricultural groundwater impacts to surface water; and groundwater quality and quantity conflicts at the urban-rural interface, which have reached global dimensions and threaten the very livelihood of this planet. Challenges, opportunities, and successful solutions in the technical and policy fields were highlighted. The conference offered a unique opportunity for networking across disciplines.

Session topics explored a broad diversity but related set of issues at the groundwater-agriculture nexus (see 2016 Agenda):

Groundwater Management and Policy
California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA)
Nitrate policy, assessment, and monitoring
Nonpoint source pollution from animal agriculture
Groundwater-dependent ecosystems and groundwater-surface water interaction
Managed aquifer recharge
Energy-water-food nexus
Environmental justice and livelihood
Climate change and adaptation
Economics and policy
Salinity and salinity policy
Emerging contaminants
Modeling and data (groundwater quantity/management/quality)
Agricultural BMPs for groundwater resources quantity and/or quality protection
USDA National Insights and Actions

The over 300 attendees included:

agricultural leaders/advocates/extension trainers in local/regional/state organizations
groundwater managers and technical personnel in local and regional water agencies
regulatory and planning agency personnel in regional/state/federal agencies
consultants in engineering, hydrology/hydrogeology, and agricultural resources management
scientists, researchers, and students with interests at the groundwater-agriculture nexus
NGOs working in environment, environmental justice, and agriculture

- 2016 Presentations and Videos Available Online -

The Foundation and UC Davis sponsored a similar conference in 2010. The 2016 conference was held June 28-30 at the same location – the Hyatt Regency at the San Francisco Airport in Burlingame. Pre-conference workshops were held Monday, June 27.

Available Resources from the 2010 Conference

2010 Conference Program
2010 Compendium of abstracts
2010 IAH Newsletter - Conference Summary
2010 GRAC's Hydrovisions - Conference Summary
Michael Campana's conference blog for 2010 day 1, day 2, or day 3.
Special Issue "Toward Sustainable Groundwater in Agriculture", Water Resources Research, 48(6), 2012.

For questions regarding this website, please email Dr. Thomas Harter