The Levers Lab
Habitat
Multi-Benefit Land Repurposing in California's Central Valley
A regional hydro-economic modeling in California's Central Valley to model the impacts of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) on decisions on California's representative crops and evaluate multi-benefit land repurposing opportunities (such as solar farms and habitat restoration) under different climate scenarios. Specifically, managed aquifer recharge is explored in response to reduced water supplies.
Media: Combining Crop and Water Decisions to Manage Groundwater Overdraft over Decadal and Longer Timescales, Conjunctive Water Management for Agriculture With Groundwater Salinity
Collaborators: Thomas Harter, Lucia Levers, Jay Lund, Josué Medellín-Azuara, Roshan Puri, Yiqing Yao
Funding Agency: USDA-NACA (Lucia Levers)
Economic Valuation of Migratory Birds Habitat in Pacific Flyway
The Pacific Flyway primarily includes the coastal and inland habitats, of which wetlands are vital as they support every stage of the avian life cycle, from breeding and nesting to feeding and wintering. Unfortunately, over the past century, the flyway has experienced a loss of over 95% of its wetlands. In response, federal and state agencies have launched collaborative conservation initiatives to mitigate habitat loss and fragmentation impacts. These efforts involve establishing wildlife refuges, undertaking habitat restoration projects, and implementing conservation easements. However, such protective and restorative projects come at a significant financial cost. For instance, the Salton Sea Management Program (SSMP) estimates a cost of $420 million to restore 30,000 acres of the Salton Sea in southern California. Despite such significant commitment, the economic benefits associated with these wetlands are largely undetermined. In this project, we aim to examine the economic benefits of wetland restoration, specifically focusing on the non-use values related to habitat restoration for migratory birds along the Pacific Flyway.
Collaborators: Roshan Puri, Lucia Levers
Funding Agency: Lucia Levers