Session Coordinators: David Dralle, US Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station, and Monty Schmitt, The Nature Conservancy

 

Groundwater plays a vital role in keeping streams flowing during the dry season, especially in watersheds that support salmon. With growing pressures from land use changes, groundwater pumping, and climate variability, it's more important than ever to manage the connection between groundwater and surface water to protect these critical flows.

 

This session will focus on practical tools and strategies for managing groundwater to maintain streamflows that salmon rely on. We'll cover the latest advancements in large-scale groundwater models that can help predict and address streamflow depletion. We'll also look at regional groundwater management plans that are successfully safeguarding water resources through thoughtful planning and regulation. In addition, we'll explore new research on why some streams dry up and how this affects fish, alongside a discussion on the global issue of aquifer decline and what it means for local water management.

 

By sharing case studies, management approaches, and the latest research, this session aims to provide practitioners, researchers, and policymakers with actionable insights and tools to support salmon restoration efforts through effective groundwater and surface water management.