From CAFwd – In September 2021, the governor signed a budget that includes $60 million for an initiative to pinpoint superior recharge sites through the use of geophysical site assessments across the critically overdrafted San Joaquin Valley and direct floodwater to these sites via the reconnection of rivers and flood plains. California Economic Summit participants Julie Rentner, president of River Partners, and Rosemary Knight from Stanford are piloting work on the ground in Fresno (in collaboration with many stakeholders and agencies) demonstrating the power of this near-term investment. Another $200 million has been allocated in the 2022/23 budget to additional multi-benefit projects for recharge and flood protection. Thanks in part to the California Economic Summit’s early work bringing diverse, cutting-edge leaders together, Californians now have a realistic path to a future where water from rapid snow melt and atmospheric rivers will no longer be completely lost to destructive floods. Instead, this vital resource will be captured in underground aquifers and stored for future use. This represents a major, highly cost-effective contribution to water resiliency in our state. (more)