blog post Restoring Rivers, Restoring Community By Sarah Bardeen, Gokce Sencan Jun 5, 2023 At the PPIC Water Policy Center, we’ve studied ecosystem restoration issues such as the importance of restoring more natural flow patterns, improving permitting, and storing water for the environment. This year, we brought in three CalTrout Ecosystem Fellows to look at another major challenge in river restoration: community engagement. This is the first of four posts on the topic!
blog post Video: Eel River—Reconnecting Salmon and People By Sarah Bardeen, Cameron Nielsen Feb 12, 2024 The Eel River once hosted one of California’s great salmon runs, but a combination of factors decimated those populations. Now, planned dam removals might help restore salmon—but how will these changes affect river communities? Filmmaker Cameron Nielsen spoke to people on all sides of the issue in this visually arresting short documentary
blog post An Opportunity to Restore Fish Abundance on the Eel River By Lori Pottinger Jul 16, 2019 A unique opportunity to remove a dam that blocks native fish from reaching spawning habitat has arisen on the Eel River. We talked to Curtis Knight of CalTrout about the situation.
blog post Introducing the 2022–23 PPIC CalTrout Ecosystem Fellows By Sarah Bardeen Oct 10, 2022 Each year, our PPIC CalTrout Ecosystem fellows help turn science into action by improving water management in California. This year, we’re pleased to announce we’ve chosen three journalists to report on community involvement in restoration efforts on a trio of critical but under-reported rivers: the Eel, the San Joaquin, and Trabuco Creek. Join us in welcoming this year’s fellows!
blog post From Litigation to Collaboration on the San Joaquin River By Molly Peterson, Sarah Bardeen Jul 18, 2023 The San Joaquin Valley is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world, and much of its success comes from the waters of the San Joaquin River. Today, the challenge is how to undo some of the damage done to the river’s ecosystems—and how to reconnect the river to its many communities.
blog post Defining Community Is Slippery on the Eel River By Cameron Nielsen, Sarah Bardeen Jul 10, 2023 On paper, California’s Eel River is a prime candidate for restoration. So why is it so hard to get done? The answer lies partly in the dam’s history—but in large part, the challenge lies in the complexities of who exactly constitutes the river’s community. Finding a solution has implications not just for the state but for the nation.
blog post Commentary: To Restore California’s Ecosystems, We Must Adopt Smarter Permitting By Letitia Grenier, Jeffrey Mount Aug 18, 2021 California’s ecosystems are vital to the state’s economy and wellbeing, yet they’re in dire health. Large-scale restoration is needed, and implementing smarter permitting can help.
blog post Saving Steelhead—and Stitching a Community Back Together By Francisco Martínezcuello, Sarah Bardeen Jun 28, 2023 Near the small town of San Juan Capistrano in Southern California, a small creek is about to undergo a major transformation. The creek is known as Trabuco—and it just might hold the key to the survival of California’s endangered Southern steelhead.
blog post An Alternative Approach to Managing the Delta By Jeffrey Mount Mar 8, 2018 A proposal to resolve the linked challenges of water quality, habitat, and water supply in the Delta and its watershed.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Advancing Ecosystem Restoration with Smarter Permitting By Letitia Grenier, Stephanie Panlasigui, Crissy Pickett, Gokce Sencan Aug 16, 2021 California’s ecosystems are suffering, but transforming the state’s permitting processes could accelerate much-needed restoration projects across the state.