data set PPIC Delta Water Accounting May 16, 2022 These spreadsheets contain all data, sources, and methods used to calculate water use in California’s Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, including estimates of outflow needed to meet regulations; ecological, export, and municipal and industrial uses; and watershed-level water sources and upstream depletions.
blog post A Life Written in Water: Susan Tatayon Reflects on Her 40-year Career By Sarah Bardeen May 2, 2022 As the former chair of the Delta Stewardship Council, Susan Tatayon has a unique perspective on the state’s water woes. We asked her to reflect on all she has learned in her four-decade career in California water.
event Farming in a State of Extremes Apr 21, 2022 California’s agricultural sector is the nation’s largest: it generates more than $50 billion dollars in annual revenue and employs more than 420,000 people. But the ongoing drought is taking a toll on agriculture, related sectors, and rural communities. Join us for a panel discussion about the drought’s impacts on farming regions—and how the state and other actors can best respond to looming challenges.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Drought and California’s Agriculture By Alvar Escriva-Bou, Josué Medellín-Azuara, Ellen Hanak, John Abatzoglou Apr 13, 2022 California’s agricultural sector is the nation’s largest: it generates more than $50 billion dollars in annual revenue and employs more than 420,000 people. The ongoing drought is taking a toll on agriculture, related sectors, and rural communities, but there are ways to increase resilience in a warming world.
blog post Water Trading Can Help California’s Struggling Freshwater Ecosystems By Ellen Hanak, Gokce Sencan Apr 4, 2022 California’s freshwater ecosystems are struggling—but water trading has helped in the past, and that could continue. We provide fresh data on the current state of environmental water transfers and highlight ways to improve them.
blog post Could Rangeland Return to the Central Valley? By Caitlin Peterson Mar 28, 2022 As Central Valley farmers confront the need to fallow some farmland to comply with SGMA, we interview two experts about a possible alternative to fallowing: converting formerly irrigated farmland into rangeland. It would keep the land economically productive—and might bring other benefits.
video Two Years of COVID in California By Ashlyn Perri Mar 14, 2022 Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, PPIC has provided insights on the far-reaching impact of the pandemic. Two years in, we reflect on what COVID-19 has meant for California—and how it has reshaped our lives.
blog post Reforming Water Rights in California By Sarah Bardeen Feb 28, 2022 Water rights reform has long been the third rail in California politics—but that might be changing, thanks to an intriguing new report. We speak with two of the report’s authors about why they undertook this effort now.
blog post Testimony: Implementing SGMA at Ground Zero—Challenges and Opportunities for the San Joaquin Valley By Ellen Hanak, Alvar Escriva-Bou Feb 15, 2022 PPIC Water Policy Center director Ellen Hanak testified before an informational hearing on the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act in Sacramento today (February 15, 2022). Read her prepared remarks.
blog post Water in 2021: Looking Back on a Year of Extremes By Ellen Hanak Jan 3, 2022 In California, 2021 was the year that climate change hit home. We look back at this year of extremes—and examine how our nonpartisan data and analysis informed conversations about how to address the tough water issues facing the state.
