Tag Archives: Ann Willis

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

  by Jay Lund and Ann Willis Editor’s note: This is a blog that was originally posted on 6/25/17. Since publication of the blog, there has been interesting newer research about running the San Joaquin rim dams for “functional flows” … Continue reading

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

What’s the dam problem with deadbeat dams?

by Andrew L. Rypel, Christine A. Parisek, Jay Lund, Ann Willis, Peter B. Moyle, Sarah Yarnell, Karrigan Börk *this is a repost of a blog originally published in June 2020. Damming rivers was once a staple of public works and … Continue reading

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Considerations for Developing An Environmental Water Right in California

By Karrigan Börk, Andrew L. Rypel, Sarah Yarnell, Ann Willis, Peter B. Moyle, Josué Medellín-Azuara, Jay Lund, and Robert Lusardi This week, news emerged of a State Senate plan that would spend upwards of $1.5B to purchase senior water rights … Continue reading

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Dammed hot: California’s regulated streams fail cold-water ecosystems

by Ann Willis, Ryan Peek, and Andrew L. Rypel Given the current drought, it’s no surprise that California’s dams are struggling to provide cool water habitats to support native freshwater ecosystems. But what if they were never able to support … Continue reading

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Picture this research – a photo blog from the Center for Watershed Sciences

by Scientists at CWS Holidays are a natural time of introspection on who we are, what we do, and why. Towards a bit of our own self-reflection, some researchers from UC Davis’ Center for Watershed Sciences (CWS) have each contributed … Continue reading

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

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

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

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Fish managers tasked with ranching? Conservation wins

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

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

California WaterBlog survey and recommended reads

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