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# California WaterBlog

A biologist, economist, engineer and geologist walk onto a bar...

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## Posts

- [Resilient California Fishes: Lahontan Redside Shiners](https://californiawaterblog.com/2026/06/21/resilient-california-fishes-lahontan-redside-shiners/) - By Peter B. Moyle and Thomas L. Taylor . . . The fresh waters of California support a diverse, highly endemic fish fauna. Many of the native fishes are on extinction trajectories. In this blog series, however, we discuss native fishes that are not considered to be in trouble. Instead, they are native species that
- [The Scourge of the Delta: Dredge It Up!](https://californiawaterblog.com/2026/06/14/the-scourge-of-the-delta-dredge-it-up/) - By Madison Dunlap, Aidan Rafols, and John Durand . . . Overbite clams (Potamocorbula amurensis) are a small species of bivalve native to Eastern Asia (Figure 1). They have been present in the San Francisco Bay estuary since 1986, and given their ability to quickly multiply and spread, are considered highly invasive within this range
- [Rethinking Western Cities and Water](https://californiawaterblog.com/2026/06/07/rethinking-western-cities-and-water/) - By Dave Owen . . . The popular mythology of water management often treats cities as the bad guys. We tend to condemn those cities–often in colorful terms–for their avarice, arrogance, and power, and those narratives have policy consequences. But they often miss the mark. One of the oldest truisms of western water is that
- [What’s the logic of “hydrological” – One of science’s petty debates](https://californiawaterblog.com/2026/05/31/whats-the-logic-of-hydrological-one-of-sciences-petty-debates/) - By Jay Lund . . . I have always wondered, but have been too embarrassed to ask, “Are there any formal or informal differences between "hydrologic" and "hydrological"?” So I asked one of the oracles of our age, ChatGPT. Edited for length, here is what I got back: “Short answer: no formal difference in meaning—but
- [Where are they now: Dylan Stompe](https://californiawaterblog.com/2026/05/24/where-are-they-now-dylan-stompe/) - “Where are they now” is a series on the California WaterBlog that celebrates the alumni who got their start at the Center for Watershed Sciences (CWS) and have now gone on to bigger and better things. Blog posts from the “Where are they now” series will be peppered throughout our regular blog lineup, highlighting both
- [Resilient California Fishes: Prickly Sculpin](https://californiawaterblog.com/2026/05/17/resilient-california-fishes-prickly-sculpin/) - By Peter B. Moyle and Thomas L. Taylor . . . The fresh waters of California support a diverse, highly endemic fish fauna. Many of them are on extinction trajectories. In this blog series, however, we discuss native fishes that are not considered to be in trouble, but that instead have sufficient resiliency to keep
- [Durable Solutions in California Disaster Resilience](https://californiawaterblog.com/2026/05/10/durable-solutions-in-california-disaster-resilience/) - By Nicholas Pinter . . . Earlier this month, California released its Natural Catastrophe Resiliency Study. The study addresses thorny issues in managing California’s disaster risk, and particularly the crises in wildfire insurance and utility liability. We Californians and our leaders should applaud the study and efforts to address these sweeping challenges. The Resiliency Study
- [Putah Creek Fishes: A Class Gyotaku Project](https://californiawaterblog.com/2026/05/03/putah-creek-fishes-a-class-gyotaku-project/) - By Christopher M. Dewees . . . On a crisp and sunny November morning last fall, along the shores of Putah Creek, a group of students quickly dropped their beach seining net when it was suddenly filled with returning adult salmon (which were immediately released!). That moment would have been unimaginable in the 1990s. Putah
- [AI Water Use Distractions and Lessons for California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2026/04/26/ai-water-use-distractions-and-lessons-for-california/) - By Jay Lund . . . Artificial intelligence (AI) will affect many economic and natural resource sectors as these new technologies develop and mature. We are in the early years of this process. Like most new things, AI has become an object of small and great hopes and fears – from hopes for saving and
- [Shell-shocking Details About Freshwater Mussel Reproduction](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/08/20/shell-shocking-details-about-freshwater-mussel-reproduction/) - By Andrew L. Rypel, Miranda Bell Tilcock, and Christine A. Parisek One of our favorite aspects of teaching is (occasionally) being able to really surprise a student. Many of the fun nature facts folks pick up nowadays come from TV, YouTube, social media, and other media outlets. But these outlets have an inherent bias: they
- [Uncertainty in modeling, an Art Gallery](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/06/26/uncertainty-in-modeling-an-art-gallery/) - Water resource planners regularly rely on computer models to illuminate relationships between human- and natural-systems. Anyone who has tinkered with one of California water supply models knows this is a deeply left-brained exercise. During Winter 2021, as part of Jay Lund’s Art and Water class, water resource engineering students took a break from creating and analyzing
- [What’s the dam problem with deadbeat dams?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/05/28/whats-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 a signal of technological and scientific progress. Even today, dams underpin much of California’s public
- [Art and Water Management - Randomness and Patterns](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/05/09/art-and-water-management-randomness-and-patterns/) - curated by Abbey Hill Much of water management draws on patterns involving randomness. This is typically done in building models based on organizing equations, but has some relevance to art. The following is a collection of art that relates randomness and patterns with reflections on water management. Helter Skelter I - by Mark Bradford (2007)
- [Art and Water Management - Randomness and Patterns](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/05/09/art-and-water-management-randomness-and-patterns-2/) - curated by Abbey Hill Much of water management draws on patterns involving randomness. This is typically done in building models based on organizing equations, but has some relevance to art. The following is a collection of art that relates randomness and patterns with reflections on water management. Helter Skelter I - by Mark Bradford (2007)
- [The Coming Droughts of California in 2017 – November 27, 2016](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/11/27/the-coming-droughts-of-california-in-2017-november-27-2016/) - By Jay Lund California is a big diverse place. California probably will experience droughts this year of different types in different places, and no drought at all in some places, simultaneously. Even if conditions this year are very wet, with flooding, parts of California will have drought issues. (This is what makes California a great
- [Day 11 – The Gift of Students](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/12/24/day-11-the-gift-of-students/) - By Karrigan Börk . . . You might think that teaching the same thing again every year would get old, or that taking field trips to the same location year after year would be repetitive. And, sure, gearing up to teach landlord-tenant law for the nth time can be a bit daunting. But I’ve found
- [A chance to multiply your support for the Center for Watershed Sciences](https://californiawaterblog.com/2026/04/17/a-chance-to-multiply-your-support-for-the-center-for-watershed-sciences/) - California WaterBlog is a long-running outreach project from the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences, a research center dedicated to interdisciplinary study of water challenges, particularly in California. We focus on environmentally and economically sustainable solutions for managing rivers, lakes, groundwater, and estuaries. This weekend, for UC Davis Give Day (April 17 – 18, 2026),
- [Walling off nature: Exploring the consequences of our urge to claim ecosystems](https://californiawaterblog.com/2026/04/12/walling-off-nature-exploring-the-consequences-of-our-urge-to-claim-ecosystems/) - By Andrew L. Rypel . . . [This article first appeared on Tangled Nature.] It's one of the first memories. Getting into the little v-hull aluminum boat with Dad on the shoreline of a small sandy lake. It's summer in northern Wisconsin and water lilies surround the deep parts of the lake like ancient ecological
- [California and the West’s Current Snow Drought in a Long-Term Context: Key Points for Researchers](https://californiawaterblog.com/2026/04/05/california-and-the-wests-current-snow-drought-in-a-long-term-context-key-points-for-researchers/) - By Kyle Greenspan . . . We are well into the 2026 water year in the western United States, and so far, it appears to be an unseasonably warm one. Media across California, the western states, and the nation are covering the impact of our warm winter on snowpack and water resources. This post attempts
- [Fish domination of avian food webs](https://californiawaterblog.com/2026/04/01/fish-domination-of-avian-food-webs/) - By Christine Parisek & Jon Walter . . . Food webs are the backbones of ecosystems: they chart the flow of energy through ecosystems in terms of who eats whom, and their structure helps determine whether an ecosystem will be stable over time. While food web studies often focus on relationships within a particular habitat
- [A Flood of Hope](https://californiawaterblog.com/2026/02/15/a-flood-of-hope/) - By Ted Sommer . . . My most inspiring bike ride this past year was not on a mountain or in some exotic destination. It was sixteen flat and muddy valley miles under overcast skies. My destination was a new concrete structure designed to reconnect the Sacramento River with its adjacent floodplain, the Yolo Bypass.
