Water Partnerships between Cities and Farms in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley

Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) | October 29th, 2020

The San Joaquin Valley and urban Southern California are worlds apart in many ways. Yet each face growing water challenges and a shared interest in ensuring reliable, aff

The San Joaquin Valley and urban Southern California are worlds apart in many ways. Yet each face growing water challenges and a shared interest in ensuring reliable, affordable water supplies to safeguard their people and economies. Both regions’ water futures could be more secure if they take advantage of shared water infrastructure to jointly develop and manage some water supplies.  Increasing climate volatility is heightening concerns about droughts of the future. And two major shifts in California’s water landscape have generated new opportunities for collaboration between urban and agricultural interests. For urban areas, significant declines in water demand have reduced pressure on supplies during normal and wet years for many agencies, making reliability for future droughts the primary concern. For the overdrafted San Joaquin Valley, the requirement to manage groundwater sustainably has heightened interest in expanding water supplies and underground storage.  Partnerships between Southern California cities and San Joaquin Valley farms could help alleviate groundwater overdraft in the valley while building drought resilience in Southern California. More flexible supplies can help agencies adapt to changing conditions. By coordinating the location of infrastructure investments, agencies can use partnerships to bring the water where and when it is most needed, at least cost.  This report explores a variety of solutions that could benefit both regions. For the San Joaquin Valley, we look for ways to augment water supplies to ease the transition to groundwater sustainability, while for Southern California we explore options that would increase cities’ ability to deal effectively with extended droughts. By diversifying water supplies, building connections to share water more flexibly, and preparing for the extreme events to come, such partnerships would support Governor Newsom’s Water Resilience Portfolio, and pave the way for a shared effort to make the state’s water system more resilient to a changing climate. 

Water shortages worsened by reservoir effects

Nature Portfolio (Springer Nature) | November 13th, 2018

The expansion of reservoirs to cope with droughts and water shortages is hotly debated in many places around the world. We argue that there are two counterintuiti

The expansion of reservoirs to cope with droughts and water shortages is hotly debated in many places around the world. We argue that there are two counterintuitive dynamics that should be considered in this debate: supply–demand cycles and reservoir effects. Supply–demand cycles describe instances where increasing water supply enables higher water demand, which can quickly offset the initial benefits of reservoirs. Reservoir effects refer to cases where over-reliance on reservoirs increases vulnerability, and therefore increases the potential damage caused by droughts. Here we illustrate these counterintuitive dynamics with global and local examples, and discuss policy and research implications.

Water Storage Issue Paper

Delta Stewardship Council (Delta Council) | April 8th, 2013

This Issue Paper, authored by DSC Vice-Chair Randy Fiorini, is entitled, “Don’t Just Think ‘Big’ When Adding to State’s Water Storage Capacity.”  The paper d

This Issue Paper, authored by DSC Vice-Chair Randy Fiorini, is entitled, “Don’t Just Think ‘Big’ When Adding to State’s Water Storage Capacity.”  The paper discusses the successes of many local public water agencies in constructing small storage projects, and suggests the State consider small, as well as large scale storage projects, to address California’s water storage needs. Specific recommendations include: The California Water Commission should conduct a statewide survey of public water agencies to determine locations that have been considered locally or regionally for water storage but have not been pursued. To ensure public water agency participation the California Water Commission should partner with the Association of California Water Agencies to prepare for and conduct the survey and produce and inventory list. Once a statewide survey of possible storage locations is complete and a comprehensive list of locations has been identified, the Department of Water Resources and the California Water Commission should evaluate and identify which locations with local support have a public benefit.

Water Supply in the Conterminous United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico, Water Years 2010–20, Chapter B of U.S. Geological Survey Integrated Water Availability Assessment—2010–20

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | January 17th, 2025

The following are the key points of this chapter: Throughout much of the Great Plains and Northeast through Midwest aggregated hydrologic regions, low precipitation

The following are the key points of this chapter: Throughout much of the Great Plains and Northeast through Midwest aggregated hydrologic regions, low precipitation totals in water years 2011 and 2012 resulted in low streamflow, evapotranspiration, and soil moisture, associated with one of the most substantial droughts since the 1930s. The highest interannual variability in precipitation was in the California–Nevada, Texas, Southern High Plains, and Southwest Desert hydrologic regions, whereas the lowest interannual variability was in the Florida, Tennessee–Missouri, and Northeast hydrologic regions. Among the Western aggregated hydrologic region, where snow is critical for water availability, the California–Nevada hydrologic region had the highest interannual variability in maximum snow accumulation with a coefficient of variation (CV) of 0.60, whereas the Columbia–Snake, Pacific Northwest, and Central Rockies hydrologic regions all had a CV of less than 0.36. Six of 29 unconfined and 6 of 23 confined principal and regional aquifer systems had current water-level percentiles (median 2010–20) of less than 30 percent of historical water levels (that is, median 2000–20 water levels) including the California Coastal Basin aquifers, the Colorado Plateaus aquifers, and the Central and Southern regions of the High Plains aquifer. Hydrologic regions with low precipitation and little storage coincide with aquifer systems that have shown a decline in groundwater levels during water years 2010–20, including the Southern High Plains, Central High Plains, and Texas hydrologic regions. Companion chapters: U.S. Geological Survey Integrated Water Availability Assessment—2010–20, Chapter A Status of Water-Quality Conditions in the United States, 2010–20, Chapter C  Water Use Across the Conterminous United States, Water Years 2010–20, Chapter D  Climate Change and Future Water Availability in the United States, Chapter E  Integrated Water Availability in the Conterminous United States, 2010–20, Chapter F 

Water Surplus and Drought Management Update - Conditions as of 11/29/2022

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) | December 13th, 2022

Water Wasted to the Sea?

University of California, Davis (UC Davis) | July 15th, 2017

Why the St. Francis Dam Collapsed

Scientific American | June 1st, 1928

St. Francis dam was constructed on the San Francisquito fault, a geological feature known for a number of years and made the subject of publication illustrated by map

St. Francis dam was constructed on the San Francisquito fault, a geological feature known for a number of years and made the subject of publication illustrated by maps, chief among these being that published several years ago by the Seismological Society of America, which shows the major faults of  California. This statement, made March 22nd by Harry R. Johnson, consulting geologist of Los Angeles, speaking in San Francisco before the delegates to the convention of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, created a profound impression, accompanied as it was by an analysis of the condition of the fault at that particular place. Mr. Johnson prefaced his report by saying that the advisability of making it had been discussed with other delegates, and that it had been decided that such a public report was advisable in view of the fact that "the public mind had been deluged by the wildest assortment of theories as to the cause of the catastrophe."

Yuba-Feather FIRO Final Viability Assessment

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | March 14th, 2025

This Yuba-Feather Final Viability Assessment (FVA) evaluates whether improved precipitation and runoff forecasts can reduce flood risk downstream of New Bullards Bar (NBB

This Yuba-Feather Final Viability Assessment (FVA) evaluates whether improved precipitation and runoff forecasts can reduce flood risk downstream of New Bullards Bar (NBB), owned and operated by Yuba Water Agency (Yuba Water), and Lake Oroville (ORO), owned and operated by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). These reservoirs are in the Yuba-Feather watersheds in the Sierra Nevada and eastern Sacramento Valley of Northern California (Figure ES-1 and ES-2). Each reservoirs’ flood risk reduction operations are regulated by United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) through Water Control Manuals (WCMs).  Reducing flood risk by making reservoir releases ahead of storms creates additional temporary flood storage space for anticipated inflows but requires confidence and skill in forecasted conditions.