Tulare Lake

Plan writing as a policy tool: instrumental, conceptual, and tactical uses of water management plans in California

Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences (Springer) | February 24th, 2022

Numerous environmental regulations require organizations to codify prospective activities in a written plan. However, evidence suggests that many plans are never implemen

Numerous environmental regulations require organizations to codify prospective activities in a written plan. However, evidence suggests that many plans are never implemented, raising questions about why public agencies continually require plans, whether mandating plans allows agencies to meet their policy aims, and what additional purposes plans serve. Adopting concepts from literature on research utilization, we develop a plan use typology, defining instrumental use as occurring when the requirement to write a plan directly addresses a stated policy problem, conceptual use as occurring when the requirement to write a plan indirectly addresses a policy problem by raising awareness of an issue or improving governance capacity, and tactical use as occurring when the requirement to write a plan serves a political or symbolic purpose unrelated to solving the policy problem. We then apply the typology to four California statutes that require local and regional utilities to write water management plans. We first assess the statutes to identify the goals underlying the requirement to write a plan and assess what plan uses are emphasized in guidance documents and the written plans themselves. Lastly, we interview the plan writing organizations to capture their perspectives on the value and limitations of these plans. We find that legislators turn to plans to support instrumental and conceptual goals but that the plans themselves and the way they are used by authoring agencies primarily serve conceptual and tactical uses, suggesting a disconnect between the policy goals underlying plans and their actual use.

Pleasant Valley Groundwater Sustainability Plan

Pleasant Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency | February 22nd, 2022

Pleasant Valley Groundwater Sustainability Plan (Revised)

Pleasant Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency | July 9th, 2024

Due to size, this file has been divided. Part 1, Part 2

Due to size, this file has been divided. Part 1, Part 2

Population exposure to pre-emptive de-energization aimed at averting wildfires in Northern California

Environmental Research Letters (IOP) | August 26th, 2020

Recent extreme fire seasons in California have prompted utilities such as Pacific Gas and Electric to pre-emptively de-energize portions of the electrical grid during per

Recent extreme fire seasons in California have prompted utilities such as Pacific Gas and Electric to pre-emptively de-energize portions of the electrical grid during periods of extreme fire weather to reduce the risk of powerline-related fire ignitions. The policy was deployed in 2019, resulting in 12 million person-days of power outages and widespread societal disruption. Retrospective weather and vegetation moisture data highlight hotspots of historical risk across northern California. We estimate an average of 1.6 million person-days of de-energization per year, based on recent historical climate conditions and assuming publicly stated utility de-energization thresholds. We further estimate an additional 70% increase in the population affected by de-energization when vegetation remains abnormally dry later into autumn—suggesting that climate change will likely increase population vulnerable to de-energization. Adaptation efforts to curtail fire risk can be beneficial, but efforts to prepare affected populations, modernize the grid, and refine decision-making surrounding such policies have high potential to reduce the magnitude of negative externalities experienced during the 2019 de-energization events.

Post-Drought Groundwater Storage Recovery in California's Central Valley

American Geophysical Union (AGU) | October 5th, 2021

California's Central Valley has experienced chronic groundwater depletion over the past few decades, the rate of which was amplified by droughts in 2007–2009 and 2012â€

California's Central Valley has experienced chronic groundwater depletion over the past few decades, the rate of which was amplified by droughts in 2007–2009 and 2012–2016. There is limited knowledge as to how much of the drought-caused groundwater depletion has recovered during post-drought years and how climate and water management affect overdraft recovery times. We address these issues by estimating groundwater storage changes using four methods and conducting numerical experiments with varying climatic conditions and water management options. We find that less than one-third of the groundwater overdraft from the most recent droughts was recovered during post-drought years. Projected overdraft recovery times vary greatly depending on the climate scenarios and water management strategies, and future droughts are likely to cause overdrafts from which recovery is unlikely given the current level of groundwater extractions. However, management measures such as capping groundwater pumping could reduce recovery times by a factor of two or more depending on the groundwater extraction cap and post-drought climate.

Post-fire evapotranspiration estimates in ground truth limited environments

Elsevier | June 16th, 2025

Wildfires are catastrophic events with increasing incidence and severity, especially in Mediterranean climates like California. Wildfires can drastically change the hydro

Wildfires are catastrophic events with increasing incidence and severity, especially in Mediterranean climates like California. Wildfires can drastically change the hydrologic components of a watershed and require consistent and reliable data to monitor recovery. With the upcoming retirement of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), a reliable evapotranspiration (ET) product at the subcatchment scale is necessary to monitor longitudinal ET, particularly post-fire. We evaluate NASA JPL's ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS), MODIS, and the North American Land Data Assimilation System phase 2 (NLDAS-2) to assess performance in longitudinal evapotranspiration (ET) estimates and post-fire ET change detection using correlation analysis and linear regression for twelve subwatersheds located within the August Complex Fire (August 2020) in Trinity County, the Delta Fire (September 2018) in Shasta and Trinity Counties, and the Creek Fire (September 2020) in Fresno County for a four-year period. We found that MODIS and ECOSTRESS showed the strongest correlation in daily ET estimates (mean r = 0.56), while correlations between ECOSTRESS-NLDAS-2 (r = 0.06) and MODIS-NLDAS-2 (r = 0.30) were notably weaker. However, ECOSTRESS data availability constrained post-fire change detection and annual ET sum assessments. Its higher spatial resolution and correlation with MODIS have potential for finer-scale model parameterization of post-fire landcover changes, particularly vegetation loss in place of MODIS. NLDAS-2 can be useful in monthly and annual patterns at larger scales. By comparing ECOSTRESS with established platforms of ET estimation, we validate ECOSTRESS as a tool for post-fire ET monitoring, especially in areas where ground truth data is unavailable. These findings can allow for more informed and effective land management decisions, particularly in wildfire and vegetation monitoring.