- [Life history differences between natural and hatchery-origin winter-run Chinook present opportunities and challenges for managing the endangered species](https://californiawaterblog.com/2026/03/29/life-history-differences-between-natural-and-hatchery-origin-winter-run-chinook-present-opportunities-and-challenges-for-managing-the-endangered-species/) - By Emily Chen, Katherine Lumahan, Rachel Johnson, Corey Phillis, George Whitman, Anna Sturrock, Will Satterthwaite, and Stephanie Carlson . . . Wild Pacific salmon and trout exhibit complex variation in completing their life cycle. Within a single population, some individuals leave their natal (birth) streams soon after they emerge from the nest to begin their
- [Resilient California Fishes: Sacramento Pikeminnow](https://californiawaterblog.com/2026/03/15/resilient-california-fishes-sacramento-pikeminnow/) - By Peter B. Moyle and Thomas L. Taylor . . . The fresh waters of California support a diverse, highly endemic fish fauna. Many of them are on extinction trajectories. In this “Resilient California Fishes” blog series, we discuss native species that have sufficient resiliency to keep populations large and sustainable, even in highly altered
- [Resilient California Fishes: Tule Perch](https://californiawaterblog.com/2026/01/18/resilient-california-fishes-tule-perch/) - By Peter B. Moyle and Tom L. Taylor . . . This is the second blog in a series on native California fishes that seem to be doing well despite multiple threats. They are still common and widely distributed, despite major changes to their habitats. The Tule Perch (Hysterocarpaus traskii) is an interesting species to
- [Three Generations of Stewardship: Exploring the Legacy of Environmental Protection on Putah Creek](https://californiawaterblog.com/2026/01/11/three-generations-of-stewardship-exploring-the-legacy-of-environmental-protection-on-putah-creek/) - By Petrea Moyle Marchand . . . This is a cross-post from a blog featured on Consero Solutions. After the indefinite cancellation of school at the start of the Covid-19 quarantine, my Dad, Peter Moyle, offered to teach my kids about Putah Creek. A fish biologist and University of California, Davis professor who started studying the
- [Where are they now: Dana Myers](https://californiawaterblog.com/2026/01/04/where-are-they-now-dana-myers/) - . . . “Where are they now” is a series on the California WaterBlog. The series will celebrate the many alumni who got their start at the Center for Watershed Sciences (CWS) and have now gone on to bigger and better things. Blog posts from the “Where are they now” series will be peppered throughout
- [Future Ancestors of Freshwater Fishes in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/12/28/future-ancestors-of-freshwater-fishes-in-california-2/) - By Peter B. Moyle . . . * This is a re-post of a blog originally published 09/17/2023. The Challenge We are living in the Anthropocene, an era being defined by global mass extinctions caused by humanity. While on-going and impending extinctions of birds and other terrestrial vertebrates gain the most attention, the situation with
- [Day 12 – California Water: The Gift that Keeps on Giving](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/12/25/day-12-california-water-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving/) - By Karrigan Börk and Jay Lund . . . California is full of gifts that keep on giving. California water provides for a bounty of social, environmental, economic, and cultural benefits. Water is the lifeblood of California farms, which have created one of the world’s great agricultural economies. Water carves our state’s beautiful landscapes and
- [Getting Our Feet Wet: Bringing Photography Students into the Yolo Bypass ](https://californiawaterblog.com/2026/03/08/getting-our-feet-wet-bringing-photography-students-into-the-yolo-bypass/) - By Eliza Gregory . . . The first time I heard the phrase “flood-based ecosystem," I was in New South Wales, and I was confused. I was on a 4000 km drive around the Murray Darling Basin, the largest watershed in Australia. I was with a group from Engineers Without Borders Australia, who luckily had an expansive idea of who would be fun to have along (shout out to Claire
- [Lessons Learned Measuring and Modeling Evaporation across California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2026/03/01/lessons-learned-measuring-and-modeling-evaporation-across-california/) - By Dennis Baldocchi and Carlos Wang . . . Rainfall and snow falling across the state have several fates. One is runoff to rivers, reservoirs and the ocean. Another is storage in the snowpack, soil and groundwater. The third is evaporation from vegetation, soil and open water bodies. Historically, the rates and amounts of evaporation
- [The truth is NOT in the eye of the beholder!](https://californiawaterblog.com/2026/02/22/the-truth-is-not-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder/) - By Alexandra Chu and Danhong Ally Li . . . For those familiar with fish archival tissues, fish otoliths are likely one of the first things that come to mind. Otoliths are indeed remarkable tools, offering insights into the water chemistry and trace elements the fish encountered while they were alive. However, we want to
- [2025 Annual Report: Highlights from the Center for Watershed Sciences ](https://californiawaterblog.com/2026/02/08/2025-annual-report-highlights-from-the-center-for-watershed-sciences/) - The Center for Watershed Sciences unveils its inaugural annual report, featuring a letter from Director Dr. Karrigan Börk, insights into ongoing research, summaries of events, and the 2025 Strategic Plan. The report also highlights popular blogs, significant grants, and the California WaterBlog's 15th anniversary.
- [Students Take the Stage at the Spinning Salmon Showcase](https://californiawaterblog.com/2026/02/01/students-take-the-stage-at-the-spinning-salmon-showcase/) - By Becca VanArnam, Peggy Harte, Rachel Johnson, Carson Jeffres, and Miranda A. Lowe-Webb . . . Spinning Salmon Program California’s Chinook salmon face all kinds of challenges, from drought and warming to blocked migration routes. But in recent years, scientists have also been tracking a quieter threat: thiamine deficiency. This condition, caused by low levels
- [Not dry, but drought remains an issue, mid-wet season 2026](https://californiawaterblog.com/2026/01/25/not-dry-but-drought-remains-an-issue-mid-wet-season-2026/) - By Jay Lund . . . People in and out of California love the attention that comes with declaring droughts and the end of droughts. Given the many types and locations of droughts in California, it is rare to have no drought anywhere in the state. Yet, for the last two weeks, the UC Drought
- [Where the sturgeon go: how age-related differences in habitat use shape exposure of white sturgeon to population risks](https://californiawaterblog.com/2026/03/22/where-the-sturgeon-go-how-age-related-differences-in-habitat-use-shape-exposure-of-white-sturgeon-to-population-risks/) - By Jon Walter, Gabriel Singer, Scott Colborne, Andrew L. Rypel, and Erin Tracy . . . White sturgeon are a prominent member of the sturgeon family in North America. They are generally considered the largest fish found in North American freshwaters (up to 12 feet long) and are quite long-lived (reaching 100 years or more).
