South Coast

Santa Ana Canal

Scientific American | March 10th, 1900

THE area discussed in this report is in Southern California, lying for the most part easterly from the city of San Bernardino and consisting of the upper or higher par

THE area discussed in this report is in Southern California, lying for the most part easterly from the city of San Bernardino and consisting of the upper or higher part of the valley in which is situated the town of Redlands. It is a bout 50 miles distant from the ocean and has an elevation of from 1,000 to 1, 500 feet in the vicinity of San Bernardino and Redlands. Northerly and easterly from the valley the mountains rise abruptly, reaching altitudes of fro m 6,000 to 7,000 feet, a few of the peaks rising to 10,000 or even 11,000 feet. The abrupt slopes by which the valley is bounded aid in producing a rainfall relatively heavy for the arid region. The waters, uniting into streams, descend rapidly through narrow gorges, issuing finally upon accumulations of bowlders and smaller debris which stretch in fan-shaped masses away from the mouth of each canyon. The region, though dry, has thus a notable water supply and the exceptional climate and soil have resulted in an extraordinary development of agriculture by irrigation. Lands and crops have reached high values in San Bernardino Valley and expensive irrigation works have been built. A denser population is supported than in any other farming region of the West. This has been accomplished in spite of the fact that the cost of constructing works and of reclaiming the lands has been very great. Additional resources on Lippincott: J.B. Lippincott Papers, University of California, Riverside The Santa Ana River: How it Shaped Orange County

Santa Ana Watershed Basin Study

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) | September 1st, 2013

The U.S. Department of the Interior’s WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow) program allows all bureaus of the Department to collaboratively

The U.S. Department of the Interior’s WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow) program allows all bureaus of the Department to collaboratively work with States, Tribes, local governments, and non-governmental organizations to pursue a sustainable water supply for the Nation. This is done through a framework that provides federal leadership and assistance on the efficient use of water, and by integrating water and energy policies to support the sustainable use of all natural resources. Basin Studies, one of the tools of this program, are basin-wide efforts to evaluate and address the impacts of climate change, and define options for meeting future water demands in river basins in the western United States where imbalances in water supply and demand exist or are projected. The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA) partnered in the WaterSMART Santa Ana Watershed Basin Study (Study). The work done under the Study was used to help SAWPA update its One Water One Watershed (OWOW) Plan. OWOW is an Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWMP) for the Santa Ana River Watershed (SARW) that serves as the blueprint for SAWPA, its member agencies and key stakeholders to effectively manage water resources over the next 30 years. The Santa Ana Watershed Basin Study illustrates how effective collaboration can improve water management. This Study takes a crest-to-coast and corner-to-corner approach throughout a 2,400-square-mile watershed, which encompasses everything from beach to mountain communities, to address the area’s unique water resource challenges. The SARW is home to more than 6 million people, and tens of millions more people visit the area each year. The region also has a large manufacturing, industrial, and agricultural base. More than 350 water, wastewater, and groundwater management, flood control, environmental and other non-governmental organizations, are working together as partners with SAWPA on the OWOW Plan. Through the Basin Study Program, Reclamation is partnering with SAWPA and its stakeholders to update key components of the Plan, now known as OWOW 2.0.  

Santa Ana Winds of Southern California: Their climatology, extremes, and behavior spanning six and a half decades

American Geophysical Union (AGU) | March 24th, 2016

Santa Ana Winds (SAWs) are an integral feature of the regional climate of Southern California/Northern Baja California region, but their climate-scale behavior is poorly

Santa Ana Winds (SAWs) are an integral feature of the regional climate of Southern California/Northern Baja California region, but their climate-scale behavior is poorly understood. In the present work,we identify SAWs in mesoscale dynamical downscaling of a global reanalysis from 1948 to 2012. Model windsare validated with anemometer observations. SAWs exhibit an organized pattern with strongest easterlywinds on westward facing downwind slopes and muted magnitudes at sea and over desert lowlands. Weconstruct hourly local and regional SAW indices and analyze elements of their behavior on daily, annual, andmultidecadal timescales. SAWs occurrences peak in winter, but some of the strongest winds have occurred infall. Finally, we observe that SAW intensity is influenced by prominent large-scale low-frequency modes ofclimate variability rooted in the tropical and north Pacific ocean-atmosphere system.

Santa Clara River Valley East Groundwater Sustainability Plan

Santa Clarita Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency | January 3rd, 2022

This Santa Clara River Valley East Groundwater Subbasin GSP provides information about the area affected by this plan, the basin setting, the quantitative methods (sustai

This Santa Clara River Valley East Groundwater Subbasin GSP provides information about the area affected by this plan, the basin setting, the quantitative methods (sustainable management criteria, or SMCs) for evaluating the health (sustainability) of the Basin, the monitoring networks, projects and management actions to achieve sustainability, and the implementation plan for the GSP. This document also includes the list of references and technical studies used in the development of this plan and several supporting appendices. The SCV-GSA has taken many steps, starting with stakeholder engagement, to complete the GSP in accordance with the requirements of the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). Due to size, this file has been divided into six parts. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6  

Saving Water and Money through Toilet Leak Detection

Pacific Institute | April 1st, 2024

This report discusses a cross-sector pilot project that deployed toilet leak detection technology in eight affordable multifamily properties in Los Angeles, California in

This report discusses a cross-sector pilot project that deployed toilet leak detection technology in eight affordable multifamily properties in Los Angeles, California in 2023. Periodic droughts, and prolonged drying trends driven by climate change, are reducing the reliability of Los Angeles’ water supplies. Water efficiency and conservation are key strategies to ensure water resilience in the face of these changes.

