Report California’s Water: Protecting Headwaters By Ellen Hanak, Jeffrey Mount, Van Butsic, Joshua Viers ... Nov 12, 2018 Mountainous regions provide most of the state’s water supply. But major problems loom— from a growing risk of wildfires to a shrinking snowpack. This brief outlines ways California and the federal government—the largest landowner in headwater areas—could address critical problems in these areas.
Report Replenishing Groundwater in the San Joaquin Valley: 2024 Update By Caitlin Peterson, Ellen Hanak, Zaira Joaquín Morales Jun 5, 2024 How much progress has been made on groundwater recharge in the San Joaquin Valley since 2017? This report shares the details of our latest groundwater recharge survey, which we conducted in 2023.
blog post The Mad Dash to Save Dairy Cattle as Tulare Basin Flooded By Caitlin Peterson, Sarah Bardeen Apr 24, 2023 When low-elevation snow melted during a warm storm in March, the resulting flood in the Tulare Lake basin put 100,000 cattle and over a dozen dairy farms at risk. This week, Western United Dairies CEO Anja Raudabaugh gives us a gripping account of what happened as the lake began to refill.
Report What If California’s Drought Continues? By Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund, Jeffrey Mount, Peter Moyle ... Aug 19, 2015 California is in the fourth year of a severe, hot drought—the kind that is increasingly likely as the climate warms. Although no sector has been untouched, impacts so far have varied greatly, reflecting different levels of drought preparedness. Urban areas are in the best shape, thanks to sustained investments in diversified water portfolios and conservation. Farmers are more vulnerable, but they are also adapting. The greatest vulnerabilities are in some low-income rural communities where wells are running dry and in California’s wetlands, rivers, and forests, where the state’s iconic biodiversity is under extreme threat. Two to three more years of drought will increase challenges in all areas and require continued—and likely increasingly difficult—adaptations. Emergency programs will need to be significantly expanded to get drinking water to rural residents and to prevent major losses of waterbirds and extinctions of numerous native fish species, including most salmon runs. California also needs to start a longer-term effort to build drought resilience in the most vulnerable areas.
blog post Climate-Challenged California Must Learn to Thrive with Less Water By Ellen Hanak, Jeffrey Mount Nov 16, 2022 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.
Report Adapting California’s Water Management to Climate Change By Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund Nov 17, 2008 Among the potential impacts of climate change, accelerated sea level rise and a reduced Sierra snowpack are the most certain. Both will pose significant challenges for water supply and flood management. Water utilities have already begun to plan for these changes, but flood control agencies are lagging behind and face greater regulatory constraints. State leadership is needed to resolve some threats, including the risk of catastrophic failure in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. This report was prepared as part of the Preparing California for a Changing Climate project.
Report Climate Change in California: Scenarios for Adaptation By Amy Luers, Michael D. Mastrandrea Nov 17, 2008 This report reviews the most recent assessments of the potential impacts of climate change in California, including sea level rise, higher air and water temperatures, reduced Sierra Nevada snowpack and changes in runoff patterns, and an increase in the frequency of extreme events such as droughts and floods. Resource managers, regional planners, and government agencies need to consider climate change in their planning, both to respond to long-term changes in the climate and to the occurrence of extreme events. This report was prepared as part of the Preparing California for a Changing Climate project.
Report Adaptation of California’s Electricity Sector to Climate Change By Edward Vine Nov 17, 2008 Changes in the climate will likely result in increased electricity demand, mainly as a result of the increased use of air conditioning. At the same time, hydroelectric power—one of the key sources used to meet peak summertime demands—will be threatened by the declining Sierra Nevada snowpack. The electricity sector is already considering the impacts of climate change, but steps are needed to invest in research, development, and demonstration to improve system resiliency and develop conservation tools. This report was prepared as part of the Preparing California for a Changing Climate project.
blog post A Dry Run for a Dry Future By Jeffrey Mount, Daniel Cayan May 27, 2015 The severity of this drought provides a window into what future droughts may look like—and important lessons for managing water in a warmer climate future.
blog post Reducing Flood Risk in the Central Valley By Lori Pottinger Nov 19, 2019 The Central Valley has some of the highest risk of flooding in the state—and that risk is growing as the climate changes. We talked to Tim Ramirez of the Central Valley Flood Protection Board about what’s being done to manage this risk, now and into the future.
