Author Archives: UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

Eastern San Joaquin Valley and other CA drinking water supplies at risk in the next drought

Posted on November 12, 2018 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

by Amanda Fencl, Rich Pauloo, Alvar Escriva-Bou, Hervé Guillon During the 2012-2016 drought, the state received more than 2,500 domestic well failure reports, the majority of which were in the Central Valley (DWR 2018). This left thousands of people without a … Continue reading →

Posted in California Water, Drinking water, Drought | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Getting Strategic about Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation in California

Posted on November 4, 2018 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

by Jeanette Howard, Kurt Fesenmyer, Theodore Grantham, Joshua Viers, Peter Ode, Peter Moyle, Sarah Kupferberg, Joseph Furnish, Andrew Rehn, Joseph Slusark, Raphael Mazor, Nicholas Santos, Ryan Peek, and Amber Wright An essential first step to protect biodiversity is understanding what species … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, California Water, Conservation, reconciliation | Tagged | 1 Comment

U.C. Davis Law’s Environmental Law Center Releases Proposition 3 White Paper

Posted on November 2, 2018 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

by Richard Frank This article originally appeared on Legal Planet on October 31, 2018 The U.C. Davis School of Law’s California Environmental Law & Policy Center has published a detailed analysis of one of the most controversial initiative measures facing … Continue reading →

Posted in California Water | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Opportunities for Science Collaboration and Funding in the Delta

Posted on October 23, 2018 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

by Aston Tennefoss The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) is central to California’s water supply system, and serves a diverse group of stakeholders, including local, state, and federal agencies, elected officials, and water users. Its islands, channels, and wetlands also are … Continue reading →

Posted in Delta, Planning and Management, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Uncategorized | Tagged | 1 Comment

The Public Trust and SGMA

Posted on October 7, 2018 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

by Brian Gray In a recent decision in litigation over flows and salmon survival in the Scott River system, the California Court of Appeal has ruled that groundwater pumping that diminishes the volume or flow of water in a navigable … Continue reading →

Posted in California Water, Groundwater | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Water storage successes, failures, and challenges from Proposition 1

Posted on September 9, 2018 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

by Jay Lund The California Water Commission recently allocated $2.7 billion from Proposition 1 bonds for eight water storage projects.  Proposition 1 was passed in 2014 to fund a range of projects, including “public purposes” of water storage projects, such … Continue reading →

Posted in California Water, Uncategorized, Water Supply and Wastewater | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Science, the Delta, and the future of San Joaquin salmon

Posted on August 21, 2018 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

by Peter B. Moyle I feel fortunate to be a biologist in an era and place, California, where science matters.  Routine scientific studies rarely make headlines but they are relied on by decision makers because they reduce uncertainty, bit by … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, California Water, Fish, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, San Joaquin River | Tagged | 6 Comments

Fish managers tasked with ranching? Conservation wins

Posted on August 12, 2018 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

by Ann Willis In May, the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) approved $2.4M for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to acquire Shasta Big Springs Ranch on the Shasta River, a tributary to the Klamath River.  This follows a … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Conservation, Planning and Management, reconciliation, Sustainability | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Killing Native Fishes for Fun and Predator Control

Posted on August 5, 2018 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

by Teejay A. O’Rear, John R. Durand, and Peter B. Moyle A recent posting of a short film on a 2017 fishing derby (FISHBIO 2018a) is disturbing to those of us interested in conserving our native fishes.  The film glorifies … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservation, Fish, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Groundwater exchange pools in Los Angeles: An innovative example of adaptive management

Posted on July 27, 2018 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

by Erik Porse, Kathryn Mika, Stephanie Pincetl, Mark Gold, and William Blomquist Across California, Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) are devising plans to reduce long-term overdraft. As part of the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, GSAs will submit plans in 2020-2022, … Continue reading →

Posted in California Water, Groundwater, urban water | Tagged , | 1 Comment