Report Paying for Water in California By Ellen Hanak, Dean Misczynski, Jay Lund, Brian Gray ... Mar 12, 2014 California faces serious funding gaps in five key areas of water management—including safe drinking water in small, disadvantaged communities; flood protection; management of stormwater and other polluted runoff; aquatic ecosystem management; and integrated water management. These gaps amount to $2 billion to $3 billion a year. But bold efforts by state and local leaders can pave the way to sustainable solutions for California’s critical water resources. This research is supported with funding from the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation and the California Water Foundation, an initiative of the Resources Legacy Fund.
blog post Last Week’s Storm: the Good, the Bad, and the Inconclusive By Jeffrey Mount Nov 1, 2021 The storm of October 24th broke one-day precipitation records throughout Northern California, but did this unusually intense atmospheric river lead to significant changes in our drought picture? PPIC Water Policy Center senior fellow Jeffrey Mount explains what the storm did—and didn’t—do for the state.
blog post Rising Seas Bring Rising Water Management Challenges By Jeffrey Mount Mar 26, 2019 Sea level rise will have broad impacts on California’s water systems, and adaptations will be expensive and disruptive.
Fact Sheet Paying for California’s Water System By Caitrin Chappelle, Ellen Hanak, Annabelle Rosser May 26, 2021 Most funding for California’s water system comes from local water bills and taxes. During droughts and recessions, revenues decline, making it harder for water agencies to keep up with needed investments.
blog post Video: Improving the Health of California’s Freshwater Ecosystems By Lori Pottinger, Ashlyn Perri Mar 1, 2021 California’s freshwater ecosystems are in poor health, and the current approach for managing them is not working. Jeff Mount, senior fellow at the PPIC Water Policy Center, describes a path for improving their condition to protect the benefits they bring.
blog post The Russian River: Managing at the Watershed Level By Gokce Sencan Sep 10, 2019 Water managers across the state face new and more extreme conditions as the climate warms. We talked to Grant Davis of Sonoma Water about his agency’s comprehensive approach to these challenges.
page Drought Apr 19, 2017 Droughts are a regular feature of California’s variable climate, affecting cities, farms, and the environment. They test water management systems and signal areas needing improvement.
Fact Sheet Dams in California By Alvar Escriva-Bou, Jeffrey Mount, Jelena Jezdimirovic Sep 4, 2019 Dams are central to California’s water system, providing storage, flood control, electricity, and recreation. Climate change is complicating how they are managed.