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The Environmental Benefits of the Water Storage Investment Program

By Gokce Sencan, Jeffrey Mount

The Water Storage Investment Program is the first attempt use public funds to incentivize new water storage for the environment. While the program has faced some challenges, it could prove to be a useful model for future efforts—with some improvements.

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Storing Water for the Environment

By Sarah Null, Jeffrey Mount, Brian Gray, Kristen Dybala ...

Large reservoirs are essential for managing water in California’s highly variable climate—but over the years, the construction and operation of these reservoirs have had significant environmental costs. Our new research outlines how reservoir operations could be changed to improve the health of the state’s fragile freshwater ecosystems.

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Video: Water and Growth in the West

By Ellen Hanak

When water supplies are tight, the question of whether government should limit growth rises to the surface. Ellen Hanak discusses the issue at a conference on water sustainability in the West.

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Climate-Challenged California Must Learn to Thrive with Less Water

By Ellen Hanak, Jeffrey Mount

Managing water in our increasingly volatile climate is becoming more challenging: even if we do everything right, water supplies are likely to decline. The grand challenge for 21st-century water management in California is learning to thrive with less.

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Can We Capture More Water in the Delta?

By Sarah Bardeen

A massive amount of water is moving through the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta in the wake of recent storms, and calls have risen from all quarters to capture more of this bounty. We spoke with PPIC Water Policy Center adjunct fellow Greg Gartrell to understand what’s preventing that—and to dispel the myth of “water wasted to the sea.”

Report

Priorities for California’s Water

By Jeffrey Mount, Letitia Grenier, Ellen Hanak, Caitlin Peterson ...

California has made great strides in preparing for a drier, hotter future, but it remains a challenge to harness the bounty of wet years while also reducing flood risk. How did California’s water sector manage the unusually wet 2023 water year—and what lessons can we glean for the future?

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Commentary: Newsom’s Water Strategy Needs to Go a Step Further

By Sarah Null, Jeffrey Mount

Dams are essential to managing California’s water supply, but their construction and operation has harmed freshwater ecosystems. We propose a novel approach to water management that treats the environment as a priority rather than a constraint on reservoir operations—and that may help to manage growing threats to the health of our rivers and estuaries.

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New Water Rules for Marijuana Growers

By Henry McCann

Cannabis growers will encounter new state requirements next year to address the crop’s impact on California’s creeks and streams.

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