PepsiCo’s more than $1.8 million investment in four watershed replenishment programs in the U.S. last year aims to provide multi-pronged benefits to land and communities in high water-risk areas.
Replenishing water in high water-risk areas is integral to PepsiCo’s broader pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) ambition of becoming Net Water Positive by 2030.
The projects take specialized approaches tailored to each region’s needs:
Improving flood safety for vulnerable communities, bolstering aquatic habitats in California
PepsiCo U.S. Beverages partnered with River Partners on its Feather River Floodplain Restoration Project in Northern California. PepsiCo is supporting the reconnection of 15 miles of side channels to nearly 7,000 acres of to-be-revitalized floodplain habitat in California’s Sacramento Valley.
The efforts aim to improve habitat for native species, such as imperiled salmon, providing new sources of shelter, food and rearing habitat. And as the riverside lands are restored, they will also help increase flood safety for vulnerable communities and natural carbon sequestration, among other benefits.
The project aims to replenish 150 million gallons of water per year through the next decade to enhance the Sacramento River, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and San Francisco Bay watersheds.
Protecting sensitive ecosystems, reducing carbon emissions, lowering costs for Texas farmers
PepsiCo U.S. Beverages and U.S. Foods are supporting Edwards Aquifer Authority’s Groundwater Conservation Program in Texas. The initiative seeks to ease pressure on the stressed Edwards Aquifer by reducing water use for agricultural practices such as irrigation and crop production.
The work aims to preserve sensitive aquatic habitats and species sustained by the aquifer and reduce groundwater pumping-related power consumption. Rising groundwater levels can help farmers reduce operating and maintenance costs and decrease carbon emissions.
The project aims to replenish 65 million gallons of water per year over 10 years in the Nueces-San Antonio-Guadalupe Watershed.
Restoring natural river flow, improving fish habitats in Colorado
PepsiCo U.S. Beverages is partnering with Trout Unlimited in Granby, Colorado, in an effort to reestablish natural river flow and improve habitat conditions for trout and sculpin in the Fraser River.
This project aims to replenish 473 million gallons of water per year for 10 years in the Upper Colorado River Watershed.
Enhancing water retention, supporting biodiversity, increasing climate stability in California
PepsiCo U.S. Beverages also has funded Trout Unlimited to help restore the function of degraded mountain meadows within the Kern Plateau of California.
The primary restoration activity will be the construction of beaver dam analogs, which will contribute toward helping preserve essential habitat for California golden trout.
The efforts will include work to improve the overall flow, increase flood protection and mitigation, improve surface water quality and storage and reduce surface water runoff and associated erosion.
The project aims to replenish at least 14 million gallons of water per year, with potential to replenish up to approximately 41 million gallons annually in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Watershed.
“Partnerships like these are essential to our pep+ agenda to drive water stewardship at scale,” said Lawren Cooper, sustainability deployment director, PepsiCo U.S. Beverages.
“By working alongside organizations like Trout Unlimited, Edwards Aquifer Authority, and River Partners, we can help restore critical waterways, protect essential habitats, and safeguard water resources for the communities and ecosystems that depend on them.”
