Past Groundwater Drought in the North American Cordillera

American Geophysical Union (AGU) | November 11th, 2024

Pathways and Barriers to Corporate Water Stewardship in the Colorado River Basin

Pacific Institute | October 24th, 2023

The Colorado River is the lifeblood of the American West. It supports 30 Native American tribes and farms, cities, and ecosystems in seven US states—Arizona, California

The Colorado River is the lifeblood of the American West. It supports 30 Native American tribes and farms, cities, and ecosystems in seven US states—Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming—and the Mexican states of Baja California and Sonora. However, the river is in crisis. Twenty-three years of drought, the over-allocation of water, and climate change have exacerbated a structural deficit—where more water leaves the system than enters it—for the tribes, communities, and ecosystems that depend on the Colorado River. To advance water resilience in the Colorado River Basin (Basin), accelerated action and investment are required from all sectors. These efforts must be strategic, coordinated, and amplified to effectively tackle the Basin’s challenges. Corporations can play a key role through their operations and supply chains, and by co-funding innovative projects. While a subset of leading companies is engaging in corporate water stewardship (CWS) in the Basin, more is needed to meet the magnitude of the water crisis at hand. This report outlines barriers and pathways to CWS in the Basin based on 20 interviews with corporate and non-corporate stakeholders from February to April 2022, and interviewee feedback on the results. The report is part of a broader Pacific Institute effort to advance CWS in the Basin. We are using these findings to prioritize CWS projects, initiatives, and approaches to pilot and scale in the Basin. More broadly, the findings are applicable to moving CWS toward building long-term water resilience in the Basin and other water-stressed basins around the world.

Patterns and controlling factors of residential water use in Los Angeles, California

International Water Association (IWA) Publishing | May 19th, 2014

The current study evaluates residential water use patterns and driving factors across Los Angeles, California. Ten years of monthly residential water data were obtained f

The current study evaluates residential water use patterns and driving factors across Los Angeles, California. Ten years of monthly residential water data were obtained from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Socio-economic, vegetation characteristics, climate, and water pricing data were utilized to develop a statistical model to determine controlling factors of single-family residential water use. Key drivers were found to be household income, landscape greenness, water pricing, household volume allocation, precipitation and temperature. Results show that low water users are less sensitive to climate variability than high water users, likely because these customers have reduced outdoor water use. In the lower income group, average household size is a predictor for household water consumption, which increases with more residents. Lower water users are also more sensitive to changes in their first level household water allocation (Tier 1). However, low, medium and high water users all respond more to changes in the Tier 1 rate than the Tier 2 rate, and generally reduce consumption if this block rate is increased.

Patterns and magnitude of flow alteration in California, USA

Freshwater Biology (Wiley) | December 27th, 2017

The importance of the natural flow regime to stream and river health has received growing attention over the last two decades. Quantifying natural river flows has become

The importance of the natural flow regime to stream and river health has received growing attention over the last two decades. Quantifying natural river flows has become an essential component of water resource planning, including assessments of water supplies (Vicuna,Maurer, Joyce, Dracup, & Purkey, 2007; Wurbs, 2005), reservoir operations (Hejazi, Cai, & Ruddell, 2008) and drought risk (Meko,Therrell, Baisan, & Hughes, 2001). Understanding the natural flow regime is also crucial for managing stream ecosystems.

Patterns and projections of high tide flooding along the U.S. coastline using a common impact threshold

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) | February 1st, 2018

For forecasting purposes to ensure public safety, NOAA has established three coastal flood severity thresholds. The thresholds are based upon water level heights

For forecasting purposes to ensure public safety, NOAA has established three coastal flood severity thresholds. The thresholds are based upon water level heights empirically calibrated to NOAA tide gauge measurements from years of impact monitoring by its Weather Forecast Offices (WFO) and emergency managers. When minor (more disruptive than damaging), moderate (damaging) or major (destructive) coastal flooding is anticipated (not associated with tropical storms), NOAA issues either a flood advisory(for minor) or warning (for moderate or major). Less than half of NOAA tide gauges located along the U.S. coastline have such ‘official’ NOAA flood thresholds, and where they exist, the heights can vary substantially (e.g., 0.3–0.6 meter within minor category). They differ due to the extent of infrastructure vulnerabilities, which vary by topography and relief, land-cover types or existing flood defenses.

Patterns in the use of a restored California floodplain by native and alien fishes

University of California, Davis (UC Davis) | July 7th, 2007

Fishes were sampled on the restored floodplain of the Cosumnes River in Central California in order to determine patterns of floodplain use. The floodplain was sampled fo

Fishes were sampled on the restored floodplain of the Cosumnes River in Central California in order to determine patterns of floodplain use. The floodplain was sampled for seven years (1998-2002, 2004-2005) during the winter-spring flooding season. The fishes fell into five groups: (1) floodplain spawners, (2) river spawners, (3) floodplain foragers, (4) floodplain pond fishes, and (5) inadvertent users. Eight of the 18 abundant species were natives, while the rest were aliens. There was a consistent pattern of floodplain use, modified by timing and extent of flooding. The first fishes to appear were floodplain foragers, inadvertent users, and juvenile Chinook salmon (river spawners). Next were floodplain spawners, principally Sacramento splittail and common carp. At the end of the season, in ponds of residual water, non-native annual fishes, mainly inland silverside and western mosquitofish, became abundant. Adult spawners left when inflow decreased; their juveniles persisted as long as flood pulses kept water levels up and temperatures low. Juvenile splittail and carp quickly grew large enough to dominate floodplain fish samples, along with smaller numbers of juvenile Sacramento sucker and pikeminnow (river spawners). Such juveniles left the Relatively few fishes that used the floodplain for spawning or rearing became stranded, except late season alien fishes. Most alien fishes had resident populations in adjacent river, sloughs, and ditches and were not dependent on the floodplain for persistence. This indicates that Central Valley floodplains managed to favor native fishes should have the following characteristics: (1) extensive early season flooding, (2) complete drainage by the end of the flooding season, (3) few areas with permanent water, (4) a mosaic of physical habitats, (5) regular annual flooding but with high variability in flood regime.

Patterns of Freshwater Species Richness, Endemism, and Vulnerability in California

PLOS | July 6th, 2015

Patterns, drivers, and a predictive model of dam removal cost in the United States

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution (Frontiers) | July 24th, 2023

Paying for California's Water System

Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) | May 31st, 2021

Paying for Infrastructure: California’s Choices

Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) | January 16th, 2009

PPIC’s At Issue series focuses on issues important for California now and in the future. Financing infrastructure has traditionally been difficult for the state, and cu

PPIC’s At Issue series focuses on issues important for California now and in the future. Financing infrastructure has traditionally been difficult for the state, and current economic woes are likely to make it even more challenging. In this At Issue, PPIC research director Ellen Hanak analyzes the impediments to infrastructure financing and describes funding reforms such as loosening the supermajority rules for local infrastructure funding, financing investment through user fees, and expanding public-private partnerships. She outlines how these reforms could improve the state’s ability to build for the future.