CALFED: Devising an Agricultural Water Use Efficiency Program (1998-2001)

Between 1998 and 2001, CONCUR successfully mediated a dialogue among agricultural, environmental and agency interests working to structure a program that elicits and assures efficient agricultural water management practices.  The effort, known as the Agricultural Water Use Efficiency Steering Committee and part of the federal-state initiative known as the CALFED Bay-Delta Program, helped resolve longstanding disagreements around agricultural water conservation practices. 

Relying on a mix of policy dialogues and technical work, the Steering Committee developed an innovative and incentive-driven approach that relies on locally inspired actions to meet specific regional and/or statewide objectives related to water timing and flows, quality and quantity.  Many of the elements incorporated into this program developed out of the December 1998 Independent Review Panel on Agricultural Water Conservation Potential designed and facilitated by CONCUR.  The effort helped the Program achieve an important milestone in June 2001 as it awarded more than $11 million in grant funding to agricultural and urban projects intended to improve water use efficiency efforts across California (2001 grant awards document PDF).