blog post Reforming Water Rights in California By Sarah Bardeen Feb 28, 2022 Water rights reform has long been the third rail in California politics—but that might be changing, thanks to an intriguing new report. We speak with two of the report’s authors about why they undertook this effort now.
blog post SGMA Could Bolster Habitat Restoration in the San Joaquin Valley By Ellen Hanak, Caitlin Peterson, Abigail Hart Feb 22, 2022 As growers prepare to bring land out of production in the San Joaquin Valley, we’re exploring a variety of ways to manage that newly-fallowed farmland. This week, we look at a promising potential use: transforming formerly irrigated land into habitat.
blog post Dangers Lurk in the San Joaquin Valley’s Dust By Sarah Bardeen Jan 10, 2022 In the San Joaquin Valley, concerns about airborne dust—and its health impacts—are growing. We speak with two experts who say people are right to be concerned.
blog post Video: Seizing the Drought By Sarah Bardeen Nov 22, 2021 Californians know that climate change is here—and we’re feeling its effects nowhere more than in our water system. Last week, during our fall conference, we convened three days of expert panels. Scientists, policymakers, growers, water managers, and restoration advocates laid out a compelling vision of how to prepare our water system for the changes that are already underway.
blog post The Current Drought: Time to Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst By Alvar Escriva-Bou, Ellen Hanak Nov 8, 2021 Last month’s atmospheric river brought California some much-needed rain. But our new analysis shows it would take an exceptionally wet year to lift the state out of drought conditions.
blog post Last Week’s Storm: the Good, the Bad, and the Inconclusive By Jeffrey Mount Nov 1, 2021 The storm of October 24th broke one-day precipitation records throughout Northern California, but did this unusually intense atmospheric river lead to significant changes in our drought picture? PPIC Water Policy Center senior fellow Jeffrey Mount explains what the storm did—and didn’t—do for the state.
blog post Creating Collaborative Recharge Partnerships in the San Joaquin Valley By Sarah Bardeen Oct 11, 2021 Bringing the San Joaquin Valley’s groundwater basins into balance by the early 2040s is going to be challenging, but two neighboring groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) in Madera County are collaborating to move the process forward. Learn about their successes—and how things could be improved.
blog post Commentary: Ensuring Water Supplies for the San Joaquin Valley’s Cities Requires Cooperation By Andrew Ayres, Ellen Hanak Oct 4, 2021 The San Joaquin Valley’s urban areas are staring down a potential water shortage, but creative partnerships and good planning could help them avoid it. Read our commentary on the issue for the Fresno Bee.
event Groundwater and Urban Growth in the San Joaquin Valley Sep 30, 2021 The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) will help the San Joaquin Valley address groundwater overdraft while also building its climate resilience. This will require hard work, not only by farmers—the largest groundwater users—but also by the valley’s urban water utilities. Join the PPIC Water Policy Center and state and local experts for a panel discussion about how to ensure a smooth transition for the region’s residents.
blog post Commentary: How Water Markets Can Help California Bring Its Groundwater Into Balance By Andrew Ayres, Ellen Hanak Sep 20, 2021 The current drought underscores the need to protect California’s groundwater—our most important reserve to get through extended dry times. Water banking and trading are essential tools for stewarding our groundwater, and we urgently need to make them work better.
