Clean Watersheds Needs Survey 2012

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) | December 13th, 2012

Clear Lake Watershed and Lake Remediation

University of California, Davis (UC Davis) | December 9th, 2024

The main goal of this joint effort between the University of California Davis, Tahoe Environmental Research Center (UCD-TERC), and the United States Geological Survey (US

The main goal of this joint effort between the University of California Davis, Tahoe Environmental Research Center (UCD-TERC), and the United States Geological Survey (USGS), is to develop the watershed and in-lake monitoring and modeling needed to:  Better understanding of the processes contributing to poor water quality;  Predict watershed and lake responses to changing environmental conditions; and,  Evaluate the impacts and unintended consequences of potential management and restoration activities. 

Clearer Structure, Cleaner Water: Improving Performance and Outcomes at the State Water Boards

Little Hoover Commission | January 1st, 2009

The Little Hoover Commission on Thursday urged the governor and the Legislature to reform the State Water Resources Control Board and nine Regional Water Quality Control

The Little Hoover Commission on Thursday urged the governor and the Legislature to reform the State Water Resources Control Board and nine Regional Water Quality Control Boards by expanding the state board to nine members, with five members representing statewide interests and four drawn on a rotating basis from the nine regional board chairpersons, whose positions would become full-time. In addition, the Commission called for a revamped appeals process; to improve the use of data and science in water quality regulatory processes; and urged the water boards to focus on new ways to solve modern water quality problems and set priorities. In its report, Clearer Structure, Cleaner Water: Improving Performance and Outcomes at the State Water Boards, the Commission also recommends refocusing both the state board and regional boards on policy-making and updating basin plans. During its study, the Commission found that the water boards face increasingly complex water quality problems, caused in part by hard-to-regulate sources such as urban and agricultural runoff. The Commission also found that a decentralized governance structure, with nine regional water quality boards operating with distinct policies and processes, hinders accountability and transparency. The result is a system that has lost the confidence of most stakeholders. To restore accountability and increase focus on clean-water outcomes, the Commission recommends strengthening the relationship between the state and regional boards. “The governance structure for water quality regulation in California is 40 years old and is ill-prepared to handle modern problems,” Little Hoover Commission Chairman Daniel Hancock said. “Major reform is needed to help protect and improve water quality, which is a key to the state’s future.”

Clearing the Waters: A Focus on Water Quality Solutions

Pacific Institute | March 22nd, 2010

Every day, 2 million tons of sewage and industrial and agricultural waste are poured into the world’s waters. The result is that more people die from unsafe water annua

Every day, 2 million tons of sewage and industrial and agricultural waste are poured into the world’s waters. The result is that more people die from unsafe water annually than from all forms of violence, including war. A new Pacific Institute report released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for World Water Day, March 22, 2010, lays out steps and solutions to address our urgent water-quality challenges––and they start with awareness and will to action. “A wide range of human activities affect water quality. The health of our ecosystems––and our communities––depends on how we act now,” said Achim Steiner, executive director of UNEP. “Improving and protecting water quality means healthier ecosystems, improved human well-being, and more secure livelihoods, both for ourselves and for future generations.” The new United Nations report, Clearing the Waters: A Focus on Water Quality Solutions, details how water quality is as important as water quantity for satisfying human and environmental needs, yet has received far less investment, scientific support, and public attention. Prepared by the Pacific Institute, one of the world’s leading nonprofit research organizations on freshwater issues, the UNEP report is part of the World Water Day 2010 effort to bring global attention to the need for clean, safe water––and action and policy to address water pollution. “Improving water quality, whether by preventing pollution, treating wastewater before disposal, or restoring the quality of waterways, requires increased awareness and political will,” said Peter Gleick, president of the Pacific Institute. “The consequences of inaction are stark: water-quality problems affect our health, reduce agricultural productivity, impose additional costs on industrial production, and degrade ecosystem services––with costs to local populations and governments.”

Climate Action Plan

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) | May 31st, 2022

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s (Metropolitan) core mission is to provide a clean, reliable water supply to Southern California. Changing clim

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s (Metropolitan) core mission is to provide a clean, reliable water supply to Southern California. Changing climatic conditions, variable precipitation patterns, availability of water supplies, changes in consumer demands, and sea level rise will change the way Metropolitan provides its services and how it operates its regional water system. Metropolitan recognizes the potential impact of climate change to water availability and is committed to environmental stewardship to protect this valuable resource. Reducing greenhouse gas (G H G) emissions is an important step in protecting California and the region from the effects of climate change. Reducing G H G emissions from Metropolitan’s operations supports California’s overall G H G reduction goals. This Climate Action Plan (CAP) sets targets for reducing G H G emissions from Metropolitan’s operations, including conveyance, storage, treatment, and delivery of water to its 26 member water agencies. Additionally, this CAP complements Metropolitan’s existing long-range planning efforts, including the Integrated Water Resources Plan, Energy Sustainability Plan, and Capital Investment Plan. Through the implementation of this CAP, Metropolitan will strengthen its commitment to environmental sustainability, increase the resiliency of its operations, and strategically achieve G H G reduction goals. For additional details on the purpose of this CAP and Metropolitan’s history and existing operations, refer to Section 1.0, Purpose, Overview, and Environmental History and Leadership.

