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Priorities for California’s Water

By Jeffrey Mount, Letitia Grenier, Ellen Hanak, Caitlin Peterson ...

California has made great strides in preparing for a drier, hotter future, but it remains a challenge to harness the bounty of wet years while also reducing flood risk. How did California’s water sector manage the unusually wet 2023 water year—and what lessons can we glean for the future?

Report

Managing Water and Farmland Transitions in the San Joaquin Valley

By Ellen Hanak, Andrew Ayres, Caitlin Peterson, Alvar Escriva-Bou ...

How can the San Joaquin Valley adapt to a future with less water? We’ve been researching this issue for the past seven years, and our new report presents highlights from we’ve learned, including a robust list of policy suggestions to help the valley weather—and make the most of—the coming changes.

Fact Sheet

Water Use in California

By Jeffrey Mount, Ellen Hanak, Caitlin Peterson

To understand California’s water, start here. Water use in California varies dramatically between wet and dry years: learn who’s using California’s water, where, and how much.

Fact Sheet

Water Use in California’s Agriculture

By Caitlin Peterson, Alvar Escriva-Bou, Josué Medellín-Azuara, Spencer Cole

California is an agricultural powerhouse that relies heavily on irrigation. Discover how much water the sector uses and how groundwater laws and climate change are bringing change.

Fact Sheet

Water Use in California’s Environment

By Jeffrey Mount, Caitlin Peterson, Gokce Sencan

What exactly is “environmental water,” and how much water does California’s environment actually use? This explainer sticks to the facts—and dispels a few myths in the process.

Fact Sheet

Water Use in California’s Communities

By Andrew Ayres, Caitlin Peterson, Annabelle Rosser

Even as California’s population has grown by millions, its per-capita water use has declined. Communities are finding ways to boost resilience in the face of climate change.

Policy Brief

Policy Brief: The Future of Agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley

By Alvar Escriva-Bou, Ellen Hanak, Spencer Cole, Josué Medellín-Azuara

Agriculture is a key driver of the regional economy in the San Joaquin Valley, but water for irrigation is an ongoing—and growing—concern. Our latest research offers the most accurate, nuanced, and localized look at where fallowing may need to occur—and details the policy and management actions that could lead to better outcomes.

Fact Sheet

Water and Energy in California

By Alvar Escriva-Bou, Gokce Sencan, Andrew Ayres

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.

Report

Solar Energy and Groundwater in the San Joaquin Valley

By Andrew Ayres, Annabelle Rosser, Ellen Hanak, Alvar Escriva-Bou ...

Hundreds of thousands of acres of irrigated farmland may come out of production in the San Joaquin Valley in coming decades. At the same time, the state needs to ramp up renewable energy generation to meet climate goals. Could solar development on fallowed land help the valley’s residents? Our new report examines the challenges and opportunities.

Report

Storing Water for the Environment

By Sarah Null, Jeffrey Mount, Brian Gray, Kristen Dybala ...

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.

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