blog post Reforming Water Management for the Environment By Jeffrey Mount Nov 14, 2017 It’s time for California to rethink how it manages water for the environment. Three reforms could reduce conflict and improve freshwater ecosystems.
blog post Storing Water for Dry Days By Lori Pottinger Sep 21, 2017 Where would California be without the ability to store water? An expert interview with Jay Lund about the complex topic of water storage.
blog post The Search for Sustainability in the Colorado River Basin By Lori Pottinger Jul 13, 2017 The Colorado River is a crucial water source for seven states and Mexico. We talked to an expert about how to balance priorities in managing the river.
blog post State Water Market Needs Reform By Ellen Hanak, Jelena Jezdimirovic Feb 2, 2016 Water trading is an important tool for managing water scarcity. But as the latest drought has shown, California’s process for approving water trades is flawed. Reforms could help manage future droughts.
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 Managing Tough Trade-offs in the Delta By Ellen Hanak, Jeffrey Mount Apr 15, 2015 New data illustrate the tough trade-offs California faces in managing water in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
Report Policy Priorities for Managing Drought By Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund, Jeffrey Mount, Peter Moyle ... Mar 16, 2015 State, federal, and local water managers have worked diligently to reduce the economic, social, and environmental harm from the current drought. But as the drought continues, the challenges will grow more acute. California can learn from experiences to date—and from Australia’s response to its Millennium Drought—to better prepare both for the year ahead and for future droughts. State leaders should address weaknesses in four areas of drought preparation and response, by: 1) improving water use information, 2) setting clear goals and priorities for public health and the environment, 3) promoting water conservation and more resilient water supplies, and 4) strengthening environmental management.
blog post Drought Watch: Water Not Wasted to the Sea By Jeffrey Mount Feb 10, 2015 The water from the latest storm that is moving down the Sacramento River, out through the Delta, and into the Bay benefits a broad range of users.
