blog post Video: Surplus and Shortage—California’s Water Balancing Act By Sarah Bardeen Nov 28, 2022 After three years of virtual events, our annual fall conference returned to an in-person format in Sacramento on Friday, November 18. The upshot? Good people, good food, and three vital panel discussions about managing water in California’s changing climate. Read our recap!
blog post Introducing the 2022–23 PPIC CalTrout Ecosystem Fellows By Sarah Bardeen Oct 10, 2022 Each year, our PPIC CalTrout Ecosystem fellows help turn science into action by improving water management in California. This year, we’re pleased to announce we’ve chosen three journalists to report on community involvement in restoration efforts on a trio of critical but under-reported rivers: the Eel, the San Joaquin, and Trabuco Creek. Join us in welcoming this year’s fellows!
blog post The Environmental Benefits of the Water Storage Investment Program By Gokce Sencan, Jeffrey Mount Sep 26, 2022 The Water Storage Investment Program is the first attempt use public funds to incentivize new water storage for the environment. While the program has faced some challenges, it could prove to be a useful model for future efforts—with some improvements.
blog post A New Tool Could Help Protect 30% of the State’s Waters by 2030 By Sarah Bardeen Sep 12, 2022 California has set an ambitious goal of protecting 30% of the state’s lands and waters by 2030. We spoke with CalTrout’s legal and policy director Redgie Collins about a promising but underutilized tool that could help protect water bodies throughout the state: The Outstanding Natural Resource Waters designation.
blog post Commentary: Newsom’s Water Strategy Needs to Go a Step Further By Sarah Null, Jeffrey Mount Sep 8, 2022 Dams are essential to managing California’s water supply, but their construction and operation has harmed freshwater ecosystems. We propose a novel approach to water management that treats the environment as a priority rather than a constraint on reservoir operations—and that may help to manage growing threats to the health of our rivers and estuaries.
Report Storing Water for the Environment By Sarah Null, Jeffrey Mount, Brian Gray, Kristen Dybala ... Aug 22, 2022 Large reservoirs are essential for managing water in California’s highly variable climate—but over the years, the construction and operation of these reservoirs have had significant environmental costs. Our new research outlines how reservoir operations could be changed to improve the health of the state’s fragile freshwater ecosystems.
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 Commentary: Klamath Basin Dam Removal Needs a Science-driven Oversight Plan By Jeffrey Mount, Peter Moyle May 31, 2022 The whole world is watching the Klamath Dam removal project. Jeffrey Mount and Peter Moyle argue that a robust science and monitoring program is essential to ensuring the project’s success—and will help guide future similar dam removals around the world.
blog post Water in 2021: Looking Back on a Year of Extremes By Ellen Hanak Jan 3, 2022 In California, 2021 was the year that climate change hit home. We look back at this year of extremes—and examine how our nonpartisan data and analysis informed conversations about how to address the tough water issues facing the state.
blog post Video: Seizing the Drought By Sarah Bardeen Nov 22, 2021 Californians know that climate change is here—and we’re feeling its effects nowhere more than in our water system. Last week, during our fall conference, we convened three days of expert panels. Scientists, policymakers, growers, water managers, and restoration advocates laid out a compelling vision of how to prepare our water system for the changes that are already underway.
