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 What Every Californian Should Know About Groundwater By Sarah Bardeen Mar 22, 2022 In honor of World Water Day and its theme—“Groundwater—making the invisible visible”—we asked a handful of PPIC Water Policy Center staff to discuss groundwater and drought in California.
blog post Reforming Water Rights in California By Sarah Bardeen Feb 28, 2022 Water rights reform has long been the third rail in California politics—but that might be changing, thanks to an intriguing new report. We speak with two of the report’s authors about why they undertook this effort now.
blog post Testimony: Implementing SGMA at Ground Zero—Challenges and Opportunities for the San Joaquin Valley By Ellen Hanak, Alvar Escriva-Bou Feb 15, 2022 PPIC Water Policy Center director Ellen Hanak testified before an informational hearing on the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act in Sacramento today (February 15, 2022). Read her prepared remarks.
blog post A Shrinking River Inspires Growing Collaboration By Sarah Bardeen Jan 24, 2022 The Colorado River’s water level is dwindling. Water users are rallying to make cutbacks in a nearly unprecedented show of collaboration. But with major negotiations on the future of the river looming, will it be enough?
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 What’s Really Important? Putting Recent Water News into Perspective By Sarah Bardeen Dec 8, 2021 Last week, three major stories about California’s water supply dominated the news. We asked PPIC Water Policy Center director Ellen Hanak and senior fellow Jeff Mount to share their perspectives on what’s really important about these stories.
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.
event Seizing the Drought: Water Priorities for Our Changing Climate Nov 15, 2021 The PPIC Water Policy Center will convene a diverse group of experts to discuss how to tackle the highly disruptive effects of climate change on our water system. It’s clear that we must step up our game to cope with the increasingly severe, warm droughts that are coming our way. This year’s conference will identify immediate actions we can take to boost the state’s resilience.
blog post Video: Managing Water in a Changing Climate By Sarah Bardeen, Ashlyn Perri Oct 18, 2021 Climate change is stressing California’s water system, but strategic investments and improved water management practices could help us adapt.