Using Watershed Science to Build Consensus and Maximize Benefits of L.A. County’s Safe Clean Water Program

Accelerate Resilience LA (ARLA) | January 31st, 2022

To meet its diverse goals, SCWP scoring criteria, processes, and guidelines were initially developed to incentivize projects that simultaneously address water, environmen

To meet its diverse goals, SCWP scoring criteria, processes, and guidelines were initially developed to incentivize projects that simultaneously address water, environmental, MS4 compliance, and social issues. However, the first two SCWP funding cycles of Stormwater Investment Plans (SIP) featured extensive committee debate and public comments concerning the balance of these goals. This public debate illuminated the need for an assessment of the extent to which SCWP guidance, criteria, structure, and processes are successfully driving meaningful progress toward the fourteen SCWP Goals.

Utah's Land, Water and Air 2022 Report to the Governor

Utah State University | November 30th, 2022

Utah's Land, Water and Air 2023 Report to the Governor and Legislature

Utah State University | October 19th, 2023

This report serves as a 2023 snapshot of key issues and concerns with Utah’s shared resources. It highlights gathered data that is available to provide context to thes

This report serves as a 2023 snapshot of key issues and concerns with Utah’s shared resources. It highlights gathered data that is available to provide context to these issues, as well as identifies areas where more study is needed. Addressing these challenges will enable Utah policymakers to make informed decisions for the future. Under the authorship of 43 researchers and experts and the general guidance of 49 advisory committee members, the report outlines 32 issues and trends to pay attention to in the coming months and years.

Utilization of Waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande: Treaty Between the United States of America and Mexico

U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) | November 14th, 1945

Value of SWAMP's Statewide Monitoring Programs

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | October 1st, 2011

One of the key features of probability-based surveys such as the Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program’s (SWAMP) Perennial Streams Assessment (PSA) is thei

One of the key features of probability-based surveys such as the Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program’s (SWAMP) Perennial Streams Assessment (PSA) is their lack of bias in the selection of sample sites. In the case of the PSA, each sampling location represents a known fraction of California’s stream network. This allows the State to produce statistically sound and cost-effective estimates of the condition of California’s perennial stream network.

Valuing energy flexibility from water systems

Nature Portfolio (Springer Nature) | September 27th, 2024

From Maven's Notebook preview: * The researchers suggest a way to measure the value of using water systems to help manage energy needs. * Water systems are generall

From Maven's Notebook preview: * The researchers suggest a way to measure the value of using water systems to help manage energy needs. * Water systems are generally very efficient at adjusting their energy use, but with current designs, they can only provide a moderate amount of power and energy under typical conditions. * Upgrading facilities to improve their energy flexibility is often a good investment and is usually cheaper than adding battery storage on-site. * Different pricing systems for energy in the U.S. and around the world have the biggest impact on whether these upgrades will be profitable. * Recognizing the value of energy flexibility is the first step to encouraging energy storage, flexible energy use, and renewable biogas generation in the water industry.

Valuing the benefits of forest restoration on enhancing hydropower and water supply in California's Sierra Nevada

Science of the Total Environment (Elsevier) | March 15th, 2023

Forest restoration through mechanical thinning, prescribed burning, and other management actions is vital to improving forest resilience to fire and drought across the We

Forest restoration through mechanical thinning, prescribed burning, and other management actions is vital to improving forest resilience to fire and drought across the Western United States, and yields benefits that can be monetized, including improvements in water supply and hydropower. Using California's Sierra Nevada as a study area, we assess the water and energy benefits of forest-restoration projects. By using a scalable top-down approach to track annual evapotranspiration following forest disturbance, coupled with hydropower simulations that include energy-price information, and marginal prices for water sales, we project the potential economic benefits of hydropower and water sales accruing to water-rights holders. The results found that water-related benefits from strategically planned fuels-reduction treatments now being carried out can be sufficient to offset costs of management actions aimed at forest restoration, especially in the face of climate change. Our findings justified investments in restoring forests and reinforce the central role of water and hydropower providers in partnerships for management of source-water watersheds. Results also highlighted the importance of accurate, scalable data and tools from the hydrology and water-resources community.

Valuing Urban Nature – Implications for Flood Resilience

Stanford University | June 3rd, 2019

Sea-level rise and extreme weather events such as torrential rain storms are having devastating consequences in the United States and globally. Researchers, prac

Sea-level rise and extreme weather events such as torrential rain storms are having devastating consequences in the United States and globally. Researchers, practitioners, and policymakers are increasingly calling for the use of natural and nature-based approaches to protect urban areas from flooding which has increased in frequency and intensity as a result. Natural features can help stabilize shorelines and protect communities from river flooding while, providing other co- benefits for people and ecosystems. In a new study, scientists at the Natural Capital Project developed a framework for valuating urban nature and examined different factors cities must consider when making infrastructure and other investment choices. This brief is part of a series based on that research which looks at nature’s abilityto provide resilience to flooding and the various co-benefits associated with nature-based solutions.

Valuing Water for Better Governance: How To Promote Dialogue To Balance Social, Environmental, And Economic Values?

Pacific Institute | March 10th, 2007

Solving the freshwater crisis requires significantly more investment and spending in the water sector. But getting more money requires broader agreement among stakehol

Solving the freshwater crisis requires significantly more investment and spending in the water sector. But getting more money requires broader agreement among stakeholders than exists at present. A powerful way of obtaining broader agreement is to clarify through dialogues our values, value differences, and common ground. When this is done, people and businesses are willing to pay more for water systems and their governance, which in turn enables water systems and their managers to deliver more value to people and businesses. Dialogue about values also strengthens the legitimacy and sustainability of formal political decisions; many of which have been reversed or deferred at great cost because underlying value issues were ignored. Dialogue about values is essential to create a “virtuous circle” of progress in the water sector. This paper develops an initial intellectual framework for such dialogue.This paper was sponsored by the Business and Industry CEO Panel for Water and was originally presented at the 3rd World Water Forum, March 2003.

Variability and Trends in Precipitation, Temperature and Drought Indices in the State of California

Hydrology (MDPI) | March 28th, 2016

This study presents a comprehensive assessment of the variability and trends of the precipitation and temperature along with the trends in drought indices over the State

This study presents a comprehensive assessment of the variability and trends of the precipitation and temperature along with the trends in drought indices over the State of California. The non-parametric Mann–Kendall trend test is applied with a trend-free pre-whitening procedure in trend identification. A dataset containing 120-year (water years 1896–2015) monthly precipitation, average temperature, maximum temperature, minimum temperature and the Palmer Index for seven climatic regions of the state is used for this purpose. The results confirm previous work indicating that no clear trends are observed in precipitation, while a distinct warming trend is evident in temperature over the state. New findings of this study include: (1) in general, the variability of annual, winter (December–February) and spring (March–May) precipitation shows an increasing tendency, implying intensified frequency of the occurrence of dry or wet extremes; (2) on the annual scale and in the summer, statewide meteorological, hydrological and agricultural drought indices all have decreasing trends, indicating the more frequent occurrence of drought events; and (3) among seven regions, the South Coast Drainage region generally has the most significant warming trend, as well as the most significant declining trends in drought indices. Overall, these findings are highly meaningful from both theoretical and practical perspectives, in the context of providing critical information in developing prediction models and guiding water resources management practices, respectively.