blog post California’s Marijuana Majority By Mark Baldassare Dec 16, 2016 How did a marijuana legalization initiative pass this year after a similar effort failed six years ago? The answers are found in both national and state trends.
blog post Making the Groundwater Law Work By Lori Pottinger Dec 15, 2016 What will it take for the state’s groundwater law to succeed? An expert interview on improving management of this critically important water resource.
blog post Implementing California’s Groundwater Law By Jelena Jezdimirovic, Stephen Maples Jul 12, 2016 What will it take to successfully manage groundwater in California’s Central Valley? Key takeaways from a joint workshop by UC Water and the PPIC Water Policy Center.
blog post Farms That Grow Groundwater By Lori Pottinger Apr 18, 2016 An expert interview on why California’s farms are key to rebuilding the state’s depleted groundwater reserves.
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 Proposed Reservoirs Are No Panacea for Drought By Ellen Hanak, Jeffrey Mount Jul 6, 2015 New surface storage would add only modestly to the state’s water supply. Building drought resilience requires a much broader set of actions.
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 Why Farming Needs the New Groundwater Law By Ellen Hanak, Sarge Green, David Zoldoske Jun 2, 2015 Declines in groundwater levels are causing problems around the state. The new groundwater law will help manage groundwater so that it’s available during droughts, when it’s most needed.
blog post Video: Press Club Focuses on Water By Lori Pottinger May 5, 2015 The Sacramento Press Club hosted PPIC’s Water Policy Center director Ellen Hanak last week, who talked about the five things you need to know about water.
blog post Experts Weigh In on Drought Solutions By Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund Apr 27, 2015 The Los Angeles Times published nine bite-sized opinion pieces on solutions to help California better manage droughts. Ellen Hanak and Jay Lund focused on strategic investments in water storage and water accounting systems.
