blog post Water Trading Can Help California’s Struggling Freshwater Ecosystems By Ellen Hanak, Gokce Sencan Apr 4, 2022 California’s freshwater ecosystems are struggling—but water trading has helped in the past, and that could continue. We provide fresh data on the current state of environmental water transfers and highlight ways to improve them.
blog post Could Rangeland Return to the Central Valley? By Caitlin Peterson Mar 28, 2022 As Central Valley farmers confront the need to fallow some farmland to comply with SGMA, we interview two experts about a possible alternative to fallowing: converting formerly irrigated farmland into rangeland. It would keep the land economically productive—and might bring other benefits.
blog post “When You Know Better, Do Better”: A Water Agency’s Journey Through the Pandemic By Sarah Bardeen Mar 14, 2022 When Clifford Chan took over as EBMUD’s general manager just a few months into the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020, he had no idea how the pandemic would transform this large urban water utility. Two years later, he reflects on how EBMUD pivoted—and found innovative ways to support its customers.
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 SGMA Could Bolster Habitat Restoration in the San Joaquin Valley By Ellen Hanak, Caitlin Peterson, Abigail Hart Feb 22, 2022 As growers prepare to bring land out of production in the San Joaquin Valley, we’re exploring a variety of ways to manage that newly-fallowed farmland. This week, we look at a promising potential use: transforming formerly irrigated land into habitat.
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 Are California’s Cities Conserving Enough Water? By Alvar Escriva-Bou, Kurt Schwabe, Annabelle Rosser Dec 13, 2021 As Californians eye the possibility of a third year of drought, there’s been some concern that urban residents are backsliding around water conservation, especially compared with the last major drought. We examine what cities are doing well—and where they could improve.
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.
