blog post Groundbreaking Dam Removal Moves Forward on the Klamath By Lori Pottinger Jun 11, 2019 In coming years, four dams on the Klamath will be removed, creating the largest dam removal and river restoration project in the country. We talked to Lester Snow about this effort.
Fact Sheet California’s State Budget: The Governor’s Proposal By Radhika Mehlotra, Patrick Murphy Jan 29, 2019 Governor Newsom’s first budget proposal would build up budget reserves and pay down debt—while increasing funding for housing, education, and health and human services.
blog post Video: Ending the Housing Crisis By Linda Strean Feb 14, 2017 Sacramento’s mayor and San Diego’s mayor have different political perspectives. But at a PPIC event, they agreed on one issue: housing.
blog post Water Trivia Quiz Answers By Lori Pottinger Nov 18, 2016 Find out how well you did on our drought quiz.
blog post Linking Land Use and Water Decisions By Lori Pottinger Feb 24, 2016 The state recently held workshops on aligning land and water planning in rural California. We talked with Debbie Franco of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research about this process.
Report What If California’s Drought Continues? By Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund, Jeffrey Mount, Peter Moyle ... Aug 19, 2015 California is in the fourth year of a severe, hot drought—the kind that is increasingly likely as the climate warms. Although no sector has been untouched, impacts so far have varied greatly, reflecting different levels of drought preparedness. Urban areas are in the best shape, thanks to sustained investments in diversified water portfolios and conservation. Farmers are more vulnerable, but they are also adapting. The greatest vulnerabilities are in some low-income rural communities where wells are running dry and in California’s wetlands, rivers, and forests, where the state’s iconic biodiversity is under extreme threat. Two to three more years of drought will increase challenges in all areas and require continued—and likely increasingly difficult—adaptations. Emergency programs will need to be significantly expanded to get drinking water to rural residents and to prevent major losses of waterbirds and extinctions of numerous native fish species, including most salmon runs. California also needs to start a longer-term effort to build drought resilience in the most vulnerable areas.
blog post Drought Bills: Small Changes, High Impact By Caitrin Chappelle, Henry McCann Jun 30, 2015 New policy changes will improve the way we respond to droughts.