- [Pumping out the Inland Sea – Delta exports in a time of plenty](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/03/26/pumping-out-the-inland-sea-delta-exports-in-a-time-of-plenty/) - By Jay Lund This is northern California’s wettest year of record, so far. The Yolo Bypass has been flooded for most of this wet season, and is still flowing. Are Delta water exports going to exceed the previous record exports from 2011 (6.5 maf)? The figure above compares this year’s Delta water exports compare
- [Weathering the drought by drawing down the bank](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/07/15/weathering-the-drought-by-drawing-down-the-bank/) - By Richard Howitt, Josué Medellín-Azuara, Duncan MacEwan and Jay Lund Today, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences economists join the California Department of Food and Agriculture in releasing a second, more comprehensive and forward-looking report estimating the effects of the California drought on farm production. (UC Davis news release, Video of national press briefing) The study
- [Resistance is futile: Inevitable changes to water management in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/01/07/resistance-is-futile-inevitable-changes-to-water-management-in-california/) - "Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt" — anonymous By Jay Lund and Ellen Hanak Water policy in California has always been about making and resisting change. The gold mining period, the growth of agriculture and cities, and today’s environmental priorities all led to fundamental changes in water and land management, law and regulation.
- [Modernizing California’s groundwater management](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/06/22/modernizing-californias-groundwater-management/) - "A broad consensus appears to be building among California water users and policymakers that it is high time to establish an effective, statewide framework for groundwater management." — Groundwater Resources Association of California, Contemporary Groundwater Issues Council As California strains under a third straight year of drought, Gov. Jerry Brown and many legislators have
- [Conservation of inland trout populations in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/04/24/conservation-of-inland-trout-populations-in-california/) - by Robert Lusardi This article originally appeared in California Trout's The Current. For the full issue, click here. Native fish conservation and recovery is an onerous task. While there are many threats, hybridization has played an integral role in the demise of numerous inland trout species throughout the western United States. Nowhere is this more
- [Reconciling conservation and human use in the Delta](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/02/12/reconciling-conservation-and-human-use-in-the-delta/) - By John Durand, Peter Moyle, and Amber Manfree In a previous blog, we presented a Grand Scheme for habitat conservation in the North Delta Arc (the Arc). This follows up on our earlier broad vision for recreating a Delta more friendly to its native species. In this essay, we give philosophical and historical reasons to approach
- [Where are they now: Mollie Ogaz](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/07/06/where-are-they-now-mollie-ogaz/) - “Where are they now:” is the first in a new blog series on the California WaterBlog, written in the voices of our alumni. The series will celebrate the many alumni who got their start at the Center for Watershed Sciences (CWS) and have now gone on to bigger and better things. Blog posts from the
- [International Approaches to Freshwater Management](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/09/21/international-approaches-to-freshwater-management/) - By Nicholas Pinter and Sarah Yarnell In late June and July of this year, UC Davis convened an Advanced Studies Institute (ASI) on “International Approaches to Freshwater Management,” bringing 11 top graduate students from across the US to study rivers and management systems in California, Italy, and the Netherlands. ASIs are funded by the National
- [Restoration of Tidal wetlands of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta – Where are we at?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/07/07/restoration-of-tidal-wetlands-of-the-sacramento-san-joaquin-delta-where-are-we-at/) - By Rosemary Hartman, Matt Young, Dylan Chapple, Stacy Sherman, Dave Ayers, Emma Mendonsa, Elizabeth Brusati, and Louise Conrad Tidal wetlands in the Sacramento – San Joaquin Delta used to be vast. You may have seen artistic renditions of how the landscape may have looked with meandering channels weaving through a mosaic of land and water
- [2023 WaterBlog "Wrapped"](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/12/31/2023-waterblog-wrapped/) - By Christine A. Parisek The wait is over. Your 2023 WaterBlog Wrapped is here. As we wrap up our 12th year, and 2023, we thank all our readers, partners, authors, and friends who have supported the Center for Watershed Sciences and CaliforniaWaterBlog. CaliforniaWaterBlog’s mission is to provide thought-provoking and useful (at least interesting) commentary and
- [Announcing the International Fish Passage Conference 2026](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/11/23/announcing-the-international-fish-passage-conference-2026/) - By Nann A. Fangue . . . UC Davis will host the International Fish Passage Conference on May 4-8, 2026. Please join us for this opportunity to engage with fish passage practitioners working across academia, government, utilities, consultancy, and other professional organizations while enjoying the beautiful springtime of Davis and the greater Sacramento region. The
- [Nine California Water Rites](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/11/30/eight-california-water-rites/) - By Jay Lund . . . “Rite” noun:1. a religious or other solemn ceremony or act.2. a social custom, practice, or conventional act. California has complex and hallowed water rites. Here are some: Claim other water users are engaged in a “water grab” (when you grabbed it first). Correlative rite 1.1: Declare a “water war”. Insist
- [What's next in river science? Takeaways from the International Symposium of River Science (ISRS) conference](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/12/07/whats-next-in-river-science-takeaways-from-the-international-symposium-of-river-science-isrs-conference/) - By Miranda Bell-Tilcock and Sarah Yarnell . . . A big thank you to everyone who attended the International Symposium of River Science (ISRS) conference, hosted by the Center for Watershed Sciences (CWS)! The International Symposium of River Science (ISRS) conference took place October 6th–9th and featured 4 days of speakers hailing from across the
- [Day 1 – Introducing “12 Days of CWS”](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/12/14/day-1-introducing-12-days-of-cws/) - By Christine A. Parisek and Miranda Bell-Tilcock . . . The California WaterBlog celebrates its 15th anniversary this January 2026, and so we thought we’d try out something a little special and festive this month. This December, we’re piloting a new short-post format series that will open up a small window into a day in
- [Day 2 – Fish Eye View](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/12/15/day-2-fish-eye-view/) - By Miranda Bell-Tilcock . . . That’s no moon. That is the lens of a fish eye. While it looms large in the photo, this lens is tiny, approximately 3-5mm in diameter, similar to a small bead on a friendship bracelet. How did we even capture such a zoomed in photo of a small lens?
