Category Archives: Water Conservation

Inevitable Changes to Water in California

Posted on May 8, 2016 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

By Jay Lund A shorter version of this piece originally appeared as an op-ed in the Sacramento Bee. “Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.” (anonymous) Water is always important for California, as a dry place with a boisterous economy … Continue reading →

Posted in California Water, Drought, Water Conservation | Tagged | 13 Comments

Let people pay what water is worth – Sell your conserved water

Posted on March 6, 2016 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

  By Jay Lund During dry years, water becomes scarcer, and, economically, people should pay more for it. But most urban residents do not pay directly for water scarcity. We only pay the financial cost of providing water through pipes, … Continue reading →

Posted in California Water, Water Conservation | Tagged | 15 Comments

Improving mandatory State cutbacks of urban water use for a 5th year of drought

Posted on December 13, 2015 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

By Jay R. Lund There is usually great uncertainty about when a drought will end, but certainty that longer droughts bring tougher economic and ecosystem conditions as water in aquifers and reservoirs is further depleted.  Long droughts, like the current one, … Continue reading →

Posted in California Water, Drought, Uncategorized, Water Conservation, Water Supply and Wastewater | Tagged | 13 Comments

Urban water conservation for the birds

Posted on October 6, 2015 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

By Jay Lund People who save water like to know their conserving is doing some good, such as sustaining economic growth, building municipal reserves for longer droughts or supporting the environment. But many urban residents are concerned their water savings … Continue reading →

Posted in Water Conservation | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

Can solid flood planning improve all California water planning?

Posted on March 27, 2012 by

Jay R. Lund, The Ray B. Krone Chair of Environmental Engineering, University of California – Davis “No single raindrop believes it is to blame for the flood.”  E.L. Kersten The best time to prepare for floods is during a drought. … Continue reading →

Posted in California Water, Climate Change, Floodplains, Planning and Management, Water Conservation, Water System Modeling | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Some curious things about water management

Posted on January 18, 2012 by

Jay R. Lund, The Ray B. Krone Chair of Environmental Engineering, University of California – Davis Water management is often very different from what we think intuitively, or what we have been taught. Here are some examples. 1. Most water … Continue reading →

Posted in California Water, Economy, Floodplains, Planning and Management, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Water Conservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Has human water use peaked in California?

Posted on December 6, 2011 by

Jay R. Lund, The Ray B. Krone Chair of Environmental Engineering, University of California – Davis Ellen Hanak, Senior Policy Fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California, San Francisco For over a century, water planning and policy in California … Continue reading →

Posted in California Water, Economy, Planning and Management, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Water Conservation | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Can California further reduce urban water use?

Posted on June 8, 2011 by cathrynlawrence

Jay Lund, the Ray B. Krone Professor of Environmental Engineering, UC Davis Ryan Cahill, graduate student, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UC Davis   Reducing urban water use has become a major long-term policy goal.  In 2009, California adopted … Continue reading →

Posted in California Water, Water Conservation | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Taking agricultural conservation seriously

Posted on March 15, 2011 by cathrynlawrence

Jay Lund1, Ellen Hanak2, Richard Howitt3, Ariel Dinar4, Brian Gray5, Jeffrey Mount6, Peter Moyle7, Barton “Buzz” Thompson8     For decades, people have observed that human water use in California is largely devoted to irrigating farmland, and they have therefore … Continue reading →

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