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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.

photo - tractor plowing in a dry field
Policy Brief · June 2024

Policy Brief: Drought and Groundwater Sustainability in California’s Farming Regions

photo - Drone View of James Irrigation District Pump
Report · June 2024

Replenishing Groundwater in the San Joaquin Valley: 2024 Update

photo - Sacramento Valley Wetlands
Report · May 2024

Climate-Smart Tools to Protect California’s Freshwater Biodiversity

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Blog Posts

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photo - Underwater Photograph of a Wild Rainbow Trout
September 16, 2024

Tackling Cold-water Droughts in a Changing Climate

Jeffrey Mount, Michael Dettinger

photo - California state capitol dome with flag
September 3, 2024

California Continues to Prioritize Water and Climate Programs Despite Budget Cuts

Gokce Sencan

photo - Tomol Crossing Channel Islands, wikimedia-43101684130
August 14, 2024

The Chumash Tribe’s Long Struggle to Protect California’s Coastal Waters

Sarah Bardeen

photo - McCloud Falls in Redding, California
August 5, 2024

How Have California’s Water Issues Changed in the Past Thirty Years?

Sarah Bardeen, Ellen Hanak, Jeffrey Mount, Brian Gray ...

Fact Sheets

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photo - tractor working on a melon farm
June 2024

Agricultural Land Use in California

Spencer Cole, Ellen Hanak, Caitlin Peterson

June 2024

Groundwater in California

Kyle Greenspan, Spencer Cole, Caitlin Peterson

photo - Flooded Fields and Structures Caused by Flood Waters - pixel-ca-dw-2023_05_12_ZZ_0030_Tulare_Lake
February 2024

Floods in California

Jeffrey Mount, Gokce Sencan, Letitia Grenier

photo - Wave Crashing Against Pacifica Pier
February 2024

Sea Level Rise in California

Letitia Grenier, Gokce Sencan

Video

photo - Flooded road warning sign

Drought and Floods in California

Featured Blog Post · July 17, 2024

Unpacking the Supreme Court’s Recent Ruling on the “Chevron Doctrine”

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Key Areas

Fact Cards

30 million people and 6 million acres of farmland depend on water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta watershed.
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Landscaping accounts for about half of California’s urban water use.
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About 40% of water used by California cities and farms comes from underground aquifers.
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Southern California’s cities and suburbs rely on the dwindling Colorado River for about one-third of their water.
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Who uses water in California?
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240+ The number of endangered or vulnerable California freshwater species.
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Most California water systems that fail to meet safety standards are in rural, low-income communities of color.
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California added more than 5 million people since 1990, yet urban water use changed little.
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The past 20 years have been the warmest in California history, making droughts more intense.
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Two-thirds of dams in California are more than 50 years old.
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1 in 5 Californians are vulnerable to flooding.
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