Fact Sheet Alternative Water Supplies in California By Henry McCann, Alvar Escriva-Bou, Kurt Schwabe Feb 5, 2018
blog post Drought Watch: What If 2015 Is Dry? By Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund, Jeffrey Mount Nov 3, 2014 Another warm winter is likely. So what, if anything, should California do differently next year?
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Drought and California’s Agriculture By Alvar Escriva-Bou, Josué Medellín-Azuara, Ellen Hanak, John Abatzoglou Apr 13, 2022 California’s agricultural sector is the nation’s largest: it generates more than $50 billion dollars in annual revenue and employs more than 420,000 people. The ongoing drought is taking a toll on agriculture, related sectors, and rural communities, but there are ways to increase resilience in a warming world.
blog post New Water Rules for Marijuana Growers By Henry McCann Dec 5, 2017 Cannabis growers will encounter new state requirements next year to address the crop’s impact on California’s creeks and streams.
blog post The Carmel River Gets a Boost By Lori Pottinger, Matt Kondolf Aug 18, 2015 An ambitious project to remove a large dam on a key Central Coast river will bring benefits to the environment and set a precedent for other dammed rivers in the state.
event Policy Priorities for California’s Water Oct 18, 2016 About the ProgramAlthough 2016 was somewhat wetter than the previous four years, a fifth year of drought keeps water at the top of the state's policy agenda. This conference looks at what's on tap in key areas, including strengthening urban drought resilience, managing groundwater in rural areas, addressing declining ecosystem health, and ensuring safe drinking water in disadvantaged communities. Join PPIC Water Policy Center researchers and a diverse group of federal, state, and local experts for a thought-provoking discussion about policy priorities for the coming water year. This event made possible with funding from the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation.
blog post Drought Watch: California as a Testing Ground By Ellen Hanak Oct 15, 2014 At an international consortium on water policy research, PPIC’s Ellen Hanak talked about lessons from California for other regions of the world.
blog post Video: Congressman Kevin McCarthy in Conversation By Linda Strean Mar 14, 2016 House majority leader Kevin McCarthy talked to a Sacramento audience about national security, water policy, and the similarity between Donald Trump and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
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.
