June Slugs and Steins with Distinguished Professor Andrew Fisher

As climate change, population growth, and changing land use put increasing pressure on groundwater supplies, communities are searching for smarter and more sustainable ways to manage water. One promising approach is “managed recharge” — guiding stormwater and excess surface water back into underground aquifers to replenish vital water reserves.

In this talk, we’ll explore how managed recharge works, why it matters, and how it can benefit communities, agriculture, ecosystems, and long-term water resilience. We’ll look at how heavy rain events and stormwater runoff — often viewed as problems — can become valuable opportunities to restore groundwater supplies when managed effectively and responsibly.

The talk will also highlight emerging research on where and how recharge projects can succeed without causing unintended environmental impacts, along with a new incentive program designed to support landowners and tenants who help maintain these systems on their properties. We’ll consider how groundwater recharge efforts can connect with flood-risk reduction and river restoration strategies, creating multi-benefit solutions for the future of water management.