blog post New Opportunities for Trading Surface Water in the Sacramento Valley under SGMA By Alex Ehrens, Joy Collins, Andrew Ayres Sep 14, 2021 Successful groundwater stewardship under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) demands good information—not only about groundwater conditions, but also about surface water availability. We produced a new dataset of how access to this vital resource varies across irrigated farmland in the Sacramento Valley and the Delta, so it’s now possible to assess surface water conditions across the entire Central Valley.
blog post Video: Women and the Pandemic Economy By Vicki Hsieh Apr 2, 2021 An expert panel discusses the ongoing struggles women face in balancing work, family, and health—and steps that can be taken to support working women.
event Women and the Pandemic Economy Mar 25, 2021 As the vaccine rollout picks up, the nation is getting closer to controlling the virus, reopening schools, and resuming full economic activity. The past year has revealed just how interrelated these challenges are, particularly for women. A panel of experts will discuss the continuing struggles California’s women face in balancing work, family, and health during these unprecedented times.
blog post How the USDA Helps California Farmers Steward Water and Land By Jelena Jezdimirovic Oct 2, 2019 USDA runs a large portfolio of programs to promote conservation of soils, water, and wildlife habitat on farms. California could make more use of them.
blog post The Yolo Bypass: It’s a Floodplain! It’s Farmland! It’s an Ecosystem! By Lori Pottinger Jul 29, 2019 The Sacramento River needs room to spread in wet years. The Yolo Bypass allows it to safely flood while also providing habitat. Scientist Ted Sommer explains this unique landscape.
blog post Remaking Flood Management to Support Salmon By Lori Pottinger Jul 18, 2018 California’s aquatic ecosystems and the species that depend on them are in trouble. Restoring floodplains can make a big difference.
blog post State Water Market Needs Reform By Ellen Hanak, Jelena Jezdimirovic Feb 2, 2016 Water trading is an important tool for managing water scarcity. But as the latest drought has shown, California’s process for approving water trades is flawed. Reforms could help manage future droughts.
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.
