page Drought Apr 19, 2017 Droughts are a regular feature of California’s variable climate, affecting cities, farms, and the environment. They test water management systems and signal areas needing improvement.
blog post From Drought to Deluge By Jeffrey Mount Jan 10, 2017 The recent storms made a dent in the California drought but have not washed away major water policy challenges.
blog post Water Marketing That Helps Nature By Ellen Hanak, Jelena Jezdimirovic Sep 13, 2016 Unleashing the potential of water trading could improve conditions California’s struggling rivers and wetlands.
blog post California’s Ecosystems in Perpetual Drought By Lori Pottinger Aug 30, 2016 The state’s freshwater species are adapted to a "boom and bust” ecology, but human intervention and drought have taken away the "boom.” An expert interview with river scientist Ted Grantham.
blog post A Weatherman Explains California’s Volatile Climate By Lori Pottinger Jun 10, 2016 What are the links between drought, La Niña, and climate change? An expert interview with the climate scientist who founded the California Weather Blog.
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.
blog post Reminder: Droughts Often End with Floods By Jeffrey Mount, Carolyn Kousky, Nicholas Pinter Jun 9, 2015 Planning for floods is best done when the ground is dry.
event From Droughts to Floods: Water in Silicon Valley Apr 24, 2015 About the ProgramCalifornia’s increasingly variable climate requires innovative solutions to manage severe droughts and growing flood risks. The California Water Service (Cal Water), the Public Policy Institute of California, and the Silicon Valley Leadership Group invite you to an event that explores how Silicon Valley is coping with the current drought and how this hub of innovation can contribute to water solutions. The event features a presentation by Ellen Hanak, director of PPIC’s Water Policy Center, a conversation with San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, and a panel of local leaders who will discuss key water issues facing the region. This research was supported with funding from the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation.
