San Joaquin River

The Economic Impact of the Westlands Water District on the Local and Regional Economy

Westlands Water District | October 11th, 2016

To anyone who visits the Westlands Water District (the District), the one reality that is most obvious to the observer is that agriculture IS the economy in the communiti

To anyone who visits the Westlands Water District (the District), the one reality that is most obvious to the observer is that agriculture IS the economy in the communities within and immediately surrounding the Westlands Water District. It is an area characterized by wide open fields-often populated with crops and occasional small pockets of residential and (rarer) retail-usually at the intersections of roads. Not only is agriculture the primary employer, but government, agricultural support industries and the limited general retail sector comprise the full course of jobs within the district and its immediate environs. Nearly every business in the district is related to agriculture or supporting the needs of the workers who support those working in agriculture. Westlands Water District is perched on the eastern side of Interstate 5 in the Central Valley covering the geography between roughly Kettleman City in the south and Firebaugh in the north. As the largest agricultural water district in the nation, it plays a central role in the economies of both Fresno and Kings Counties. This analysis unravels the story of Westlands' contributions to the local economy, exploring the demographics and economy of the region, agriculture's major role in that economy, estimating the economic contributions of growers within the District's boundaries, and providing a preliminary assessment of the consequences of current water policies on crop production, and giving a preview of what some of the implications of those changes may be.

The Economic Impacts of Central Valley Salinity

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | March 20th, 2009

The study team was charged with measuring the economic impacts of increasing salinity in the Central Valley to the year 2030. The study was conducted assuming that there

The study team was charged with measuring the economic impacts of increasing salinity in the Central Valley to the year 2030. The study was conducted assuming that there is no change in current policy and, as such, represents the economic impacts associated with taking no action. Additionally, the study was conducted on an aggregate valley-wide basis that required averaging the effects of salinity and, in some cases, costs. The growth in salinity in the Central Valley was based on two factors. The first factor was the growth of the areas of shallow saline groundwater based on 30 years of historical records. The second factor was increased levels of salts that result indirectly from imported water. Based on increasing salinity stemming from these factors, the direct economic effects on industry, residential, food processing, confined animal operations, and irrigated agricultural production in the Central Valley were measured. Economic and physical effects were quantified using different physical and economic models. In addition, the team undertook a substantial survey of the population in the Central Valley to establish non-market values for increased salinity and its effect on non-market activities. The study results showed that if salinity increases at the current rate until 2030, the direct annual costs will range from $1 billion to $1.5 billion. Total annual income impacts to California will range between $1.7 billion to $3 billion by 2030. The income impacts to the Central Valley will range between $1.2 billion and $2.2 billion.  The production of goods and services in California could be reduced from $5 billion to $8.7 billion a year. The Central Valley output reduction would range between $2.8 billion to $5.3 billion. Furthermore, there is $145 million per year of non-market costs. In terms of job losses the increase in salinity by 2030 could cost the Central Valley economy 27,000 to 53,000 jobs. California could lose 34,000 to 64,000 jobs. In short, the problem is substantial and growing steadily. The magnitude of the economic and employment losses justifies a more detailed study of remedial action and correction policies.

The Economic Value of Carryover Storage in California’s Water Supply System with Limited Hydrologic Foresight

University of California, Davis (UC Davis) | July 1st, 2021

The security and prosperity of California’s economy depend on a large, interconnected and highly engineered water supply system with vast surface and groundwater stora

The security and prosperity of California’s economy depend on a large, interconnected and highly engineered water supply system with vast surface and groundwater storage operated for over-year storage. Substantial public investment is needed to maintain and improve these systems with changing climate risks, increasing demands, and aging infrastructure. Hydro-economic optimization identifies promising opportunities for managing such systems, but scientific and engineering advances are needed to better incorporate hydrologic uncertainty and conjunctive management of streams and aquifers into such models. Over two decades of research the California Value Integrated Network (CALVIN) linear programming hydro-economic model has yielded insights for California’s inter-regional water system on many fronts, including climate change, groundwater sustainability, conjunctive management in southern California, water markets, and reservoir operations in Northern California. Yet there remains unrealized potential to improve the model’s formulation to better represent inter-annual hydrologic variability while concurrently developing reservoir control rules. To address this gap, this study implements linearized quadratic carryover storage value functions on 26 surface reservoirs and linear groundwater storage penalties on 32 groundwater reservoirs to optimize California’s inter-regional water system seasonal and inter-annual operations with limited seasonal foresight. A convex Pareto front tradeoff between total system cost and groundwater overdraft is developed through multi-objective evolutionary optimization of inter-annual carryover storage penalties. Resulting over-year storage valuations span a wide range of nearoptimal reservoir operations, suggesting substantial system flexibility and adaptability when managed in an integrated way. Generalized relationships between carryover capacity, carryover use, and the marginal value of carryover storage are drawn for the multi-reservoir system. When compared to carryover operations based on California’s current simulation model, CalSim-II, the performance of these near-optimal reservoir operations suggests room to improve currently prescribed reservoir control rules, especially in supporting more  sustainable conjunctive management with aquifers. Overall, this study demonstrates the practicability, feasibility, and utility for understanding large-scale integrated multi-reservoir conjunctive use systems using limited foresight with explicit carryover storage values.

