Ecosystems - Public Policy Institute of California

Ecosystems

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Dramatic changes in water and land use across the state have transformed California’s freshwater landscape and put many fish, bird, and other species at risk.

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 - 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.

The Benefits of Headwater Forest Management April 2020
This report reviews the benefits and beneficiaries of forest management—information that is key to crafting the financial tools and policies needed for long-term stewardship of the state’s headwater forests.

MORE PUBLICATIONS

Ecosystems February 2019

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Roughly 95% of the Central Valley’s wetlands have been lost

Central Valley rice fields now provide wildlife habitat in place of native wetlands.