- [Day 3 – An Ode to Gulls](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/12/16/day-3-an-ode-to-gulls/) - By Lynette Williams Duman . . . There is no better cure for the winter blues than looking at birds, and there is no better group of birds to look at in the winter than gulls. In California, winter is the time of massive gull flocks that will commute between landfills, beaches, rice fields, reservoirs,
- [Day 4 – The Ghost of Carp-mas Past!](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/12/17/day-4-the-ghost-of-carp-mas-past/) - By Kim Luke . . . Back in 2019, I began a project called the Carp Dependent Ecosystem Urgent Management (Carp-DEUM) Project. I started this project as an undergraduate and continued it as a junior specialist and graduate student until 2022. The project was focused on the common carp (Cyprinus carpio) population in the UC
- [Day 5 – A Day in the Life of an Indoor Ecologist](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/12/18/day-5-a-day-in-the-life-of-an-indoor-ecologist/) - By Jonathan Walter . . . Many ecologists spend substantial time conducting research in the field – but for some of us, our skillsets (e.g., statistics, mathematical models, data science) lend themselves to a different, more indoor career. Here’s what a typical workday might look like: 6:00 AM: Start the day with coffee on the
- [Day 6 – Recharging Resilience: Balancing climate grief with curiosity and purpose](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/12/19/day-6-recharging-resilience-balancing-climate-grief-with-curiosity-and-purpose/) - By Kira Zalis Waldman . . . Teaching hydrology means teaching in a world where climate awareness, and inherently climate grief, often walk into the classroom before I do. Our lectures revisit now familiar concerns: shrinking snowpack, overdrafted aquifers, and the uneven and unjust burdens so many California communities carry. The weight of that knowledge
- [Day 7 – Pickles and Hidden Gems: The UC Davis Fish Collection](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/12/20/day-7-pickles-and-hidden-gems-the-uc-davis-fish-collection/) - By Rachel Alsheikh . . . On the UC Davis campus, past the Watershed Sciences Building, past the cows and the Arboretum, there’s a nondescript building with a locked room. It’s a secret treasure trove: shelves upon shelves stacked with more than 8,000 jars of fish specimens preserved in ethanol. At over 30,000 fishes, it’s
- [Day 8 – Haikus](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/12/21/day-8-haikus/) - We invited haiku submissions from CWS members and friends to be a part of the 8th day of our California WaterBlog series, "12 Days of CWS". A haiku is a traditional Japanese three-line poem (5-7-5 syllables) that focuses on capturing a moment, feeling, or image. We hope you enjoy... and leave us your own haiku in the
- [Day 9 – A Visit From S.T. Nicholas](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/12/22/day-8-a-visit-from-s-t-nicholas/) - By Kimberly Evans . . . 'Twas a morning of field work, when all through our vanNot a researcher was sleeping, and to Suisun Marsh we ran;Our waders and boots folded, all tucked in with care,In hopes that bountiful fish, in our seines, would be there; The researchers were nestled all snug on our boat
- [Day 10 – One lucky penny](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/12/23/day-10-one-lucky-penny/) - By Christine A. Parisek . . . Imagine a time you were standing at the edge of a creek – perhaps small pebbles and cobblestone were stacked along the shallow water edge, aquatic vegetation pushed its way in between, and a light breeze rustled the trees around you as the water swirled and lapped playfully
- [Drought a ghost of Christmas past -- and present](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/12/20/drought-a-ghost-of-christmas-past-and-present/) - By Peter Moyle I love this cartoon because it says so much about water and droughts in California. Alan Marciochi drew this during the 1976-77 drought. He knew what he was drawing. A farm boy from Los Banos with a degree in biology, Alan worked for me studying endangered Modoc suckers in remote northeastern corner of
- [We Wish You A Silly Fishmas](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/12/27/we-wish-you-a-silly-fishmas/) - by Kim Luke Night Before Fishmas "Twas the night before Fishmas, when all through the spaceNot a creature was stirring, not even a Dace;The fyke nets were hung by the boat dock with care,In hopes that St. Fish-olas soon would be there; The salmon eggs were nestled all snug in their redds;While visions of zooplankton
- [How the Grinch Saved the Creek: A Collection of California Water Fables](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/12/24/how-the-grinch-saved-the-creek-a-collection-of-california-water-fables/) - By Scrooge Jones Did you know the Grinch played a crucial role in the return of salmon to Putah Creek? It was actually a pretty big deal. And if it wasn’t for Charlie Brown and the gang, who knows what the state of economic-engineering optimization models for California water management would be today? ‘Tis the
- [Dispatches From the Deep Pacific](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/10/29/dispatches-from-the-dark-pacific-depths/) - By: Sophie R. Sanchez, Christine A. Parisek, Andrew L. Rypel Monsters are lurking… Off the coast of California, down in the chilly depths of the Pacific Ocean, there lie the most unsettling denizens that appear summoned from the nightmares of Mira Grant. Here in the inky blackness, where nature spawned these most otherworldly configurations, inhabitants
- [Got Blood? Unmasking a vampire fish](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/10/27/got-blood-unmasking-a-vampire-fish/) - By Emily L. Mensch “They’re strong, they’re fast, and they’re out for blood…..” From the depths of a murky lake, a slimy eel-like creature emerges, slithering and writhing. With a gaping, circular mouth lined with rows of needle-sharp teeth spiraling inward, it locks in on its target prey: you! Soon this nightmarish creature is slinking
- [It’s Elementary My Dear Walleye](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/10/30/its-elementary-my-dear-walleye/) - By George Whitman, who is dressed as Dr. John Watson this Halloween While this Sherlockian mystery is fictional, it is inspired by a real event in which a Walleye was illegally introduced into Lake Cascade, Idaho. The events described below parallel the actual research conducted to uncover its origins. Looking back over the notes of
- [How well do you know California water?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/06/23/how-well-do-you-know-california-water/) - California has an extensive and complex water system. Can many people name all the waterways on this common California water map (with the names removed)? Give it a try. No cheating. (Unlike some map quizzes and the 1957 California Water Plan, this map has no imaginary features, except perhaps when some of the river channels run dry.)
- [How to give a profoundly boring technical talk](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/02/16/how-to-give-a-profoundly-boring-technical-talk/) - by Jay Lund 1. The title should be packed with obscure acronyms that give no clue of the subject. An exciting talk might disturb the audience’s ability to relax, look at their phones, or quietly work in the back of the room. 2. Introduce each co-author with long-winded and complete backgrounds. Their lives and accomplishments
- [Glasses at 50% in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/03/16/glasses-at-50-in-california/) - by Jay Lund How do California’s engineers see a partially-full water glass? Mostly the same as they did in the original 2012 version of this post, but we’ve added a few more perspectives over the years. Depending on your outlook, the proverbial glass of water is either half full or half empty. Not so, for
- [Trade-offs in California Water Discussions](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/05/11/trade-offs-in-california-water-discussions/) - By Jay Lund In policy and management, we should always be interested in performance, both overall effectiveness and efficiency of solutions, as well as trade-offs across objectives. These are often depicted on plots of Pareto-optimality, showing the relative performance of alternatives, the performance of efficient (Pareto-optimal) solutions, and trade-offs across these most efficient alternatives, often compared with
- [AI explanations of California water management](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/07/13/ai-explanations-of-california-water-management/) - By ChatGPT prompted by Jay Lund I was playing with ChatGPT and had some fun and insightful replies. (I’d interpret these insights, but I am no Professor of Literature, and it would probably get me into trouble. Please add your interpretations below in the replies.) 1) Prompt: Write a buzzword sentence on California water management. ChatGPT replied:
