Policy Brief Policy Brief: Storing Water for the Environment By Sarah Null, Jeffrey Mount, Brian Gray, Kristen Dybala ... Aug 22, 2022 To protect and restore California’s freshwater ecosystems and respond to the changing climate, California’s water managers must change how they operate reservoirs. Our policy brief offers recommendations for how to do this in a way that makes the most efficient use of scarce water for the environment while minimizing impacts on other water uses.
blog post Video: Improving California’s Water Accounting By Lori Pottinger Jul 29, 2016 The state’s system of water accounting is ineffective at managing some of our biggest water challenges. A panel of experts discusses how to modernize it.
blog post Drought Watch: Drought Declarations and Water Policy By Jeffrey Mount Jan 21, 2014 This is part of a continuing series on the impact of the drought. As this year unfolds, California will have to come to grips with the significant consequences of the drought emergency declared by Governor Brown. Drought Watch will be a regular feature on this blog, tracking the drought and its policy consequences.
blog post Linking Land Use and Water Decisions By Lori Pottinger Feb 24, 2016 The state recently held workshops on aligning land and water planning in rural California. We talked with Debbie Franco of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research about this process.
blog post Ensuring Water Equity and Utility Solvency: Lessons from Phoenix By Caitrin Chappelle Oct 12, 2020 Water utilities face a growing challenge: taking in enough money to maintain complex water systems while also providing safe, affordable water. We talked to Kathryn Sorensen of Phoenix Water Services about Phoenix’s equity innovations.
blog post What Every Californian Should Know About Groundwater By Sarah Bardeen Mar 22, 2022 In honor of World Water Day and its theme—“Groundwater—making the invisible visible”—we asked a handful of PPIC Water Policy Center staff to discuss groundwater and drought in California.
blog post The EPA’s Martha Guzman Discusses New Environmental Justice Initiatives By Sarah Bardeen May 15, 2023 Martha Guzman is leading the Environmental Protection Agency’s efforts to protect public health and the environment for Region 9, which includes California. We spoke with Ms. Guzman to learn more about the EPA’s latest environmental justice initiatives—and found her to be a fountain of both information and enthusiasm about the new opportunities.
blog post The Search for Sustainability in the Colorado River Basin By Lori Pottinger Jul 13, 2017 The Colorado River is a crucial water source for seven states and Mexico. We talked to an expert about how to balance priorities in managing the river.