blog post Adapting to a Water-Scarce California By Ellen Hanak Jan 9, 2023 With the arrival of a series of atmospheric rivers, drought-weary Californians are now confronting the weather whiplash that’s a hallmark of our state’s climate. But the current deluge won’t erase California’s water challenges. PPIC Water Policy Center director Ellen Hanak reflects on what happened with California’s water in 2022—and explores how to manage the resource in our increasingly volatile climate.
blog post The Yuba Accord: A Model for Water Management By Ellen Hanak May 15, 2018 Three reasons why the Yuba Accord is a model for modern water management in California.
blog post Water Marketing That Helps Nature By Ellen Hanak, Jelena Jezdimirovic Sep 13, 2016 Unleashing the potential of water trading could improve conditions California’s struggling rivers and wetlands.
blog post Safeguarding the Future of California’s Freshwater Ecosystems By Sarah Bardeen May 22, 2023 Climate change is transforming California’s ecosystems, threatening vital habitat for many native species. Some species may be lost, which is why former Department of Water Resources lead scientist Ted Sommer and environmental law expert Jennifer Harder are joining forces as our 2023–24 PPIC CalTrout ecosystem fellows. We recently asked them to tell us more about their new project, which could help protect wildlife as the climate changes.
blog post New Water Laws Address Groundwater, Marijuana By Caitrin Chappelle, Henry McCann Oct 15, 2015 Two recent bill packages took important steps toward improving groundwater management and reducing the negative environmental impacts of marijuana farming.
Report Advancing Ecosystem Restoration with Smarter Permitting By Letitia Grenier, Stephanie Panlasigui, Crissy Pickett, Gokce Sencan Aug 16, 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 Taking on Tough Challenges at the State Water Board By Lori Pottinger Oct 29, 2019 The State Water Board is at the center of many critical water challenges, from protecting water quality to addressing drought. We talked to board member Sean Maguire about current priorities.