SB-72 The California Water Plan: long-term supply targets

State of California | September 8th, 2025

Existing law requires the Department of Water Resources to update every 5 years the plan for the orderly and coordinated control, protection, conservation, development, a

Existing law requires the Department of Water Resources to update every 5 years the plan for the orderly and coordinated control, protection, conservation, development, and use of the water resources of the state, which is known as “The California Water Plan.” Existing law requires the department to include a discussion of various strategies in the plan update, including, but not limited to, strategies relating to the development of new water storage facilities, water conservation, water recycling, desalination, conjunctive use, and water transfers, that may be pursued in order to meet the future needs of the state. Existing law requires the department to establish an advisory committee to assist the department in updating the plan. This bill would revise and recast certain provisions regarding The California Water Plan to, among other things, require the department to expand the membership of the advisory committee to include, among others, tribes, labor, and environmental justice interests. The bill would require the department, as part of the 2033 update to the plan, to update the interim planning target for 2050, as provided. The bill would require the target to consider the identified and future water needs for all beneficial uses, including, but not limited to, urban uses, agricultural uses, tribal uses, and the environment, and ensure safe drinking water for all Californians, among other things. The bill would require the plan to include specified components, including a discussion of the estimated costs, benefits, and impacts of any project type or action that is recommended by the department within the plan that could help achieve the water supply targets. The bill would require the department to report to the Legislature the amendments, supplements, and additions included in the updates of the plan, together with a summary of the department’s conclusions and recommendations, in the session in which the updated plan is issued. The bill would also require the department to conduct public workshops to give interested parties an opportunity to comment on the plan.

Scaling protection and restoration of natural infrastructure to reduce flood impacts and enhance resilience

Shore & Beach (American Shore and Beach Preservation Association) | October 1st, 2019

Restoring natural infrastructure offers much promise as a means to reduce both flood hazard and exposure to complement and supplement other flood damage reduction

Restoring natural infrastructure offers much promise as a means to reduce both flood hazard and exposure to complement and supplement other flood damage reduction strategies. Interest increased in flood risk reduction methods using natural and nature- based features, in part, because of increased recognition that such could provide both flood risk reduction and other benefits, such as water quality uplift, community recreational space, and fish and wildlife habitat. Recent flood disasters and the rising costs of disaster response and recovery have triggered policy shifts toward economi- cally efficient investments that enhance greater community resilience. While natural infrastructure is becoming more widely recognized as a tactic for building community and ecological resilience to erosion and flooding, it remains underutilized. Actions to aid consideration of natural infrastructure and scale up its use are presented.

Sea Level Rise Impacts on Wastewater Treatment Systems Along the U.S. Coasts

American Geophysical Union (AGU) | April 13th, 2018

Wastewater treatment plants are susceptible to flooding resulting from sea level rise. Previous estimates of wastewater exposure have only considered the impacts of mar

Wastewater treatment plants are susceptible to flooding resulting from sea level rise. Previous estimates of wastewater exposure have only considered the impacts of marine flooding at the local or regional scale. In this analysis, we quantify the exposure to marine flooding across the coastal United States and then consider the relative impacts of marine and groundwater flooding at the regional scale in the San Francisco Bay Area. We also estimate the number of people who may lose access to wastewater services if no actions are taken to prevent flooding at wastewater treatment plants. We find that the number of people impacted by sea level rise due to loss of wastewater services could be five times as high as previous predictions of the number of people who experience direct flooding of their homes or property. We also find that groundwater flooding poses a significant threat to wastewater plants in the San Francisco Bay region.

Sea Level Rise in California

Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) | February 29th, 2024

Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Study for the City of Los Angeles

University of Southern California Sea Grant Program | December 31st, 2013

Climate change is expected to usher in an era of higher temperatures, increased precipitation and/or severe drought, and increased rates of sea level rise around

Climate change is expected to usher in an era of higher temperatures, increased precipitation and/or severe drought, and increased rates of sea level rise around the world. According to the National Research Council (NRC), global sea level has risen at an increasing rate since the late 19th / early 20th Century, when global temperatures first started to rise. Climate researchers believe sea level rise will drive storm surge and wave run-up higher than current conditions, thereby causing more extensive and frequent coastal, storm-driven flooding. Sea level rise in Los Angeles is expected to match global projections over the next century with anincrease of 0.1 - 0.6 meters (m), or 0.3 - 2.0 feet (ft), from 2000 - 2050 and 0.4 - 1.7 m (or 1.3 - 5.6 ft) from 2000 - 2100 (NRC 2012). Tides, wave-driven run-up, and storm surge play critical roles in coastal flooding in Southern California, especially when big wave storms occur at or near peak high tides. Sea level rise will potentially exacerbate the damage from these events.