We’re pleased to share that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife approved the Kaweah Groundwater Subbasin Regional Conservation Investment Strategy (RCIS) on November 2, 2022. Environmental Incentives contributed to this multi-year collaborative effort, working closely with partners from Environmental Defense Fund, East Kaweah GSA, and the RCIS Steering Committee, to ensure the plan aligned with regional goals to protect habitat, invest in the agricultural community, and bring water supplies into balance.

The Kaweah RCIS is a critical tool to advance integrated landscape management in the Kaweah Groundwater Subbasin. The subbasin is critically over-drafted, threatening environmental, social, and economic outcomes for the entire region. The Kaweah RCIS is the first of its kind, designed to explicitly complement existing groundwater sustainability plans and work to advance regional groundwater management goals.

The conservation actions outlined in the RCIS will support the implementation of groundwater sustainability plans, creating benefits for endangered and at-risk species, all while helping landowners cover a portion of the costs of Sustainable Groundwater Management Act implementation. Ultimately, this RCIS advances a vision for an integrated landscape that supports the local agricultural economy and important wildlife habitat, while sustainably managing water supplies.