blog post Testimony: Adapting California’s Water Rights System to the 21st-Century Climate By Ellen Hanak, Brian Gray, Jeffrey Mount Feb 28, 2023 PPIC Water Policy Center director Ellen Hanak and senior fellows Brian Gray and Jeffrey Mount testified before the Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee Informational Hearing, “How Should California’s Water Right System Adapt to a 21st Century Climate?” today. Read their prepared remarks.
event Paying for Water in California Apr 10, 2014 About the Program California's latest drought highlights the need to improve how we manage and pay for our precious water resources. At this half-day event, participants will discuss where California's water finance system is failing, how we might fill the gaps, and whether significant reforms are needed to enable our water resources to support a healthy economy, society, and environment. This event follows the release of a new PPIC report, Paying for Water in California. This project is supported with funding from the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation and the California Water Foundation, an initiative of the Resources Legacy Fund. Questions? Contact Kelly Holt at [email protected] or (415) 291-4498.
blog post California’s Latest Drought in 4 Charts By Alvar Escriva-Bou, Jeffrey Mount, Michael Dettinger May 3, 2021 California is in drought again. Knowing what’s different and what’s similar compared to the past major drought can help us better prepare the most vulnerable sectors.
blog post The LA River and the Trade-Offs of Water Recycling By Gokce Sencan, Caitrin Chappelle Jun 24, 2019 The Los Angeles River, which depends on treated wastewater for some of its flows, exemplifies the trade-offs that come with expanded recycled water production.
blog post Drought Watch: Improving Environmental Management By Ellen Hanak, Jeffrey Mount May 19, 2014 This is part of a continuing series on the impact of the drought.California needs to modernize how we manage water for the environment during droughts, which pose a broad ecological challenge to California’s fish and wildlife.
Report California Water Myths By Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund, Jeffrey Mount, Richard Howitt ... Dec 8, 2009 California faces enormous challenges in establishing a sustainable path for water resource management. One challenge is the rhetoric surrounding major water issues in the state. This study highlights eight common water myths, focusing on water supply, ecosystems, and legal and governance issues. In combating these myths, the report sets the stage for a more informed approach to water policy and management. More information and additional myths can be found in Myths of California Water - Implications and Reality. Interactive Map: Per Capita Urban Water Use: 1960-2005 Interactive Feature: Virtual Tour (Center For Watershed Sciences, UC Davis) Supported with funding from S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Pisces Foundation, Resources Legacy Fund, and Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority.
blog post Accounting for a Decade of Headwater Forest Management By Henry McCann, Mingfei Xiong Feb 8, 2021 As California accelerates management of headwater forests to reduce wildfire risk, understanding past efforts is useful. Yet data on such work is lacking. PPIC did a basic accounting of the past decade of forest management, which has lessons for going forward.
blog post Managing Family Forests Is Key to Managing Wildfire By Annabelle Rosser, Henry McCann Sep 8, 2021 In the Sierra-Cascade region, many mixed-conifer forests belong to small family operations, which typically struggle to carry out robust forest management. This gap in management is putting communities at risk; a few policy changes could help.
blog post Why Is It Taking So Long to Restore the Sediment-Choked Elk River? By Lori Pottinger Apr 5, 2021 The Elk River was damaged by landslides from logged land more than 20 years ago, which harmed fisheries and drinking water supplies. Darren Mierau of CalTrout talks about ongoing efforts to restore the river.
