The 1976-1977 California Drought - A Review

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | May 1st, 1978

This is the fifth and final Department of Water Resources' report on the 1976-1977 California drought, the worst in the State's history, which saw 1976, the fourth-driest

This is the fifth and final Department of Water Resources' report on the 1976-1977 California drought, the worst in the State's history, which saw 1976, the fourth-driest year of record, give way to 1977, the driest ever.  These reports provide the most comprehensive documentation of a drought in history. The 1976-1977 drought has again shown the finite nature of our resourcees and our limited ability to control nature.  This report, prepared by the Department's Drought Information Center, updates the August 1977 report and places the entire two-year period in perspective.  It documents the impact of the drought and details the response by federal, State, and local governments and the public. This report also discusses lessons learned from the drought and suggest future actions to enable us to better use our State's limited water resources.

The 1976–1977 California drought: A review

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | May 1st, 1978

This is the fifth and final Department of Water Resources' report on the 1976-1977 California drought, the worst in the state's history, which saw 1076, the fourth driest

This is the fifth and final Department of Water Resources' report on the 1976-1977 California drought, the worst in the state's history, which saw 1076, the fourth driest year of record, give way to 1977, the driest ever. These reports provide the most comprehensive documentation of a drought in history.  

The 1991 Drought Water Bank

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | January 1st, 1991

This report, produced by the Department of Water Resources, provides a retrospective of the operations of the 1991 Drought Water Bank.

This report, produced by the Department of Water Resources, provides a retrospective of the operations of the 1991 Drought Water Bank.

The 2010/2011 snow season in California’s Sierra Nevada: Role of atmospheric rivers and modes of large-scale variability

American Geophysical Union (AGU) | October 17th, 2013

The anomalously snowy winter season of 2010/2011 in the Sierra Nevada is analyzed interms of snow water equivalent (SWE) anomalies and the role of atmospheric rivers (AR

The anomalously snowy winter season of 2010/2011 in the Sierra Nevada is analyzed interms of snow water equivalent (SWE) anomalies and the role of atmospheric rivers (ARs)—narrow channels of enhanced meridional water vapor transport between the tropics and extratropics. Mean April 1 SWE was 0.44 m (56%) above normal averaged over 100 snow sensors. AR occurrence was anomalously high during the period, with 20 AR dates during the season and 14 in the month of December 2010, compared to the mean occurrence of nine dates per season. Fifteen out of the 20 AR dates were associated with the negative phases of the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and the Pacific-North American (PNA) teleconnection pattern. Analysis of all winter ARs in California during water years 1998–2011 indicates more ARs occur during the negative phase of AO and PNA, with the increase between positive and negative phases being90% for AO, and50% for PNA. The circulation pattern associated with concurrent negative phases of AO and PNA, characterized by cyclonic anomalies centered northwest of California, provides a favorable dynamical condition for ARs. The analysis suggests that the massive Sierra Nevada snowpack during the 2010/2011 winter season is primarily related to anomalously high frequency of ARs favored by the joint phasing of AO and PNA, and that a secondary contribution is from increased snow accumulation during these ARs favored by colder air temperatures associated with AO, PNA, and La Nina.

The 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act: A Handbook to Understanding and Implementing the Law

Water Education Foundation | January 1st, 2015

This handbook provides crucial background information on the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, signed into law in 2014 by Gov. Jerry Brown. The handbook also includ

This handbook provides crucial background information on the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, signed into law in 2014 by Gov. Jerry Brown. The handbook also includes a section on options for new governance as well as chapters on SGMA fees and case studies of SGMA implementation. Background information in the handbook provides an overview of California groundwater and the SGMA, a timeline and a list of frequently asked questions. The chapter on approaches and options for governance explains how a Groundwater Sustainability Agency might be formed and what the broad goals of a Groundwater Sustainability Plan. Also included is an easy-to-understand definition of the three options for governance and a step-by-step guide with tips on forming a GSA. This handbook was developed with funding from the California Water Foundation.

The 2025-26 Budget: Proposition 4 Spending Plan

Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) | February 12th, 2025

The Agricultural Significance of Sunshine as Illustrated in California

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) | September 4th, 1919

The Ahwahnee Water Principles

Local Government Commission | July 1st, 2006

In 2004,the Local Government Commission set out to identify effective,least-cost economically and politically viable options for sustainable water resources management at

In 2004,the Local Government Commission set out to identify effective,least-cost economically and politically viable options for sustainable water resources management at the local level. The LGC invited respected water resource policy, management and planning professionals – with experience at the federal,state and local levels – to craft a set of land use principles which would provide guidance to local officials and communities concerned about sustaining future water supplies. The process of developing the Ahwahnee Water Principles mirrored the LGC’s earlier Ahwahnee Principles for Resource-Efficient Communities, which were released in 1991. The Ahwahnee Principles presented a blueprint for elected officials to create compact, mixed-use,walkable,transit-oriented developments in their local communities,and have since paved the way for growing acceptance and inclusion of “smart growth”and the “New Urbanism”in local and regional land-use policies and practices.

The Alkaline and Boracic Lakes of California

Scientific American | July 7th, 1877

Immediately east of the range of the Sierra Nevada is an extensive region of alkaline lakes and hot springs, of which very large areas are almost totally barren, the onl

Immediately east of the range of the Sierra Nevada is an extensive region of alkaline lakes and hot springs, of which very large areas are almost totally barren, the only vegetation consisting of wild sage, yucca, a few cacti, and scanty tufts of bunch-grass. This district affords, in its many extensive craters and in its lavas, basalts, and obsidians, the most conclusive evidence of its volcanic origin, while its solfataras and boiling springs may be regarded as the last representatives of active volcanicity. Although this region is one of great scientific interest, and may eventually become industrially important, it appears to be but little known in this country, and it has therefore been thought that a brief description of the district, as well as that of the borax lakes, lying on the western side of the Sierra, might not be without interest to English readers. The most remarkable of the alkaline lakes of this portion of California are Mono and Owens Lakes.

The Anatomy of a Drought in the Upper San Francisco Estuary: Water Quality and Lower-Trophic Responses to Multi-Year Droughts Over a Long-Term Record (1975-2021)

University of California, Davis (UC Davis) | December 23rd, 2024