- [Physics and Chemistry of San Francisco Bay Sediments – Lectures by Professor Ray B. Krone, 1991](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/11/16/physics-and-chemistry-of-san-francisco-bay-sediments-lectures-by-professor-ray-b-krone-1991/) - By Jay Lund, Jamie Anderson, William Fleenor, and Fabián A. Bombardelli San Francisco Bay is a tidally-energetic estuary where clay muds are the dominant sediment building wetlands, depositing in channels and harbors, and responding to sea level rise since San Francisco Bay was most recently inundated about 8,000 years ago. These sediments mainly come from
- [Think Now about the Unthinkable in US Disaster Management](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/11/09/think-now-about-the-unthinkable-in-us-disaster-management/) - By Nicholas Pinter and David Conrad In a turbulent year for US disaster management, changes that seemed unthinkable a few months ago are now coming to pass. California leaders should be planning proactive responses now. The California Flood Future Panel is now assessing potential impacts of federal changes to US disaster management, particularly considering proposed
- [The search for flow metrics that support fish success – case study in Scott River, Siskiyou County, California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/11/02/the-search-for-flow-metrics-that-support-fish-success-case-study-in-scott-river-siskiyou-county-california/) - By Claire Kouba, Sarah Yarnell, Leland Scantlebury, and Thomas Harter How much water do fish really need, and is it possible to ask the fish? One approach to answering this question is to monitor the abundance of a local fish population over many years, and determine the degree to which observed streamflow correlates with fishery
- [Where are they now: Kelly Neal](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/10/26/where-are-they-now-kelly-neal/) - “Where are they now:” is a blog series on the California WaterBlog, written in the voices of our alumni. The series celebrates the many alumni who got their start at the Center for Watershed Sciences (CWS) and have now gone on to bigger and better things. Blog posts from “Where are they now:” will be
- [Resilient California Fishes: Sacramento Sucker](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/10/19/resilient-california-fishes-sacramento-sucker/) - By Peter Moyle and Tom Taylor ____________________ The fresh waters of California support a diverse native fish fauna, 130 taxa by our count (Leidy and Moyle 2021). At least 56 of these taxa are on trajectories towards extinction 7 are already extinct; 32 are listed as threatened or endangered by state and federal agencies. Not
- [Representing interannual variability for environmental flow operations: the functional flow regime](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/10/12/representing-interannual-variability-for-environmental-flow-operations-the-functional-flow-regime/) - By Lindsay Murdoch, Sarah Yarnell, and Jay Lund California’s local communities and native ecosystems alike have adapted to cycles of flood, drought, and a healthy portion of everything in between. Our river management, on the other hand, has fallen out of natural balance and tends to oscillate between insufficient minimum flows and emergency flood responses,
- [California: A Salmon Society?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/10/05/california-a-salmon-society/) - By Carson Jeffres Consider for a moment the identity of the Pacific Northwest as a Salmon Society. When you fly into an airport in the Pacific Northwest, salmon are on the floors and walls as art. This art is an expression of societal values in which salmon are important. In contrast, when you fly into Sacramento you see
- [Don’t Let a Shutdown Wash Away U.S. Flood Protection](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/09/30/dont-let-a-shutdown-wash-away-u-s-flood-protection/) - By Nicholas Pinter A US federal government shutdown is looming, potentially starting Oct. 1, with broad impacts across the government and across the country. The scope of these unfolding events is beyond the wheelhouse of the California Water Blog. But pulled into the slipstream of this potential budget impasse is an important water issue. If Congress does not
- [Happy New Water Year 2026! – following 2025’s Normal and Extreme Hydrology](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/09/28/happy-new-water-year-2026-following-2025s-normal-and-extreme-hydrology/) - By Jay Lund October 1 marks the beginning of California’s new Water Year (WY). Water years here run from October 1 until September 30 of the next calendar year and are named for the calendar year of the bulk of the water year (January-October). October 1 is also the nominal beginning of California’s wet season. California’s
- [Being the Lorax](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/08/31/being-the-lorax/) - By Andrew L. Rypel “Way back in the days when the grass was still green and the pond was still wet and the clouds were still clean, and the song of the Swomee-Swans rang out in space...one morning, I came to this glorious place. And I first saw the trees! The Truffula Trees! The bright-colored
- [The Texas Flood Tragedy was Predictable, but was it Preventable?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/09/14/texas-flood-tragedy-was-predictable-but-was-it-preventable/) - By Kathleen Schaefer In the wake of recent tragic events, such as the devastating floods in Texas, it's become clear that our current approach to flood management and disaster preparedness is falling short. The Associated Press reported that a flood warning system, which could have potentially saved lives, was left unfunded due to budget constraints
- [California’s Amazing Terminal Lakes](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/09/07/californias-amazing-terminal-lakes-2/) - By Peter B. Moyle * This is a re-post of a blog originally published 11/26/2023. When Californians talk of lakes, they usually mean reservoirs, the 1500 or so artificial bodies of water behind dams. Alternately, they may be referring to the 4,000 or so natural lakes in the Sierra Nevada or to one of the
- [Change at the Center for Watershed Sciences](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/08/24/change-at-the-center-for-watershed-sciences/) - By Karrigan Börk Readers of the California Water Blog (Blog) may have noticed some changes over the past year. The Blog is a product of the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences (CWS), and after many years of dedicated service, longtime CWS leaders Dr. Andrew Rypel (Director) and Dr. Cathryn Lawrence (Assistant Director) are transitioning
- [Sites – The Permitting Process](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/08/17/sites-the-permitting-process/) - By Christopher Mouawad This blog provides a glimpse into the complexity of permitting for large water projects like Sites. California water law is as intricate and varied as the systems it governs. What begins as a seemingly simple doctrine, such as “first in time, first in right,” can quickly spiral into a labyrinth of layered
- [Announcing the 7th International Symposium on River Science](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/08/13/announcing-the-7th-international-symposium-on-river-science/) - The International Society for River Science (ISRS) will hold the 7th International Symposium on River Science at the University of California, Davis on October 6-9, 2025. We invite you to attend! The first river symposium was held in 1979 in Norway, and rivers conferences have continued through the decades since, across the globe. Recent conferences
- [Where are they now: Caroline Newell](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/08/10/where-are-they-now-caroline-newell/) - Registration is now open for the 7th International Symposium on River Science, held in Davis, California from Oct 6-9, 2025! Early Bird Registration will remain open until 15 August 2025. “Where are they now:” is a blog series on the California WaterBlog, written by our alumni. The series will celebrate the many alumni who got
- [Where are they now: Anna Sturrock](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/08/03/where-are-they-now-anna-sturrock/) - Registration is now open for the 7th International Symposium on River Science, held in Davis, California from Oct 6-9, 2025! Early Bird Registration will remain open until 15 August 2025. “Where are they now:” is a new blog series on the California WaterBlog, written in the voices of our alumni. The series will celebrate the
- [Bargaining for Tribal Water in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/07/27/bargaining-for-tribal-water-in-california/) - By Leslie Sanchez and Eric C. Edwards Stark power disparities between Native American tribes (tribes) and nontribal entities in California have shaped tribes’ legal standing to assert water rights claims, bargaining power in resolving claims, and the ability to assert meaningful control over water rights. This post outlines the status of tribal water rights in California and
- [Microplastic Pollution: Impact on the SF Bay Delta and Remediation Strategies](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/07/20/microplastic-pollution-impact-on-the-sf-bay-delta-and-remediation-strategies/) - "Microplastic Pollution: Impact on the SF Bay Delta and Remediation Strategies" Symposium with Delta Stewardship Council and Coastal Marine Sciences Institute By Miranda Bell-Tilcock In May, I had the privilege of attending the Microplastic Pollution: Impact on the SF Bay Delta and Remediation Strategies symposium hosted by the Coastal Marine Sciences Institute (CMSI) and the
