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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.

Fact Sheet

Sea Level Rise in California

By Letitia Grenier, Gokce Sencan

Sea levels are rising, and Californians are already feeling the impact. Adaptation will require new forms of collaboration and coordination—as well as working with nature—to find solutions.

blog post

Making Sense of the Floods in San Diego

By Sarah Bardeen

The sudden deluge in San Diego last week has left some of that city’s communities reeling. But what actually caused the epic flooding—and could it have been avoided? We ask the experts.

blog post

A Look Back at 2023’s Volatile Year in Water

By Letitia Grenier

Volatility was the name of the game in 2023, as drought-weary California suddenly found itself inundated by atmospheric rivers—and the changes kept coming. We look back on California’s weird (and sometimes wonderful) year in water.

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PPIC Urban Water Use Standards Analysis

This spreadsheet includes data on reported water uses, calculated water use objectives, and estimated compliance costs of meeting new urban water use standards to comply with the 2018 Making Conservation a California Way of Life legislation for 398 retail urban water suppliers across California. It accompanies the November 2023 blog post “A Better Way to Promote Urban Water Conservation.”

blog post

A Better Way to Promote Urban Water Conservation

By David Mitchell, Ellen Hanak

Californians have been making great strides in water conservation in recent years. Now the State Water Board is considering new urban water use regulations whose statewide costs would far exceed their benefits—and significantly impact affordability. Are there better approaches? We take a look.

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Stewarding California’s Wet Years

California has made great strides in preparing for a drier, hotter future, but it remains a challenge to harness the bounty of wet years while also reducing flood risk. How did California’s water sector manage the unusually wet conditions of the 2023 water year—and what lessons can we glean for the future? We speak with three panels of experts to find out.

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