The project takes a regenerative, whole-watershed approach that emphasizes strengthening our collective capacity to manage and steward the watershed over time. We are committed to building the local resources, skills, and relationships needed for individuals and organizations to work together effectively for the long term. We aim to honor and incorporate past work while moving forward constructively. Rather than creating a new initiative, this project focuses on aligning and amplifying the existing energy, expertise, and momentum of the many groups and efforts already active across the region.

The project area encompasses 1,003 square miles and includes the Tule River and adjoining Deer Creek watersheds in eastern Tulare County, California. It includes the headwater regions originating within the Sequoia National Forest and the adjoining Tule River Indian Reservation, and flows downstream into the historic Tulare Lake Basin on the valley floor towards Kings County and the traditional lands of the Tachi-Yokut Tribe.

The southern Sierra Nevada watersheds face challenges related to health, water quality, and water supply, exacerbated by the risks of catastrophic fires, flooding, and prolonged drought. Over the past 20 years, these issues, including droughts and bark beetle infestations, have affected hundreds of thousands of acres, disproportionately impacting disadvantaged agricultural communities. The widespread flooding events in 2023 posed public safety risks and temporarily halted agricultural activities, resulting in substantial financial losses. Additionally, there's a need to improve drinking water quality and address land subsidence impacts on vital water infrastructure, such as the Friant-Kern Canal. 

We are at a critical moment where building momentum, strengthening collaboration, carrying forward the progress made through recent efforts, and increasing awareness of shared challenges will be essential to helping the Subbasin transition toward a vibrant and resilient future. This foundational work will help stakeholders reach a consensus on effective mitigation strategies for sustainable water resource management, promoting regional self-sufficiency in adapting to the impacts of climate change.

Engaging a diverse group of stakeholders to develop a shared, watershed-wide plan is the first major step toward addressing these challenges in an integrated and comprehensive way. The Tulare Basin Watershed Partnership and Ag Innovations play convening, coordinating, and facilitative roles for this project, supporting members of the Watershed Stewardship Group, the Technical and Regulatory Advisory Committee, and other allies and experts in collaborating and contributing meaningfully and effectively to the project's goals and broader aims. 

The key partners under this program and their roles are:

• Ag Innovations Network - Leading Facilitation, Outreach, and Engagement
• Central Valley Joint Venture - Technical and Regulatory Advisory Committee (TRAC)
• Allensworth Progressive Association - Community Leadership
• Southern Sierra Integrated Water Management Group - Upper Watershed Representation

There are others who are expected to play a key role as the program develops.

The Sequoias to Sloughs initiative holds the following as core values:

• Work Collaboratively for Greater Results – engage a wide range of key stakeholders, experts, and agencies to gather diverse input, co-develop better solutions, and build support for long-term success. 
• Ensure Scientific and Technical Quality – make sure the plan recommendations and rationale are based on accurate data, rigorous analysis, and a systematic understanding of the watershed dynamics, ecologically and socio-economically.
• Work with the Whole Subbasin and Basin in Mind – recognize the connections and multiple benefits of projects that address multiple needs and make the larger systems healthier and more resilient (i.e., a healthy watershed makes all parts of it more resilient).
• Honor and Include Tribal Knowledge – involve the Tachi Yokut and Tule River Tribes, who have cared for this land for generations and can provide deep, historical knowledge about watersheds and their stewardship. 
• Coordinate with Recent and Existing Efforts – understand and incorporate, as appropriate, recent efforts and coordinate with existing ones to amplify benefits, avoid redundancy or conflicts. 
• Develop Regenerative Capacity – grow the area’s collective capacity as stewards of this place to better understand, work with, and restore/regenerate its systems in ways that make results and relationships more durable and value-adding. 

Through this process, we aim to strengthen relationships, identify shared priorities, and support coordinated action that advances the long-term health and resilience of the Subbasin.