GROUNDWATER EXCHANGE

Our results provide strong evidence that integrating diverse stakeholders into plans can protect users who rely on shallow groundwater and are most vulnerable to groundwater depletion... Stakeholder engagement in the planning and decision making process was lacking for all groups, but disproportionately more so for the most vulnerable groups (drinking water users, disadvantaged communities, small farms, and the environment). Our results also show that when domestic and environmental stakeholders are better integrated into planning and decision making, they are also better protected by the plans... A closer look at how California's landmark 2014 law, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) is being implemented for all groundwater stakeholders. Drawn from recent research published in Nature Communications and a policy report by the Groundwater Leadership Forum.