blog post Drought Watch: Roadblocks to Efficient Funding By Ellen Hanak, Caitrin Chappelle Mar 13, 2014 This is part of a continuing series on the impact of the drought.Looming legal challenges may limit the ability of local agencies to make continued investments in modern, integrated water management—investments that would better prepare us for population growth, climate change, and future droughts.
Report Paying for Water in California By Ellen Hanak, Dean Misczynski, Jay Lund, Brian Gray ... Mar 12, 2014 California faces serious funding gaps in five key areas of water management—including safe drinking water in small, disadvantaged communities; flood protection; management of stormwater and other polluted runoff; aquatic ecosystem management; and integrated water management. These gaps amount to $2 billion to $3 billion a year. But bold efforts by state and local leaders can pave the way to sustainable solutions for California’s critical water resources. This research is supported with funding from the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation and the California Water Foundation, an initiative of the Resources Legacy Fund. Technical Appendices Appendix A. The Legal Framework External Resource: Hastings Law Journal, Vol. 65: p 1603, Paying for Water: The Legal Framework Appendix B. Estimates of Water Sector Expenditures, Revenues, and Needs Appendix C. State General Obligation Bond Spending on Water Appendix D. Using the Water Fee Model to Assess Funding Alternatives Appendix E. Local Ballot Measures to Fund the Water System Data Sets Data Set: State General Obligation Bond Spending on Water Data Set: Local Water-Funding Ballot Measure
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.