Donate
PPIC Logo Independent, objective, nonpartisan research

Search Results

Filters Sort by:
page

PPIC Water Policy Center

The PPIC Water Policy Center spurs innovative water management solutions that support a healthy economy, environment, and society—now and for future generations.

blog post

Making Homes More Water Efficient

By Lori Pottinger

An expert interview on how California could save billions of gallons a year if older homes were as water efficient as newer ones.

blog post

A Changing State of Water Conservation

By Lori Pottinger

The state continues to learn from the latest drought--an expert interview with Fran Spivy-Weber of the California State Water Board.

Report

What If California’s Drought Continues?

By Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund, Jeffrey Mount, Peter Moyle ...

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.

Search results are limited to 100 items. Please use the Refine Results tool if you are not finding what you are looking for.