blog post Will Groundwater Sustainability Plans End the Problem of Dry Drinking Water Wells? By Jelena Jezdimirovic, Ellen Hanak, Alvar Escriva-Bou May 14, 2020 Overpumping of groundwater has caused domestic wells to go dry in the San Joaquin Valley. Many sustainability plans do not propose ways to mitigate this problem.
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 The Challenges of Using Less Water in the Southern San Joaquin Valley By Sarah Bardeen Jun 13, 2022 As the San Joaquin Valley grapples with the twin challenges of groundwater overdraft and land subsidence, we spoke with two experts about how programs like multi-benefit farmland repurposing are helping the region adapt.
blog post Commentary: How Water Markets Can Help California Bring Its Groundwater Into Balance By Andrew Ayres, Ellen Hanak Sep 20, 2021 The current drought underscores the need to protect California’s groundwater—our most important reserve to get through extended dry times. Water banking and trading are essential tools for stewarding our groundwater, and we urgently need to make them work better.
blog post Drought Watch: Groundwater, Our Hidden Asset By Ellen Hanak, Jeffrey Mount May 27, 2014 This is part of a continuing series on the impact of the drought. Water scarcity during this drought is perceived by many, including prominent elected officials, as a failure of government to build sufficient storage. But groundwater—when managed well—is the state’s best hedge against drought.
blog post The Connection between Groundwater and Surface Water By Jeffrey Mount Oct 15, 2018 Surface water and groundwater are closely linked, but a legal divide kept them separate—until now.
Report Replenishing Groundwater in the San Joaquin Valley By Ellen Hanak, Jelena Jezdimirovic, Sarge Green, Alvar Escriva-Bou Apr 17, 2018 This report reviews groundwater recharge efforts in the San Joaquin Valley, and proposes actions to increase recharge and reduce the valley’s groundwater deficit.
blog post Groundwater Sustainability Moves from Planning to Implementation By Lori Pottinger Aug 10, 2020 The completion of groundwater sustainability plans for the state’s most over-pumped basins was a major step toward bringing basins into long-term balance. What are next steps and possible pitfalls in the process?
Fact Sheet Water and Energy in California By Alvar Escriva-Bou, Gokce Sencan, Andrew Ayres Dec 5, 2022 Water and energy are closely entwined in California: the energy sector relies heavily on water for electricity generation, and statewide water use consumes a lot of energy. Our new fact sheet illuminates the connections between these two sectors, and explores ways to make both systems more resilient in the face of climate change.
blog post Implementing California’s Groundwater Law By Jelena Jezdimirovic, Stephen Maples Jul 12, 2016 What will it take to successfully manage groundwater in California’s Central Valley? Key takeaways from a joint workshop by UC Water and the PPIC Water Policy Center.