The Economic Value of Efficiency for California Water Service: Lower Water Bills

Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE) | June 28th, 2024

Prior to 2009, California Water Service Company (Cal Water) did not meter all its water customers, did not have conservation rates, and did not offer a robust set of cons

Prior to 2009, California Water Service Company (Cal Water) did not meter all its water customers, did not have conservation rates, and did not offer a robust set of conservation programs. Per capita water use had been flat or increasing prior to this period. In 2009, Cal Water adopted conservation rate designs (increasing block rates, IBRs), increased conservation program expenditures by more than three-fold and implemented an accelerated schedule to convert unmetered customers to metered water service. Per capita water demand has decreased steadily since 2009. These innovative strategies related to water efficiency, conservation, and rates over the years pose the questions: What would the economic impact on bills have been if none of these activities occurred? Are bill-paying customers better or worse off?

The Economics of Ending Delta Water Exports Versus the Peripheral Canal: Checking the Data of the PPIC

University of the Pacific | December 16th, 2008

This economic analysis was written by Dr. Jeffrey Michael with the University of the Pacific Eberhardt School of Business. He writes, "The issue of a peripheral canal

This economic analysis was written by Dr. Jeffrey Michael with the University of the Pacific Eberhardt School of Business. He writes, "The issue of a peripheral canal has returned to the center of the debate about the future of the Delta. The case for building a peripheral canal has recently received a major boost from a report by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) that endorses the peripheral canal as the best long-run solution for the Delta. The PPIC report considers alternative strategies, most notably ending Delta water exports. They find that ending Delta water exports is significantly better for the environment than a peripheral canal, but reject the strategy because it is too costly. However, the PPIC’s cost estimates are exaggerated. They depend on inaccurate assumptions that utilize outdated, undocumented, or fabricated sources. When adjustments are made to their population growth, water recycling cost, and desalination cost assumptions to reflect the best, documented sources, the cost of ending Delta exports are likely to be similar to a peripheral canal. With similar costs, ending Delta exports is the best strategy due to its superior environmental benefits."

The Economy of the State Water Project

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | December 14th, 2023

The State Water Project (SWP) is among the world's most extensive water conveyance projects, featuring a 705-mile-long network of dams, reservoirs, hydroelectric faciliti

The State Water Project (SWP) is among the world's most extensive water conveyance projects, featuring a 705-mile-long network of dams, reservoirs, hydroelectric facilities, pumping plants, and canals. The State Water Project plays a key role in the state’s economy. It supplies over 27 million Californians, a majority of the state’s population, along with commercial and industrial customers, including in the technology and manufacturing sectors, that account for a majority of the state’s economic activity. Project deliveries also supply water to the agricultural sector, supporting the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, and nuts, particularly in the Central Valley, the nation’s most productive agricultural region. This reliable water source not only ensures the livelihood of residents, businesses, and farmers but also contributes significantly to the state’s economy through technology, manufacturing, and agricultural exports. This report consolidates publicly available data from the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and other agencies to provide policymakers with a comprehensive overview of the economy that is supported by the State Water Project.

The effects of aquatic area abundance, buffer, and hydrology on depressional wetland condition based on CRAM

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | April 1st, 2016

The effects of kaolin clay on the amphipod Eohaustorius estuarius: Part Two

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | April 3rd, 2017

A number of lines-of-evidence suggest that the amphipod Eohaustorius estuarius has variable tolerance to clay in sediments. In Phase 1 of the current RMP special study, l

A number of lines-of-evidence suggest that the amphipod Eohaustorius estuarius has variable tolerance to clay in sediments. In Phase 1 of the current RMP special study, laboratory dose-response experiments were conducted in 2014 with kaolin clay to evaluate whether clay effects varied with amphipod size. The results indicated that smaller amphipods were more tolerant of clay than larger individuals. Average survival was 81%, 79%, and 65% for small, medium and large amphipods, respectively, in concentrations > 50% clay. As part of Phase 2 confirmation studies conducted in 2015-2016, the original kaolin dose-response experiments were repeated. Results of this experiment showed that average amphipod survival was 88%, 63%, and 41% for small, medium and large amphipods, respectively, in concentrations > 50% clay. Standard 96-hour reference toxicant tests with cadmium chloride (CdCl2) were conducted to determine whether there were size-specific differences in response to this metal reference toxicant. The CdCl2 median lethal concentrations (LC50s) for small, medium and large amphipods were 6.78, 5.13, and 4.63 mg/L, respectively. Responses of all three size classes to cadmium were within historic confidence intervals for this reference metal, and were not significantly different from one another based on overlapping confidence intervals. Additional experiments with high clay reference site sediments from San Francisco Bay were conducted to confirm the size related response with field sediments. The results confirm that use of smaller amphipods in routine monitoring of high clay sediments will reduce the influence of this factor on test results. 

The Effects of Salmon Fisheries on Southern Resident Killer Whales

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) | November 30th, 2012

The Essential Role of Local Context in Shaping Risk and Risk Reduction Strategies for Snowmelt-Dependent Irrigated Agriculture

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