Report Building Drought Resilience in California’s Cities and Suburbs By David Mitchell, Ellen Hanak, Ken Baerenklau, Alvar Escriva-Bou ... Jun 12, 2017 California’s urban water suppliers have become increasingly adept at drought management thanks to investments in diverse supplies, cooperative efforts with neighbors, and programs to manage water demand. But in the face of extreme hot and dry conditions, questions arose over preparedness for ongoing drought, and the state took the unprecedented step of ordering mandatory water conservation in 2015. This report looks at evolving state and local roles in managing urban water supply during drought, and lessons to help us better prepare for droughts of the future. This research was supported with funding from California Water Service, the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, and the US Environmental Protection Agency.
blog post Video: Press Club Focuses on Water By Lori Pottinger May 5, 2015 The Sacramento Press Club hosted PPIC’s Water Policy Center director Ellen Hanak last week, who talked about the five things you need to know about water.
blog post Drought Watch: Regional Solutions By Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund, Caitrin Chappelle Jun 27, 2014 This is part of a continuing series on the impact of the drought. Both the legislature and local water agencies have pushed the idea that state bonds should continue to provide dollars for integrated regional water management. But there might be a better way.
blog post Addressing Groundwater Overdraft in the Sacramento Valley By Spencer Cole, Kyle Greenspan, Andrew Ayres Dec 11, 2023 As the Sacramento Valley seeks to bring its groundwater basins into balance under SGMA, the valley’s groundwater sustainability agencies recently submitted plans to manage overdraft. Do the numbers add up? Our researchers take a look.
blog post Water Trivia Quiz Answers By Lori Pottinger Nov 18, 2016 Find out how well you did on our drought quiz.
blog post Beyond the Drought: 10 Big Changes Ahead for California Water By Ellen Hanak Jan 14, 2014 These days, all water news in California is focused on the weather. After two successive dry years, this year’s rainy season has yet to make a decent showing.
blog post Video: Water and Growth in the West By Ellen Hanak Feb 18, 2016 When water supplies are tight, the question of whether government should limit growth rises to the surface. Ellen Hanak discusses the issue at a conference on water sustainability in the West.