Drought - Public Policy Institute of California

Drought

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Droughts are a regular feature of California’s variable climate, affecting cities, farms, and the environment. They test water management systems and signal areas needing improvement.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

photo - Eagle Falls and view of Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe, California

Priorities for California’s Water November 2020
This brief reviews how major disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, economic downturn, ongoing drought, and wildfires affected the state’s water landscape, and lays out priorities for local, state, and federal action.

photo - California Aqueduct in Kern County, California - Pixel Ca DWR

Water Partnerships between Cities and Farms in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley October 2020
This report explores how water partnerships between San Joaquin Valley farms and Southern California cities could help alleviate groundwater overdraft in the valley while building urban drought resilience.

photo - Nordheimer Creek and Salmon River Confluence in Northern California

Making the Most of Water for the Environment: A Functional Flows Approach for California’s Rivers August 2020
This report assesses how a “functional flows” approach for managing environmental water in California’s rivers would be implemented to improve ecosystem health and protect native fish.

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Drought February 2019

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BY THE NUMBERS

Droughts are a recurring feature of California’s variable climate

The latest drought includes the driest four-year stretch in 120 years of recordkeeping.