Climate Action Plan Phase 1 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Plan Update 2023

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | March 22nd, 2024

DWR developed the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Plan Update 2023 (Update 2023) to review its GHG reductions since Update 2020 and to update strategies for further re

DWR developed the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Plan Update 2023 (Update 2023) to review its GHG reductions since Update 2020 and to update strategies for further reduction consistent with legislative changes, including the GHG emissions reduction targets established in SB 1020 (2022) and SB 1203 (2022). It also includes DWR’s new role in emergency energy generation. Since the 2012 Plan was adopted, California’s wholesale electricity market has also seen a significant increase in renewable resources. To reflect this change and to align with industry practice in emission reporting, Update 2023 incorporates updated emission factors to determine emissions from unspecified market resources.

Climate Action Plan Phase 1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Plan

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | May 18th, 2012

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) in an effort to reduce its impact on the environment and lead by example, has developed this Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emiss

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) in an effort to reduce its impact on the environment and lead by example, has developed this Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Reduction Plan to guide its project development and decision making with respect to energy use and GHG emissions. It is now clearly understood that these gases enhance the Earth’s ability to absorb and retain the heat radiated from the sun. Increased concentrations of GHGs in the atmosphere are the principal cause of anthropogenic climate change. As the connection between GHG emissions and climate change has strengthened and California has established GHG policies and reduction goals, DWR has focused on its own GHG emissions and developed strategies to reduce its contribution to the global problem of climate change consistent with those policies and goals. This GHG Emissions Reduction Plan (Plan) is the first Phase in DWR’s Climate Action Plan and considers GHG emissions from all DWR activities. In this Plan, DWR details its progress and future plans for reducing GHG emissions consistent with the GHG emissions reduction targets established in Assembly Bill (AB) 32, Executive Order S-3-05, and DWR’s own policies, the aggressive steps it will take to reduce its emissions by over 80% below 1990 levels, and the steps that it will take to monitor its progress toward achieving these reductions. DWR estimates that its total GHG emissions in 1990 were nearly 3.5 million metric tons, roughly the equivalent of a coal fired power plant or 680,000 passenger cars. Most of these emissions were released as a result of generation of electricity used to move water through the State Water Project (SWP), which DWR owns and operates. Since 1990, DWR’s GHG emissions have fluctuated due to hydrologic conditions, water demands, and energy resources. DWR GHG emissions peaked in 2003 at over 4.1 million metric tons per year. This Plan shows how DWR will make substantial reductions in its GHG emissions in the near-term (present to 2020) and how it will continue to reduce emissions beyond 2020 to achieve its long-term (2050) GHG emissions reduction goals.

Climate Action Plan, Phase 3: Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | February 14th, 2019

Climate change impacts have been widely documented globally, across the nation, and within the state. Loss of snowpack; longer, more frequent heat waves; and longer, more

Climate change impacts have been widely documented globally, across the nation, and within the state. Loss of snowpack; longer, more frequent heat waves; and longer, more intense wildfire seasons are already being experienced in California. While uncertainties remain about the exact timing and extent of projected impacts, numerous climate-driven hazards represent a clear threat to Department of Water Resources (DWR) facilities, managed lands, operations, and staff activities. By conducting this department-wide vulnerability assessment, DWR seeks to better prepare its decision-making for an uncertain future.  This climate change vulnerability assessment (VA) provides the first evaluation of its kind for facilities owned and operated by DWR and the activities that DWR performs. This analysis draws from the extensive body of knowledge about climate change and attempts to evaluate, describe, and quantify — where possible — DWR’s vulnerabilities to expected increases in wildfire, extreme heat, and sea-level rise, as well as to changes in hydrology and ecosystems that will impact DWR’s facilities, operations, and other activities. Table ES-1 presents examples of vulnerabilities identified in this assessment and summarizes quantitative indicators of climate change risk.  Using a mid-century time horizon, climate-change-driven hazards assessed in this VA are presented under six categories: wildfire, extreme heat, sea-level rise, long-term persistent hydrologic changes, short-term extreme hydrologic events, and habitat and ecosystem services degradation. This assessment applies a common framework to examine vulnerability through three components of how DWR’s assets and operations could be exposed to future climate hazards, how these assets and operations are sensitive (or susceptible) to impacts of this exposure, and the capacity of these assets and operations to cope with or adapt to changing conditions or events. 

Climate Adaptation Master Plan for Water (CAMP4W)

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) | March 26th, 2025

To ensure the continued reliability of water supplies for the communities we serve, Metropolitan embarked on the development of a comprehensive Climate Adaptati

To ensure the continued reliability of water supplies for the communities we serve, Metropolitan embarked on the development of a comprehensive Climate Adaptation Master Plan for Water (CAMP4W), a comprehensive set of policy directives and decision-making tools that ensure the Board of Directors is equipped to consider climate risks to water supplies, water quality, infrastructure, operations, workforce, public health, and financial sustainability to its deliberations and investment decisions. It provides a roadmap to guide future investments and decision-making as we confront our new climate reality in the years and decades ahead.

Climate and choice in the Colorado River Basin

Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) | October 31st, 2024