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 Commentary: Competing Narratives on Delta Outflow Fuel Water Conflict By Jeffrey Mount, Greg Gartrell Jun 2, 2020 The federal government’s efforts to increase water supplied to farms and cities, and a breakdown in cooperation between the state and federal government, have escalated conflict over the Delta. What are they really fighting over?
blog post Making End-of-Life Decisions on Aging Dams By Lori Pottinger Nov 9, 2020 Many of California’s large dams are outliving their functions and even becoming hazardous. We talked to Andrew Rypel of the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences about how to address this aging dam population.
blog post Saving Steelhead—and Stitching a Community Back Together By Francisco Martínezcuello, Sarah Bardeen Jun 28, 2023 Near the small town of San Juan Capistrano in Southern California, a small creek is about to undergo a major transformation. The creek is known as Trabuco—and it just might hold the key to the survival of California’s endangered Southern steelhead.
blog post A Water Budget for the Environment By Jeffrey Mount Nov 5, 2018 California’s freshwater ecosystems are in decline and becoming increasingly vulnerable to drought. Allocating water budgets for the environment would help.
blog post Groundbreaking Dam Removal Moves Forward on the Klamath By Lori Pottinger Jun 11, 2019 In coming years, four dams on the Klamath will be removed, creating the largest dam removal and river restoration project in the country. We talked to Lester Snow about this effort.
blog post What Are Baseflow Droughts—and Why Should We Care? By Sarah Bardeen Apr 23, 2024 For the six months when California receives no rain, how do its rivers keep flowing? The answer is groundwater. But increasingly frequent and intense droughts are having unexpected effects on this vital resource. We speak with two experts to learn more.
blog post California’s Environment Needs a Water Budget By Jeffrey Mount, Brian Gray Dec 14, 2015 Giving the environment its own water budget would help protect species and ecosystems, and foster cooperation over water allocation during droughts.
blog post Commentary: To Restore California’s Ecosystems, We Must Adopt Smarter Permitting By Letitia Grenier, Jeffrey Mount Aug 18, 2021 California’s ecosystems are vital to the state’s economy and wellbeing, yet they’re in dire health. Large-scale restoration is needed, and implementing smarter permitting can help.