- [Build it, and they will come: Early evidence for establishment of Chinook salmon in Putah Creek, CA](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/06/29/build-it-and-they-will-come-early-evidence-for-establishment-of-chinook-salmon-in-putah-creek-ca/) - By Lauren G. Hitt, Malte Willmes, Mackenzie C. Miner, Max Stevenson, Carson A. Jeffres, Robert A. Lusardi, Nann A. Fangue, and Andrew L. Rypel For the third year in a row, regulators have canceled California’s commercial Chinook salmon fishing season.Poor spawning salmon returns in 2024 and low predicted numbers of salmon in the ocean during 2025
- [Bull Trout and Other Endemic Fishes: McCloud River ](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/06/22/bull-trout-and-other-endemic-fishes-mccloud-river/) - By Peter B. Moyle There are about 130 fish species (as defined by the federal Endangered Species Act) native to the fresh waters of California. Most (80%) are arguably on trajectories to extinction. Seven species are already extirpated from the state (Thicktail Chub, Clear Lake Splittail, High Rock Springs Tui Chub, Bull Trout, Tecopa Pupfish,
- [Remembering Professor Harrison (“Hap”) Dunning](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/06/15/remembering-professor-harrison-hap-dunning/) - UC Davis Professor of Law Emeritus Harrison (“Hap”) Dunning passed away at the end of March 2025 at the age of 86. You can read the details of his life in the Davis Enterprise Obituary, including the story of his extensive work in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, but he is best known in
- [Are spring-fed rivers key to long-term persistence of salmon and trout in California?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/06/08/are-spring-fed-rivers-key-to-long-term-persistence-of-salmon-and-trout-in-california/) - By Nicholas Corline, Emilio Grande, Ate Visser, Jean Moran, Jory Lerback, Tyanna Blaschak, Damon Goodman, Jake Harm, Lauren Tolley-Mann, Dylan O’Ryan, Valerie Muenker, Rollie Nearhood, Amber Lukk, Sarah Howe, and Robert Lusardi Imagine a giant sponge made of volcanic rock. That’s what scientists have recently discovered in the central Cascades of Oregon, an aquifer that
- [The Seven Circles of Jargon Hell](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/06/01/the-seven-circles-of-jargon-hell/) - By Jay Lund The circles of jargon hell move from “lazy and less effective communication of ideas” to a general audience, to a narrower already-expert audience, to a substitute for substantive communication, to intentionally harmful and pretentious obfuscation, all of which disrupt the reader’s comprehension and eventually destroy all interest in communication. Lazy jargon –
- [How redefining just one word could strip the Endangered Species Act’s ability to protect vital habitat](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/05/18/how-redefining-just-one-word-could-strip-the-endangered-species-acts-ability-to-protect-vital-habitat/) - This blog is a cross-post from one featured on The Conversation on May 13, 2025. By Mariah Meek & Karrigan Börk It wouldn’t make much sense to prohibit people from shooting a threatened woodpecker while allowing its forest to be cut down, or to bar killing endangered salmon while allowing a dam to dry out their habitat. But that’s
- [Managed Aquifer Recharge on Agriculture Lands: Infiltration Basins, Flood-MAR and Regional Variability](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/05/25/managed-aquifer-recharge-on-agriculture-lands-infiltration-basins-flood-mar-and-regional-variability/) - By Sarah Sarfaty Epstein Groundwater has long been the unseen lifeblood of irrigators across the state, and some are now taking an active role in replenishing it. When and where surface water has been insufficient, Californians have drilled down, steadily depleting the aquifer, as shown in Figure 1. California’s cumulative groundwater overdraft is over 100
- [The Power of Mimics in Aquatic Management and Beyond](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/05/04/the-power-of-mimics-in-aquatic-management-and-beyond/) - By Brandi Goss, Marissa L. Baskett, and Robert A. Lusardi Humans might be the ultimate ecosystem engineers in the sense that we constantly modify ecosystems and change the processes which drive them. In some cases, this can harm biodiversity by displacing native ecosystem engineers which deliver important benefits for other species and bolster both habitat
- [Wet Season’s end for Water Year 2025](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/04/27/wet-seasons-end-for-water-year-2025/) - By Jay Lund California’s Water Year runs from October 1 of the previous calendar year through September 30. California’s “wet” season is traditionally October 1 – April 1. The rest of the year (and often parts of the “wet” season) is usually dry. We can get major storms into April, but often not. So almost all of this
- [Newly Listed Smelt in the Delta](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/04/20/newly-listed-smelt-in-the-delta/) - By Karrigan Börk, John Durand, Nann Fangue, and Levi Lewis Late last summer, on August 29th, 2024, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service listed the San Francisco Bay-Delta distinct population segment of longfin smelt (Spirinchus thaleichthys) as ‘endangered’ under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). With this decision, the Longfin Smelt joins the Delta
- [UC Davis Give Day! Seeking Support for our Graduate Students](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/04/12/uc-davis-give-day-seeking-support-for-our-graduate-students/) - California WaterBlog is a long-running outreach project from the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences, a research center dedicated to interdisciplinary study of water challenges, particularly in California. We focus on environmentally and economically sustainable solutions for managing rivers, lakes, groundwater, and estuaries. This week, for UC Davis Give Day (April 11-12), we have a matching gift
- [A Conservation Footprint for Multiple Species of Wildlife in California Rice](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/04/06/a-conservation-footprint-for-multiple-species-of-wildlife-in-california-rice/) - By John M. Eadie, Daniel S. Karp, and Andrew L. Rypel Picture a farm. Only one crop type is grown over a vast field stretching to the horizon. Signs of modern agriculture are everywhere— tractors slowly driving by, fields engineered in neat squares, with millions of precisely spaced plants. All cues indicate much food will
- [Scientists find connections between California fishes and astrology ](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/04/01/scientists-find-connections-between-california-fishes-and-astrology/) - By Abby Deen Move over, Pisces, because you’re no longer the only astrological sign connected to fishes! Recent studies by fish ecologists have found links between the native and non-native fishes of California and astrological sun signs. The characteristics of the twelve zodiac signs align perfectly with those of particular inland fishes, measured through comparisons
- [Overlooked choices shape research outcomes: what do “researcher degrees of freedom” mean for how science informs policy?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/03/23/overlooked-choices-shape-research-outcomes-what-do-researcher-degrees-of-freedom-mean-for-how-science-informs-policy/) - By Jonathan A. Walter, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences Research results can depend not only on the data itself, but on how they are analyzed.1 This is importantly different from how stakeholders with different interests may interpret results differently, perhaps (consciously or subconsciously) motivated by their interest in the outcome. A recent study “Same
- [How Three (Fairly) Wet Winters Could Help California’s Salmon](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/03/09/how-three-fairly-wet-winters-could-help-californias-salmon/) - By Sarah Bardeen This piece originally appeared on the PPIC Blog, here. California has just experienced its third reasonably wet winter in as many years. How unusual is this? And how might three such winters in a row affect salmon? We interviewed Jeffrey Mount, senior fellow with the PPIC Water Policy Center, and Carson Jeffres, senior
- [We're Expanding! Follow the Center and WaterBlog on More Platforms](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/03/02/were-expanding-follow-the-center-and-waterblog-on-more-platforms/) - Great news! The Center for Watershed Sciences has expanded its social media presence, giving you more ways to stay connected and engaged with California WaterBlogs and our other new content. Take a look at all the places you can connect with us: https://linktr.ee/ucdaviswater The link includes our information for X/Twitter, Facebook, Mastodon, Bluesky, LinkedIn, YouTube,
