Castac Lake Valley Groundwater Sustainability Plan

Castac Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency | September 17th, 2020

The Castac Lake Valley Groundwater Basin (also referred to herein as “the Basin”), California Department of Water Resources (DWR) Basin No. 5-029, is located at the

The Castac Lake Valley Groundwater Basin (also referred to herein as “the Basin”), California Department of Water Resources (DWR) Basin No. 5-029, is located at the southern end of Kern County. The Basin is identified by DWR as being a very low priority basin, and as such, this GSP and associated SGMA compliance efforts have been conducted on a voluntary basis. Due to size, the file has been divided into two parts. Part 1, Part 2

Causes of the Extreme Dry Conditions over California During Early 2013

American Meteorological Society (AMS) | September 30th, 2014

The state of California experienced extreme dry conditions during early 2013. In particular, January and February received 28% and 15%, respectively, of their nor

The state of California experienced extreme dry conditions during early 2013. In particular, January and February received 28% and 15%, respectively, of their normal monthly rainfall. When January and February are combined, January/ February 2013 is ranked as the driest of the period 1895–2014. Such large precipitation deficits exerted enormous stress on water resources in an already high water-demand region. Thus, it is of practical importance to investigate the causes of this extreme climate event so as to assess its predictability. *Chapter 3, Explaining Extreme Events of 2013 from a Climate Perspective, Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 95 (9)

CE2 Model: Evaluating the Costs and Benefits of Urban Water Conservation and Efficiency Measures

Pacific Institute | April 26th, 2012

Over the past 25 years, water conservation and efficiency improvements have provided real water savings, allowing many agencies to maintain or reduce water use while meet

Over the past 25 years, water conservation and efficiency improvements have provided real water savings, allowing many agencies to maintain or reduce water use while meeting the needs of a growing population and economy. Recent studies indicate that despite the improvements that have already been achieved, significant water conservation potential remains. Indeed, California legislation passed in 2009 requires urban water agencies to reduce per capita water use by 20% by the year 2020. The economics of water conservation and efficiency are key issues. The Pacific Institute has developed the Cost Effectiveness of Water Conservation and Efficiency (CE2) Model to help evaluate the economic desirability of water conservation and efficiency measures and explore how costs and benefits can be shared among customers, water utilities, and other entities (system requirements: PC with Microsoft Excel and Access 2003* or later). The model helps document the costs of starting and running a conservation program and estimate the associated water, energy, and financial savings. It is sufficiently general and flexible to address variations in conservation measures regionally and according to the level of analysis because the model outputs are based on conditions defined by the user. The CE2 Model does not provide “the answer” as to whether a particular measure or suite of measures makes economic sense. Rather, it provides a set of financial metrics that can inform the decision-making process. The CE2 Model can also help water conservation practitioners share information across departments and with other water, wastewater, and energy utilities. The model quickly and easily calculates financial metrics that are meaningful and readily understood by planners and managers. It also provides a common platform through which to discuss the costs and benefits of water conservation and efficiency. This in turn allows utilities to exchange cost experiences and data and learn from one another more easily. The primary audience for the CE2 Model is water utility staff. The model is appropriate for wholesale and retail utilities of all sizes and can be used by agencies that exclusively provide water services, as well as agencies that also provide wastewater and/or energy services. Additionally, it may be of use to consultants, non-governmental organizations, and others interested in water conservation and efficiency and sustainable management of water resources.

Central Coast Summary Report - California's Fourth Climate Change Assessment

California Energy Commission (CEC) | September 28th, 2018

The Central Coast Region is notable for its extensive natural ecosystems, many of which will be impacted by climate change. Hardwood forests, scrublands, and herbaceous

The Central Coast Region is notable for its extensive natural ecosystems, many of which will be impacted by climate change. Hardwood forests, scrublands, and herbaceous grasslands comprise most of its land cover, with significantly less intensive agriculture and small-to medium-sized cities in the region. There is a strong demand for development in rural areas and agriculture is being developed on lands formerly supporting grazing or natural vegetation. The region continues to reflect an economic and social disconnect between prosperous coastal communities and agricultural areas with many low-income farm workers, inequalities that may result in disadvantaged groups suffering disproportionately from the impacts of climate change. The counties included in this report are Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz, with some information for the northern part of Ventura County.

Central Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency Groundwater Sustainability Plan

Central Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency (CKGSA) | December 11th, 2019

Central Valley Flood Protection Plan (2012)

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | June 12th, 2012

The Central Valley Flood Protection Plan (CVFPP) is a critical document to guide California’s participation (and influence federal and local participation) in managing

The Central Valley Flood Protection Plan (CVFPP) is a critical document to guide California’s participation (and influence federal and local participation) in managing flood risk along the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River systems. The CVFPP proposes a system-wide investment approach for sustainable, integrated flood management in areas currently protected by facilities of the State Plan of Flood Control (SPFC). The CVFPP will be updated every five years, with each update providing support for subsequent policy, program, and project implementation. The State of California (State) conducted planning and investigations for the 2012 CVFPP from 2009 through 2011, representing the most comprehensive flood evaluations for the Central Valley. Following the anticipated adoption of the CVFPP in 2012 by the Central Valley Flood Protection Board (Board), preparation of regional- and State-level financing plans will guide investments in the range of $14 billion to $17 billion during the next 20 to 25 years.  These financing plans are critical to CVFPP implementation, given the uncertainty in State, federal, and local agency budgets and cost-sharing capabilities.

Central Valley Project Operations: Background and Legislation

Congressional Research Service (CRS) | April 26th, 2017

After five years of drought, rain and snowstorms in Northern and Central California in the winter of 2016-2017 significantly improved water supply conditions in the state

After five years of drought, rain and snowstorms in Northern and Central California in the winter of 2016-2017 significantly improved water supply conditions in the state in 2017. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, as of late April 2017, less than 1% of the state was in severe drought  conditions. This represents an improvement from one year prior to that date, when 73% of the state was in severe drought conditions, and two years prior, when 92% fell under this designation. Stress on water supplies due to drought resulted in cutbacks in water deliveries to districts receiving water from federal and state facilities, in particular the federal Central Valley Project (CVP, operated by the Bureau of Reclamation) and the State Water Project (SWP, operated by the State of California). In 2015, California mandated a 25% reduction in water use for nonagricultural water users, and overall SWP deliveries were limited to 20% of contractor requests. Some of these restrictions have since been relaxed. Reclamation estimated its initial water allocations for CVP contractors for the 2017 water year in a series of announcements in February, March, and April 2017. For the first time in years, initial water allocations for most CVP water contractors were 100%. Contractors south of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers’ Delta (Bay Delta) initially received lower allocations in March 2017 (65% for agricultural contractors and 90% for municipal and industrial contractors, respectively), but Reclamation subsequently revised these allocations upward to 100% in April. The allocations represented a drastic change from recent years, in which no supplies were made available to many of these contractors, who farm some of the most valuable irrigated agricultural land in the country. Most expect that the historically wet conditions of 2016-2017 will not continue in future years and that future water years will continue to see deliveries limited to some extent. Previous cutbacks to CVP deliveries (in particular during periods of increased precipitation) have caused some to criticize Reclamation’s management of the CVP and question the extent to which factors beyond limited water supplies (e.g., restrictions to protect endangered species and water quality) influence water management and the quantity of water delivered to contractors. They argue that congressionally directed changes in the operation of the CVP that would result in increases to water allocations are needed. Other stakeholders argue that some of these changes could undercut environmental regulations, harm fish and wildlife, and potentially lower water quality. They also worry that legislative proposals that would alter the implementation of the Endangered Species Act could harm species in the region and set a precedent that could be used to affect other listed species in the future. Legislation enacted in the 114th Congress (Subtitle J of S. 612, the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation [WIIN] Act) incorporated provisions from multiple California drought-related bills that had been considered dating to the 112th Congress. Among other things, these provisions directed pumping to “maximize” water supplies for the CVP (in accordance with applicable biological opinions), allowed for increased pumping during certain high water events, and authorized expedited reviews of water transfers. Similar to recent congresses, the 115th Congress is considering legislation that proposes additional changes to CVP operations. H.R. 23, the Gaining Responsibility on Water Act (GROW Act) incorporates a number of provisions that were included in previous legislation but were not in the final version of the WIIN Act. Congress may consider this and similar legislation, as well as oversight of CVP operations and implementation of WIIN Act CVP provisions. This report provides an abbreviated background on the CVP and SWP. It also provides a summary of recent hydrologic conditions in California and their effect on water deliveries.

