Human-Environment Interface

Unlocking aquifer sustainability through irrigator-driven groundwater conservation

Aquifer depletion due to intensive irrigation threatens global economies, food security and ecosystems. This Perspective examines the hydrological, social and economic complexities of managing groundwater resources, focusing on the Sheridan 6 Local …

PyCHAMP: A crop-hydrological-agent modeling platform for groundwater management

The Crop-Hydrological-Agent Modeling Platform (PyCHAMP) is a Python-based open-source package designed for modeling agro-hydrological systems. The modular design, incorporating aquifer, crop field, groundwater well, finance, and behavior components, …

Streamflow Depletion Caused by Groundwater Pumping: Fundamental Research Priorities for Management-Relevant Science

Reductions in streamflow caused by groundwater pumping, known as streamflow depletion, link the hydrologic process of stream-aquifer interactions to human modifications of the water cycle. Isolating the impacts of groundwater pumping on streamflow is …

Water management challenges and potential solutions related to the U.S. federal crop insurance program

The U.S. federal crop insurance program (FCIP), overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Risk Management Agency (USDA RMA), is intended to provide economic stability to U.S. agriculture by providing indemnities to farmers to compensate for …

Forming the Future of Agrohydrology

Agricultural water management is increasingly prioritized throughout the world as producers are tasked with meeting growing crop demand while also managing environmental resources more sustainably. Likewise, agriculture is increasingly modifying the …

GroMoPo: A Groundwater Model Portal for Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) modeling

Overlooked risks and opportunities in groundwatersheds of the world’s protected areas

Protected areas are a key tool for conserving biodiversity, sustaining ecosystem services and improving human well-being. Global initiatives that aim to expand and connect protected areas generally focus on controlling ‘above ground’ impacts such as …

Causes, Responses, and Implications of Anthropogenic versus Natural Flow Intermittence in River Networks

Rivers that do not flow year-round are the predominant type of running waters on Earth. Despite a burgeoning literature on natural flow intermittence (NFI), knowledge about the hydrological causes and ecological effects of human-induced, …

The importance of fit in groundwater self-governance

Quantifying Earth system interactions for sustainable food production via expert elicitation

Many irrigated agricultural areas seek to prolong the lifetime of their groundwater resources by reducing pumping. However, it is unclear how lagged responses, such as reduced groundwater recharge caused by more efficient irrigation, may impact the …