- [Functional Flows are Good for California’s Native Fishes](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/02/23/functional-flows-are-good-for-californias-native-fishes/) - By Sarah Yarnell, Ethan Baruch, Andrew L. Rypel, and Rob Lusardi As California grapples with ongoing water management challenges, the question of “how much water to leave in streams” to support native fishes and aquatic species often arises. There is no easy answer to this question, as evidenced by the more than 200 environmental flow assessment methods that exist
- [How’s California’s water year developing? – early February 2025](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/02/09/hows-californias-water-year-developing-early-february-2025/) - by Jay Lund The first four months of California’s water year, which started in October 2024, have been wildly variable over the months and in different parts of the state. Every year, we never know what to expect of California’s wet season until it ends, usually in late March or early April. This year is
- [Jimmy Carter and Floodplain Management](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/02/02/jimmy-carter-and-floodplain-management/) - by Michael Mierzwa It is the tradition upon the passing of a US President for Federal employees to get a day off in mourning, and later for the President to lie in state in the Capital. Many stories about President Carter will circulate in the coming weeks, but I wanted to briefly share his connection
- [Anticipating Increases in Flood Risk for Yolo County and its Native Fishes](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/01/26/anticipating-increases-in-flood-risk-for-yolo-county-and-its-native-fishes/) - by Peter Moyle Close relatives of mine live in Asheville, North Carolina. Retired professors, they chose to move there in part because of its pleasant climate. This quiet community was hit hard by Hurricane Helene, on September 27, 2024. The path the hurricane took through Asheville was unprecedented and heavy rains and flooding resulted in widespread treefalls,
- [California Water under a Trump Administration, Part 2 of 2](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/01/19/california-water-under-a-trump-administration-part-2-of-2/) - By Karrigan Börk Editor’s note: This is the second in a two-part series of blogs that examines how the incoming Trump Administration may—or may not—be able to change how water is managed in California. The first blog covered three issues: the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), updates of the Bay-Delta Water Quality Plans, and major infrastructure projects. The
- [Delta Ecosystem Threatened by Another Nonnative Mollusk](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/01/05/delta-ecosystem-threatened-by-another-nonnative-mollusk/) - By Andrew Cohen and Peter Moyle One of the world's most invasive freshwater mussels has arrived in North America. The Golden Mussel (Limnoperna fortunei), discovered in the California Delta in October, is a voracious plankton feeder and may further reduce the food supply for Delta Smelt and other plankton-feeding fishes in low salinity environments. It
- [California Water under a Trump Administration, Part 1 of 2](https://californiawaterblog.com/2025/01/12/california-water-under-a-trump-administration-part-1-of-2/) - By Karrigan Börk Editor’s note: Interim Director Karrigan Börk appeared on the NPR show AirTalk a few weeks ago to address California water policy under a Trump administration; the segment starts at 18:00. This blogpost is the first of a 2 part series exploring the topic from a nonpartisan perspective with a goal of predicting likely outcomes
- [Happy Holidays! 🎊](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/12/29/happy-holidays-🎊/) - The blog is taking a holiday break, but we’ll return next Sunday! Don't forget that we’ve added a new Guest Submissions Page, making sharing your ideas with us easier. If you’ve been thinking about contributing a post to the California WaterBlog, now is the perfect time to check it out!
- [Dear Santa: A California Water Holiday Wish List](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/12/22/dear-santa-a-california-water-holiday-wish-list/) - by folks at UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences: Karrigan Börk, John Durand, Jay Lund, Christine Parisek, Andrew Rypel, Kathleen Schaefer, Jonathan Walter (authors listed alphabetically, and all are now PhDs. Congratulations to Doctors Parisek and Schaefer!) ‘Tis the season of gift-giving (and gift-seeking). So we thought a California Water Holiday wish list might be
- [Growing food for ducks and fish in seasonally flooded managed wetlands](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/12/15/growing-food-for-ducks-and-fish-in-seasonally-flooded-managed-wetlands/) - By Kyle Phillips, Alice Tung, Teejay O’Rear, John Durand In a recent publication in Freshwater Biology, UC Davis researchers found that waterfowl food-plants in managed wetlands of Suisun Marsh can boost plankton production by an order of magnitude compared to plants in open tidal habitats. Suisun Marsh is one of the largest tidal wetlands on the west coast
- [Not All Flood Maps are Created Equal](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/12/08/not-all-flood-maps-are-created-equal/) - By Indumati Roychowdhury, Kallee Bareket-Shavit, Ryan Miller, and Nicholas Pinter For assessing flood risk in California, not all flood maps are created equal. We compared FEMA’s flood maps to independent modeling, including climate-informed flood risk. This comparison illustrates very different pictures of flood risk, depending on the map used and how those maps were created,
- [Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/12/01/happy-thanksgiving-🦃/) - The blog is taking a break for the holiday, but we’ll be back next Sunday! In exciting news, we’ve added a new Guest Submissions Page, making sharing your ideas with us easier. If you’ve been thinking about contributing a post to the California WaterBlog, now is the perfect time to check it out! Enjoy the holiday!
- [Sacramento Perch: An Experiment in Unconventional Conservation? ](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/11/24/sacramento-perch-an-experiment-in-unconventional-conservation/) - By Lynette Williams Duman & Mason Rogers The forgotten panfish of the West Bluegill, redear sunfish, and largemouth bass: these species are familiar and, for many, elicit fond memories of fishing in warm waters on a hot summer's day. It is for this reason, and others, that California has introduced these sportfishes, and a myriad
- [Pathways to research: An interview with Jon Walter](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/11/17/pathways-to-research-an-interview-with-jon-walter/) - By Cathryn Lawrence This blog is the first in a series featuring interviews with scientists from the Center for Watershed Sciences to learn what sparked their passion to pursue a scientific research career. Kicking off the series we interview Jonathan Walter, a Senior Researcher and quantitative ecologist at CWS, who works on issues relating to the
- [October is Over – What it means for this water year and some other musings](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/11/10/october-is-over-what-it-means-for-this-water-year-and-some-other-musings/) - by Jay R. Lund October 2024, the first month of the 2025 Water Year, has been dry, the 16th driest October in 103 years of Northern California precipitation records. And the forecast for the next 10 days shows little for most of California. DWR has a nice map of this (see figure 1 to see
- [Sό Semente – Only a Seed](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/11/03/so-semente-only-a-seed/) - By Carson Jeffres, Gislene Torrente Vilara, Jansen Zuanon Seeds are often thought of as a start that will eventually grow into something larger than it originally started. In this case, the seed was a seed grant from UC Davis Global Affairs to develop a collaborative project with international partners working with a migratory fish along the
- [Lessons from the California Environmental Flows Framework and Opportunities for Chile](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/10/20/lessons-from-the-california-environmental-flows-framework-and-opportunities-for-chile/) - By Camila Boettiger, Karrigan Börk, Roberto Ponce Oliva, Diego Rivera, Jay Lund, and Sarah Yarnell Managing waterways for ecosystems with minimal loss to existing water uses is increasingly difficult. As we’ve discussed in the first two blogs in this series (here and here, now with Spanish language translations), California and Chile both struggle with this challenge. Both
- [A Functional Flows approach for Environmental Flows in Chile](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/03/10/a-functional-flows-approach-for-environmental-flows-in-chile/) - by Sarah Yarnell, Diego Rivera Salazar, Camila Boettiger, and Jay Lund Countries, regions, and river basins globally are struggling to provide and manage flows in rivers for ecosystems. One approach, of many, is a Functional Flows approach, because it seeks to provide a range of streamflows over the year and between years to support fundamental
