blog post New Progress in California Water Rights Reform By Sarah Bardeen Dec 5, 2023 Many have argued that California’s water rights laws are sorely in need of modernization. Is recent legislation taking a step in that direction? We spoke with two legal experts to find out.
blog post A Better Way to Promote Urban Water Conservation By David Mitchell, Ellen Hanak Nov 28, 2023 Californians have been making great strides in water conservation in recent years. Now the State Water Board is considering new urban water use regulations whose statewide costs would far exceed their benefits—and significantly impact affordability. Are there better approaches? We take a look.
blog post Video: Stewarding California’s Wet Years By Sarah Bardeen Nov 20, 2023 Wet weather brought relief to our parched state last winter. And while full reservoirs are great, is there room to improve California’s wet year management? At our fall conference last week, three panels of experts gave a resounding yes—and then offered insights on how to improve. Read our recap!
event Stewarding California’s Wet Years Nov 14, 2023 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 conditions of the 2023 water year—and what lessons can we glean for the future? We speak with three panels of experts to find out.
Report Priorities for California’s Water By Jeffrey Mount, Letitia Grenier, Ellen Hanak, Caitlin Peterson ... Nov 1, 2023 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?
blog post California’s Violent Crime Rate Is Diverging from the National Trend By Magnus Lofstrom Nov 1, 2023 In the decade preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, California's violent crime rate roughly mirrored the nationwide trend. But as of 2022, California's violent crime rate is nearly one-third higher than the US rate, a divergence driven largely by aggravated assaults.
blog post Seasonal Weather Predictions Are Elusive in California By Sarah Bardeen Oct 16, 2023 California urgently needs to improve its precipitation forecasting: this could help the state better manage its water supply and prepare for disasters, among other things. But that’s not as easy as it sounds, says Dr. Xianan Jiang, a UCLA researcher. We asked him to tell us more.
blog post Navigating the Hope (and Hype) around Solar Canals By Sarah Bardeen, Gokce Sencan Oct 11, 2023 Placing solar panels over canals is attracting attention in California. But will solar canals live up to the hype—and will they work in California? Turlock Irrigation District’s general manager, Michelle Reimers, tells us about a new pilot project that could answer some of these questions.
blog post Is Agrivoltaics Right for California? By Sarah Bardeen Oct 3, 2023 Agrivoltaics—the practice of using the same piece of land simultaneously for agriculture and solar power generation—has enjoyed a lot of positive press lately. But is it right for California? We spoke with two experts with very different views on the subject.
blog post The Weird Weather of 2023: Better Get Used to It By Jeffrey Mount, Gokce Sencan, Michael Dettinger Sep 27, 2023 Water Year 2023 comes to an end on September 30. For most weather-watchers, this was an unusual year, with very wet conditions following several very dry years—but are the frequency and intensity of these variations increasing as the planet’s temperature rises? And if so, what might be the implications for water management? We take a look.
