blog post Drought Watch: California as a Testing Ground By Ellen Hanak Oct 15, 2014 At an international consortium on water policy research, PPIC’s Ellen Hanak talked about lessons from California for other regions of the world.
blog post Allow Water Rights Trading By Ellen Hanak Jun 30, 2014 We have an outdated water rights system in the American West: Water goes to those who claimed it first, whether or not they are putting it to the best use.
Report Managing California’s Water: From Conflict to Reconciliation By Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund, Jeffrey Mount, Richard Howitt ... Feb 24, 2011 California has struggled to manage its water effectively for more than 30 years. Today, the state needs to consider a set of wide-ranging reforms—for the benefit of the economy and the environment.Executive Summary Full Report [PDF, 9.06 MB] To view individual chapters, click on the links below. Introduction Floods, Droughts, and Lawsuits: A Brief History of California Water Policy California Water Today Drivers of Change Urgent and Fundamental Challenges Reconciling Ecosystems: Reversing Declines in Native Species Orchestrating the Management of Water Scarcity, Quality, and Flooding Managing Water as a Public Commodity Effective and Adaptive Governance Pathways to Reform A Way Forward Technical Appendix: Managing California’s Water: Insights from Interviews with Water Policy Experts Interactive Map: California’s Water Quality Problems Map Image: California’s Variable Climate This research was supported with funding from S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Pisces Foundation, Resources Legacy Fund, and Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority.
Report Fixing the Delta: How Will We Pay for It? By Dean Misczynski Aug 11, 2009 This report examines the question of how to pay for urgently needed investments in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. For years, stakeholders have been at odds over beneficiary financing (charging those who use the water). But recent federal intervention to save endangered fish species and the decline of state and federal funding sources may finally break the impasse. This report situates the beneficiary payment debate in historical, legal, and political context. It also explores how this kind of financing might work for several “big ticket” items: water conveyance facilities, storage reservoirs, environmental mitigation, and levee improvements.
press release Peripheral Canal Is Best Strategy To Save Delta Ecosystem, Ensure Reliable Water Supply Jul 17, 2008
interactive Some Infrastructure Options for Long-Term Export Alternatives Jul 1, 2008 This interactive shows descriptions of various options being discussed for water conveyance through and around the Delta.