- [Minimum Flow Laws in California and Chile](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/02/25/minimum-flow-laws-in-california-and-chile/) - By Camila Boettiger, Karrigan Börk, Roberto Ponce Oliva, Diego Rivera, Jay Lund, and Sarah Yarnell California and Chile share a history of water allocation with little regard for instream uses of water, especially environmental uses. In California, for example, many water rights were obtained with no consideration of the environmental impacts of the water use,
- [Black Bass Diversity in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/10/13/black-bass-diversity-in-california/) - By Peter B. Moyle and Andrew L. Rypel When both of us began studying the freshwater fishes of California, we independently discovered most fishes found in reservoirs and other highly altered habitats belonged to non-native species. Anglers and many fishery managers had pretty much accepted the reality that freshwater recreational fisheries are focused on non-native
- [The foodscape – (re) connecting salmon to the productive capacity of their watersheds](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/10/06/the-foodscape-re-connecting-salmon-to-the-productive-capacity-of-their-watersheds/) - By Gabriel J. Rossi, J. Ryan Bellmore, Jonathan B. Armstrong, Carson Jeffres, Sean M. Naman, Stephanie M. Carlson, Theodore E. Grantham, Matthew J. Kaylor, Seth White, Jacob Katz, Mary E. Power In 1927, the famous ecologist Charles Elton (when he was 27 years old) set the stage for the modern ecological study when he published his
- [Happy New Water Year 2025! – Wet, dry, or just plain weird?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/09/29/happy-new-water-year-2025-wet-dry-or-just-plain-weird/) - by Jay Lund and Alvar Escriva-Bou October 1 marks the beginning of the new Water Year in California. Water years here run from October 1 until September 30 of the next calendar year, and are named for the calendar year of the bulk of the water year (January-October). It is a good time to reflect
- [Watching native fishes vanish](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/09/01/watching-native-fishes-vanish/) - By Andrew L. Rypel and Peter B. Moyle It's an odd, disturbing feeling – watching populations of native fish species collapse and then disappear. Sometimes it happens quickly, other times it's a series of slowstep change events. The end result is the same though – smaller populations, extinctions, less biodiversity. We put up a little
- [How Better Data is Helping to Improve Water Management in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/09/22/how-better-data-is-helping-to-improve-water-management-in-california/) - By Spencer Cole Careful stewardship is key for managing California’s highly sought-after water resources, but a lack of reliable data hampers this goal. That’s beginning to change, however, thanks to two things: technological advances and the passage of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), which celebrates its 10th anniversary this month. SGMA has made waves in the
- [Ash in the Rivers: The Unexplored Consequences of Post-Wildfire Runoff on Freshwater Fish](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/09/15/ash-in-the-rivers-the-unexplored-consequences-of-post-wildfire-runoff-on-freshwater-fish/) - By Garfield Kwan & Christine Parisek Wildfires have become a hot topic. Although wildfires are a natural part of some ecosystems (e.g. the chaparral biome), megafires (fires that burn >100,000 acres of land) are becoming increasingly common as the climate continues to warm and droughts intensify. As of late, California’s fourth largest wildfire, the 2024 Park fire, charred
- [Exploring Equity in California Water Rights: A Historical Perspective](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/09/08/exploring-equity-in-california-water-rights-a-historical-perspective/) - By Audrey Cho This blog post highlights my undergraduate thesis at UC Davis titled Water, Land, and Power: The Legacy of Asian American Exclusion in the California Water Rights System. This blog post sheds light on historical injustices perpetuated by systems of state water management. Its content is informed by interviews with Japanese farmers as
- [You’re invited to the Bay-Delta Science Conference from September 30-October 2, 2024 at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center in downtown Sacramento](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/08/25/youre-invited-to-the-bay-delta-science-conference-from-september-30-october-2-2024-at-the-safe-credit-union-convention-center-in-downtown-sacramento/) - by Miranda Bell-Tilcock The Bay-Delta Science Conference (BDSC) is just around the corner! The last BDSC was fully virtual in 2021, so we are very excited to see everyone at the first in-person conference since 2018. Just like in 2018, we will be at the Convention Center in downtown Sacramento, but it won’t be the
- [Systematic assessments of non-native fishes in the San Francisco Estuary](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/08/18/systematic-assessments-of-non-native-fishes-in-the-san-francisco-estuary/) - By Lynette Williams Duman, Elsie Platzer, and John Durand An invaded estuary There is widespread concern about the effect of introduced species on native species. The San Francisco Estuary (SFE) is a highly invaded system (Cohen and Carlton 1995), with a mix of native and introduced species that didn’t evolve together. Humans introduced non-native species in a
- [The Delta Smelt Controversy in Sociological Perspective](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/08/11/the-delta-smelt-controversy-in-sociological-perspective/) - By Caleb Scoville The Delta Smelt is a small, endangered fish that lives exclusively in the heart of the state’s water distribution system, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. At times, regulations to protect smelt affect conveyance of water to 35 million Californians and the state’s multi-billion-dollar agricultural industry. As Peter Moyle put it in a 2022 post,
- [Tough Fish in a Harsh Place: Red Hills Roach](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/08/04/tough-fish-in-a-harsh-place-red-hills-roach/) - by Peter B. Moyle *This is a repost of a blog originally published in 2019. Red Hills Roach are small (adults are 60-70 mm in total length) bronzy minnows that live in a challenging environment. They survive in a few small streams that start as seeps in a hot dry landscape, the serpentine outcrops of
- [When Rivers Run Dry](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/07/28/when-rivers-run-dry/) - By Ted Grantham, Stephanie Carlson, and Albert Ruhi As we move into the full swing of summer, water managers are paying close attention to the remaining snowpack in the Sierra Nevada. Each year, water from melting snow flows into rivers, creating important environmental cues for native freshwater species and filling reservoirs, just as agricultural water demands peak
- [10 Lessons from a Collaborative Modeling Approach to discussing more adaptive Lake Powell and Lake Mead operations](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/07/21/10-lessons-from-a-collaborative-modeling-approach-to-discussing-more-adaptive-lake-powell-and-lake-mead-operations/) - by David E. Rosenberg Water models serve a variety of purposes. Stakeholders and managers use models to simulate the effects of new possible management operations decades into the future. Models can quantify tradeoffs between stakeholder’s conflicting objectives. Models can also help stakeholders understand how their system works. In a recent study, I created a new
- [Conserving California’s Freshwater Biodiversity Under Climate Change](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/07/14/conserving-californias-freshwater-biodiversity-under-climate-change/) - By Ted Sommer and Jeffrey Mount Introduction The conservation of freshwater biodiversity has emerged as a global challenge. The loss of habitat and the changing climate are reducing the viability of native freshwater species worldwide—and California is no exception to this. For decades the state has struggled to protect its native species. Today, roughly half of California’s native
- [Amazing Invader: American Shad](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/06/30/amazing-invader-american-shad/) - By Peter Moyle The California Fish Commission introduced American Shad into California in 1871 via milk crates shipped on the newly built transcontinental railroad (Dill and Cordone 1997). Shad, apparently the first non-native fish species (of 50) to become established in the state, were so well suited to California that in a few years, shad
- [Bill Bennett: friend of fish and fisheries in the San Francisco Estuary](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/05/19/bill-bennett-friend-of-fish-and-fisheries-in-the-san-francisco-estuary/) - by Peter Moyle William A. Bennett (1955-2024) was a top-notch scientist/biologist who spent much of his career improving our understanding of the ecology and management of native and non-native fishes in the SF Estuary (SFE) especially delta smelt and striped bass. Those of us who had the good fortune to work with him knew Bill as an insightful
- [Book Review: Seek Higher Ground](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/05/12/book-review-seek-higher-ground/) - by Peter Moyle Seek Higher Ground: The Natural Solution to Our Urgent Flooding Crisis, by Tim Palmer. University of California Press 2024. