Tag Archives: Ann Willis

The Dreamt Land by Mark Arax: We’re all complicit in California’s water follies

Posted on October 21, 2019 by Ann Willis

by Ann Willis We are all sinners. At least, that’s the impression Mark Arax leaves in The Dreamt Land: Chasing Water and Dust Across California. What’s bold, and distinguishes this book from others about California, is that Arax grapples with … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, California Water, Drought, education, Stressors, Sustainability | Tagged | 1 Comment

The folly of unimpaired flows for water quality management

Posted on November 25, 2018 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

by Ann Willis Unimpaired streamflow has long been the benchmark against which current stream flows are evaluated for environmental purposes. The underlying assumption is that if there is water in a stream, the stream must be healthy. A closer look … Continue reading →

Posted in California Water | Tagged , , , , , | 4 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

The Little Shasta River: A model for sustaining our national heritage

Posted on September 5, 2017 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

by Ann Willis, Rob Lusardi, Alex Hart, Susan Hart, Blair Hart, Andrew Braugh, Amy Campbell, Ada Fowler Rancher: farms. Conservationist: fish. Researcher: science. Too often, identity is used to divide us. Stereotypes are used to stake out conflicting positions. It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Conservation, Fish, reconciliation, Restoration, Sustainability | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Can Sacramento Valley reservoirs adapt to flooding with a warmer climate?

Posted on June 25, 2017 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

  by Jay Lund and Ann Willis Much has been written on potential effects and adaptations for California’s water supply from climate warming, particularly from changes in snowpack accumulation and melting, sea level rise, and possible overall drying or wetting … Continue reading →

Posted in California Water, Climate Change, Floodplains | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

California WaterBlog survey and recommended reads

Posted on September 11, 2016 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

by Ann Willis Editor’s note: The survey link is now closed. Thank you to all who participated! If you have feedback, feel free to comment directly on this post. A. Willis 9/22/2016 As the water year comes to an end, … Continue reading →

Posted in education, Uncategorized | Tagged | 5 Comments

Instream flows: Five features of effective summer flow strategies

Posted on July 10, 2016 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

By Ann Willis As summer begins and stream flows drop throughout California, concerns resurface about whether there’s enough water to support critical ecosystems. Environmental flows have long been a contentious issue, often presented in conflict with existing water use. But … Continue reading →

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

Wanted: student scientists looking for inspiration and adventure

Posted on February 7, 2016 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

By Sarah Yarnell and Ann Willis Every spring for the past 12 years, a class of a dozen or so UC Davis undergraduates ride a river in the American West for a learning adventure like none other in their college … Continue reading →

Posted in education, Tuolumne River, Uncategorized, Virtual Water | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Measuring the effectiveness of ‘environmental flows’

Posted on November 18, 2015 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

By Ann Willis and Andrew Nichols In the early fall of 2012, an unusually large number of Chinook salmon were returning to the Klamath River, straddling the California-Oregon border. Many of those fish were expected to swim upstream to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, California Water, Conservation, Fish, Planning and Management, reconciliation, Restoration, Salmon, Spring-Fed Streams, Tools, Uncategorized, Water Markets | Tagged | 5 Comments

Creeks that cool down as summer heats up

Posted on June 30, 2015 by UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences

By Ann Willis and Andrew Nichols Summer has just begun and conditions on many of California’s drought-stricken rivers and streams are already looking grim for cold-water fish. Endangered winter-run salmon may not survive a repeat of last summer’s nearly total … Continue reading →

Posted in Spring-Fed Streams | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments