Training

See also: Central Coast Rangeland Coalition, Sustainable Human Systems

Meeting Goal:  Improve water quality and water cycling on Central Coast rangelands.

Learning Objectives: 

• Increase awareness of the research regarding rangelands and water quality.
• Explore two approaches to the management of water-cycling on rangelands.
• Offer a forum for a conversation between Water Board members, ranchers and others regarding current approaches to or thinking about rangeland management vis a vis water quality and its possible regulation.
• Brainstorm desirable strategies that would result in high-quality water flowing from California rangelands. 

Water quality is important for healthy humans, livestock, and wildlife.  Much of California’s fresh water falls as rain on rangelands that are grazed by livestock.  Because of this, the needs of ranchers and others in need of highly functional water cycles intersect.  Through their use of land, ranchers aim to maintain economically viable businesses while at the same time being good stewards.  Water quality regulators are tasked with developing and enforcing water quality objectives and implementing plans that will best protect the area's waters while recognizing local differences in climate, topography, geology and hydrology. 

This meeting provided an opportunity for these groups, along with others, to develop a more nuanced understanding of each other’s perspectives and of the possibilities to manage for improved water quality and highly functional water cycles on rangelands.  The Central Coast Rangelands Coalition hopes that continued communication between ranchers, regulators, and scientists will lead to improved water quality and quantity flowing through rangelands.