Our Water Future: Planning for Uncertainty

The Salinas Valley depends on groundwater for domestic and commercial use as well as to irrigate crops that feed the world. It is a vital resource that we have a shared responsibility to protect and manage. Also, the Valley along with the rest of the State, more frequently faces weather extremes that can result in too much or too little water. These extremes create uncertainty that impacts our communities, our businesses, and our health and safety. Preparing for uncertainty and sustainably managing the shared water resources is our collective responsibility.
To help the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency educate the public, Miller Maxfield, Inc. helped facilitate five community workshops held across the Salinas Valley over April and May 2024. The workshops were an opportunity for dialogue about the future of water availability and protection in the Salinas Valley, local water management responsibilities and partnerships, ongoing efforts on water use efficiency, tools for urban and agricultural water users in times of uncertainty, and methods for water demand management and regulation.
The workshops provided valuable information about how water is managed in the Valley, the steps residents and businesses have taken toward more efficient water use, and the wide range of options for us to consider in minimizing water waste, improving efficiencies and reallocating resources to ensure continued availability of water for the Salinas Valley Basin. Miller Maxfield helped provide print collateral like display boards, table signs, and materials for an activity created for event-goers, digital materials like slideshow presentations, a video cataloguing the event, and a page on their website to make all event information available afterwards.