"The mission of the UCCE Groundwater Hydrology Program is to provide educational and scientific/technical support on current and emerging groundwater resources and groundwater quality issues in rural areas of California."

Our groundwater education and outreach program primarily works with the water resources industry (public water supply utilities, irrigation districts, water districts, etc.), research, planning, and regulatory agencies on the local, county, state and federal level, farm advisors in county cooperative extension, and the agricultural industry. The components of the program are:

1) an integrated basic and applied research program that emphasizes hydrogeologic processes, contaminant fate and transport in both vadose zone and groundwater, and techniques for sampling, monitoring, and mitigation of contamination and groundwater quality problems;

2) an extension program that provides educational and technical support to local, state, and federal regulatory agencies, to natural resources conservation districts, irrigation and water districts, county farm advisors and policy makers in both the agricultural and urban sectors in the state;

3) coordination of groundwater related programs and events among faculty in hydrology related areas at UC Davis, with other extension specialists and farm advisors, with federal, state and local agencies, water districts, irrigation districts, and natural resource conservation districts and other groups that are concerned with groundwater hydrology.

Our program offers support throughout California, with emphasis on rural and agricultural areas in Central California. The groundwater hydrology outreach and extension program is a novelty among existing cooperative extension programs. It distinguishes itself from traditional cooperative extension programs in that it is not primarily occupied with an area of agricultural production or agricultural economics.

Our program recently received the Kevin J. Neese Award, presented by the California Groundwater Resources Association for the best groundwater project of the year. The award was provided for our programs efforts to better understand groundwater quality issues related to dairy activities and our involvement in improving management practices on dairies.