Central Valley Project Water Supply and Yield Study

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) | December 26th, 2007

The CALFED Bay-Delta Authorization Act, Title 1 of Public Law 108-361 (the Water Supply, Reliability, and Environmental Improvement Act of 2004) directed the Secretary of

The CALFED Bay-Delta Authorization Act, Title 1 of Public Law 108-361 (the Water Supply, Reliability, and Environmental Improvement Act of 2004) directed the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary), acting through the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), to conduct a study of available water supplies and existing and future needs for water in the State of California. The Secretary is to prepare a report identifying possible projects and water management actions that could provide new firm yield and water supply improvements for the CVP. The Secretary is also required to incorporate and revise, as necessary, the results of the 1995 Least-Cost CVP Yield Increase Plan originally required by section 3408(j) of Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA) of 1992. The purpose of this Water Supply and Yield (WSAY) Study is to identify the following: 1. Opportunities for new firm yield and water supply improvements for CVP water service contractors (entities with contracts for the delivery of CVP water) 2. Water management actions or projects that would improve firm yield for the CVP while balancing the available supplies with existing demands 3. The financial costs of the water management actions or projects 4. Beneficiaries and beneficiaries’ willingness to pay for identified improvements

Challenges Facing the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta: Complex, Chaotic, or Simply Cantankerous?

University of California, Davis (UC Davis) | September 17th, 2015

Freshwater is a scarce and precious resource in California; its overall value is being made clear by the current severe drought. The Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta is a c

Freshwater is a scarce and precious resource in California; its overall value is being made clear by the current severe drought. The Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta is a critical node in a complex water supply system that extends throughout much of the western U.S. wherein demand is exceeding supply. The Delta also underpins a major component of the U.S. economy, helps feed a substantial part of the country, is a unique and valuable ecological resource, and is a place with a rich cultural heritage. Sustaining the Delta is a problem that manifests itself in many dimensions including the physical structure of the Delta, the conflicting demands for water, changing water quality, rapidly evolving ecological character, and high institutional complexity. The problems of the California Delta are increasingly complex, sometimes chaotic, and always contentious. There is general agreement that current management will sustain neither the Delta ecosystem nor high-quality water exports, as required under the Delta Reform Act, so there is a renewed urgency to address all dimensions of the problem aggressively. Sustainable management of the Delta ecosystem and California’s highly variable water supply, in the face of global climate change, will require bold political decisions that include adjustments to the infrastructure but give equal emphasis to chronic overuse and misuse of water, promote enhanced efficiency of water use, and facilitate new initiatives for ecosystem recovery. This new approach will need to be underpinned by collaborative science that supports ongoing evaluation and re-adjustment of actions. Problems like the Delta are formally “wicked" problems that cannot be “solved” in the traditional sense, but they can be managed with appropriate knowledge and flexible institutions. Where possible, it is advisable to approach major actions incrementally, with an eye toward avoiding catastrophic unexpected outcomes. Collaborative analyses of risks and benefits that consider all dimensions of the problem are essential. Difficult as the problems are, California has the tools and the intellectual resources to manage the Delta problem and achieve the twin goals of a reliable water supply and an ecologically diverse Delta ecosystem.

Characterizing uncertain sea-level rise projections to support investment decisions

PLOS | February 17th, 2018

Many institutions worldwide are considering how to include uncertainty about future changes in sea-levels and storm surges into their investment decisions regardi

Many institutions worldwide are considering how to include uncertainty about future changes in sea-levels and storm surges into their investment decisions regarding large capital infrastructures. Here we examine how to characterize deeply uncertain climate change projections to support such decisions using Robust Decision Making analysis. We address questions regarding how to confront the potential for future changes in low probability but large impact flooding events due to changes in sea-levels and storm surges. Such extreme events can affect investments in infrastructure but have proved difficult to consider in such decisions because of the deep uncertainty surrounding them. This study utilizes Robust Decision Making methods to address two questions applied to investment decisions at the Port of Los Angeles: (1) Under what future conditions would a Port of Los Angeles decision to harden its facilities against extreme flood scenarios at the next upgrade pass a cost-benefit test, and (2) Do sea-level rise projections and other information suggest such conditions are sufficiently likely to justify such an investment? We also compare and contrast the Robust Decision Making methods with a full probabilistic analysis. These two analysis frameworks result in similar investment recommendations for different idealized future sea- level projections, but provide different information to decision makers and envision different types of engagement with stakeholders. In particular, the full probabilistic analysis begins by aggregating the best scientific information into a single set of joint probability distributions, while the Robust Decision Making analysis identifies scenarios where a decision to invest in near-term response to extreme sea-level rise passes a cost-benefit test, and then assembles scientific information of differing levels of confidence to help decision makers judge whether or not these scenarios are sufficiently likely to justify making such investments. Results highlight the highly-localized and context dependent nature of applying Robust Decision Making methods to inform investment decisions.