blog post A Weatherman Explains California’s Volatile Climate By Lori Pottinger Jun 10, 2016 What are the links between drought, La Niña, and climate change? An expert interview with the climate scientist who founded the California Weather Blog.
blog post California Depends on Rivers—in the Air By Lori Pottinger Dec 8, 2015 Climate change could bring bigger rains and longer droughts to the state. We talked to Mike Dettinger about "atmospheric rivers” and what they mean for California’s water system.
blog post Video: Governing in a Time of Change By Linda Strean Nov 24, 2015 Governor Jerry Brown’s chief aide, Nancy McFadden, outlined the administration’s top priorities at a PPIC event in Sacramento.
Report What If California’s Drought Continues? By Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund, Jeffrey Mount, Peter Moyle ... Aug 19, 2015 California is in the fourth year of a severe, hot drought—the kind that is increasingly likely as the climate warms. Although no sector has been untouched, impacts so far have varied greatly, reflecting different levels of drought preparedness. Urban areas are in the best shape, thanks to sustained investments in diversified water portfolios and conservation. Farmers are more vulnerable, but they are also adapting. The greatest vulnerabilities are in some low-income rural communities where wells are running dry and in California’s wetlands, rivers, and forests, where the state’s iconic biodiversity is under extreme threat. Two to three more years of drought will increase challenges in all areas and require continued—and likely increasingly difficult—adaptations. Emergency programs will need to be significantly expanded to get drinking water to rural residents and to prevent major losses of waterbirds and extinctions of numerous native fish species, including most salmon runs. California also needs to start a longer-term effort to build drought resilience in the most vulnerable areas.
blog post Better Reservoir Management Would Take the Heat off Salmon By Jeffrey Mount Jun 23, 2015 The survival of a run of endangered salmon is dependent on how Shasta Dam is managed. Will the cold water flow when they need it?
blog post A Dry Run for a Dry Future By Jeffrey Mount, Daniel Cayan May 27, 2015 The severity of this drought provides a window into what future droughts may look like—and important lessons for managing water in a warmer climate future.
