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Fact Sheet

The Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta

By Jeffrey Mount, Ellen Hanak, Greg Gartrell

The Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta is California’s largest estuary and a vital hub in the state’s water supply system. Three interlinked issues currently face the Delta: an increasingly unreliable water supply, a decline in ecosystem health, and a fragile system of levees. Learn more about this key watershed in our new fact sheet.

Fact Sheet

Floods in California

By Jeffrey Mount, Gokce Sencan, Letitia Grenier

More than seven million Californians—one in five residents—live in areas at risk of flooding, and risks are growing. Improved land use planning, insurance, and innovative flood management can help.

Report

California’s Water: Climate Change and Water

By Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund, Jeffrey Mount, Robert Wilkinson ...

California’s climate is warming and becoming more variable. While the state is a leader in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, its water system was designed for a 20th century climate. All facets of water management must be updated to adapt to changing conditions. This brief summarizes strategies to help the state prepare for a changing climate and rising sea level.

Report

Adapting California’s Water Management to Climate Change

By Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund

Among the potential impacts of climate change, accelerated sea level rise and a reduced Sierra snowpack are the most certain. Both will pose significant challenges for water supply and flood management. Water utilities have already begun to plan for these changes, but flood control agencies are lagging behind and face greater regulatory constraints. State leadership is needed to resolve some threats, including the risk of catastrophic failure in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. This report was prepared as part of the Preparing California for a Changing Climate project.

Report

Climate Change in California: Scenarios for Adaptation

By Amy Luers, Michael D. Mastrandrea

This report reviews the most recent assessments of the potential impacts of climate change in California, including sea level rise, higher air and water temperatures, reduced Sierra Nevada snowpack and changes in runoff patterns, and an increase in the frequency of extreme events such as droughts and floods. Resource managers, regional planners, and government agencies need to consider climate change in their planning, both to respond to long-term changes in the climate and to the occurrence of extreme events. This report was prepared as part of the Preparing California for a Changing Climate project.

Report

Conservation and Management of Ecological Systems in a Changing California

By Elisa Barbour, Lara Kueppers

As the climate changes, responding to the new threats to species and ecosystems is one of California’s most urgent tasks. Air and temperature increases and sea level rise are all expected to compromise habitat, putting many more native species at risk of extinction. Recommendations include developing more forward-looking conservation planning processes to protect future habitat and improving the coordination of existing conservation efforts. This report was prepared as part of the Preparing California for a Changing Climate project.

blog post

Addressing Water Affordability in Urban California

By Caitrin Chappelle

In the midst of the pandemic and recession, the cost of delivering safe drinking water continues to rise across California. We talked to Robert Shaver of the California Urban Water Agencies about this issue.

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