Report Climate Change in California: Scenarios for Adaptation By Amy Luers, Michael D. Mastrandrea Nov 17, 2008 This report reviews the most recent assessments of the potential impacts of climate change in California, including sea level rise, higher air and water temperatures, reduced Sierra Nevada snowpack and changes in runoff patterns, and an increase in the frequency of extreme events such as droughts and floods. Resource managers, regional planners, and government agencies need to consider climate change in their planning, both to respond to long-term changes in the climate and to the occurrence of extreme events. This report was prepared as part of the Preparing California for a Changing Climate project.
Report California’s Water: Preparing for Floods By Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund, Jeffrey Mount, Matt Kondolf ... Nov 12, 2018 One in five residents and billions of dollars in assets are vulnerable to flooding. Climate change brings new vulnerabilities. This brief describes new tools and approaches that can reduce these risks.
Report Paying for Water in California By Ellen Hanak, Dean Misczynski, Jay Lund, Brian Gray ... Mar 12, 2014 California faces serious funding gaps in five key areas of water management—including safe drinking water in small, disadvantaged communities; flood protection; management of stormwater and other polluted runoff; aquatic ecosystem management; and integrated water management. These gaps amount to $2 billion to $3 billion a year. But bold efforts by state and local leaders can pave the way to sustainable solutions for California’s critical water resources. This research is supported with funding from the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation and the California Water Foundation, an initiative of the Resources Legacy Fund. Technical Appendices Appendix A. The Legal Framework External Resource: Hastings Law Journal, Vol. 65: p 1603, Paying for Water: The Legal Framework Appendix B. Estimates of Water Sector Expenditures, Revenues, and Needs Appendix C. State General Obligation Bond Spending on Water Appendix D. Using the Water Fee Model to Assess Funding Alternatives Appendix E. Local Ballot Measures to Fund the Water System Data Sets Data Set: State General Obligation Bond Spending on Water Data Set: Local Water-Funding Ballot Measure
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government By Mark Baldassare, Renatta DeFever, Lunna Lopes, Dean Bonner Jan 28, 2015 Some findings of the current survey: Californians are starting 2015 on an optimistic note: majorities see the state headed in the right direction and are hopeful that elected leaders will work together. Partisans are divided over whether the state should use its budget surplus to pay down debt and build up the reserve or to restore social services. Californians support increased funding for higher education but also want existing funds to be spent more wisely. Most Californians see crime as a problem in their communities, and a majority think that minorities are not treated equally by the criminal justice system—blacks are especially likely to hold this view. Job Approval Ratings: President Obama [PDF] Governor Brown [PDF] California State Legislature [PDF] U.S. Congress [PDF] Senator Boxer [PDF] Senator Feinstein [PDF] Their Own State Legislators in the Assembly and Senate [PDF] Their Own Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives [PDF] Time Trends of Job Approval Ratings: President Obama [XLS] Governor Brown [XLS] California State Legislature [XLS] U.S. Congress [XLS] Senator Boxer [XLS] Senator Feinstein [XLS] Their Own State Legislators in the Assembly and Senate [XLS] Their Own Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives [XLS] Mood of Californians: General Direction of Things in California [PDF] Economic Outlook for California [PDF] Time Trends for the Mood of Californians: General Direction of Things in California [XLS] Economic Outlook for California [XLS] This survey was supported with funding from The James Irvine Foundation.
Report A Path Forward for California’s Freshwater Ecosystems By Jeffrey Mount, Brian Gray, Karrigan Bork, James Cloern ... Dec 4, 2019 California’s freshwater ecosystems are under pressure and its aquatic biodiversity is in decline. The state needs a new approach to protect the many beneficial uses these ecosystems provide. This report describes a way to manage the state’s freshwater ecosystems—called “ecosystem-based management”—that can improve conditions for native biodiversity and human uses, and increase resilience to climate change.
Fact Sheet The Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta By Jeffrey Mount, Ellen Hanak, Greg Gartrell May 18, 2022 The Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta is California’s largest estuary and a vital hub in the state’s water supply system. Three interlinked issues currently face the Delta: an increasingly unreliable water supply, a decline in ecosystem health, and a fragile system of levees. Learn more about this key watershed in our new fact sheet.
Report Solar Energy and Groundwater in the San Joaquin Valley By Andrew Ayres, Annabelle Rosser, Ellen Hanak, Alvar Escriva-Bou ... Oct 25, 2022 Hundreds of thousands of acres of irrigated farmland may come out of production in the San Joaquin Valley in coming decades. At the same time, the state needs to ramp up renewable energy generation to meet climate goals. Could solar development on fallowed land help the valley’s residents? Our new report examines the challenges and opportunities.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Advancing Ecosystem Restoration with Smarter Permitting By Letitia Grenier, Stephanie Panlasigui, Crissy Pickett, Gokce Sencan Aug 16, 2021 California’s ecosystems are suffering, but transforming the state’s permitting processes could accelerate much-needed restoration projects across the state.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Rachel Lawler, Deja Thomas Feb 2, 2022 Californians say that COVID-19, homelessness, and jobs, the economy, and inflation are the top issues for the governor and legislature to work on this year.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Rachel Lawler, Deja Thomas Jun 5, 2023 Californians name economic conditions, homelessness, and housing as the most important issues facing the state today. A majority of Californians favor changing state environmental regulations as a way to increase housing affordability.