Postfire Sediment Mobilization and its Downstream Implications Across California, 1984–2021

American Geophysical Union (AGU) | August 27th, 2024

Potential Impacts of Future Geological Storage of CO2 on the Groundwater Reservoirs in California's Central Valley

California Energy Commission (CEC) | May 1st, 2013

This study assessed the history of oil production and pressure changes in the southern portion of the San Joaquin Basin in California’s Central Valley as a reverse anal

This study assessed the history of oil production and pressure changes in the southern portion of the San Joaquin Basin in California’s Central Valley as a reverse analog for understanding the pressure response to potential geologic carbon sequestration. Sequestration involves injecting carbon dioxide into permeable strata such as those that trap oil. This results in pressure increases in the existing fluid in the subsurface that can provide a motive force for brines at those depths to migrate into groundwater, affecting its quality. The pressure can also cause differential ground surface uplift that can affect surface water flow, particularly in engineered water conveyances such as canals. The strata underlying the Central Valley have been assessed as having considerable capacity to store carbon dioxide, but the area also contains urban areas and extensive agriculture that rely on engineered surface water delivery systems and groundwater supplies. The Stevens Sand, Temblor Formation and Vedder Formation were identified as having the largest cumulative net production from typical geologic carbon sequestration depths. Two oil pools were identified in each of these stratigraphic units for more detailed analysis, which included converting fluid level data to pressure at the pool scale. Data were collected that allowed an assessment of the hydraulic connectivity of each unit. The results indicated that the Vedder was hydraulically connected at the near basin scale, the Stevens was hydraulically connected at the pool scale and was disconnected between pools and the Temblor was disconnected within pools. Researchers used these results to analyze possible brine leakage driven by geologic carbon sequestration. They also reviewed over 200 articles on historic groundwater contamination. They concluded that no instance of contamination due to upward leakage of brine in the Central Valley was reported.

Potential Impacts of Future Geological Storage of CO2 on the Groundwater Resources in California’s Central Valley: Southern San Joaquin Basin Oil and Gas Production Analog for Geologic Carbon Storage

California Energy Commission (CEC) | May 1st, 2013

This study investigated the potential impacts of the injection and storage of large quantities of carbon dioxide on shallow water resources in California’s southern San

This study investigated the potential impacts of the injection and storage of large quantities of carbon dioxide on shallow water resources in California’s southern San Joaquin Basin, including the possibility that if such injection was properly planned it might help mitigate the land subsidence impacts related to over-pumping of groundwater. The project used simulation studies to investigate whether the basin-scale pressure changes and brine displacement caused by future carbon dioxide storage in the deep sediments could impact the groundwater-surface water systems in the area. Two simulation models were developed. The Deep Basin Reservoir Simulation Model was developed for accurately simulating the multiphase processes of carbon dioxide and brine flow occurring in deep sequestration reservoirs. The Shallow Water Resources Impact Simulation Model was developed for accurately predicting the impact of deep carbon dioxide sequestration on a stressed water system, including evaluation of carbon dioxide-related impacts in the context of the long-term groundwater and subsidence trends occurring in the area as a result of other water stresses such as pumping and irrigation. The Deep Basin Reservoir Simulation Model showed that the caprock and overlying geological units had sufficient barrier attributes to prevent pressure propagation from the injection layer to the shallow aquifers. The Shallow Water Resources Impact Simulation Model simulation results showed that deep carbon dioxide injection would create only minor head change and surface uplift in the shallow model layers. Overall the simulation results suggested that even large carbon dioxide storage projects should have minimal impact on shallow groundwater and surface water systems if thick layers of shales and sands separated the deep CO2 injection layers from shallow aquifers. Researchers believed this study justified devoting resources to evaluating the potential impact from localized pathways or from induced seismicity to more thoroughly investigate the feasibility of carbon dioxide storage in the southern San Joaquin Basin. 

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and the Environment

Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) | July 28th, 2022

With California facing a severe drought and wildfire season, public awareness has risen of the impact of climate change as well as state policies to reduce greenhouse gas

With California facing a severe drought and wildfire season, public awareness has risen of the impact of climate change as well as state policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A sharp increase in petroleum prices has led to discussions about expanding oil production and renewable energy sources. These are among the key findings of a statewide survey on environmental issues conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California from July 8 to 15, 2022.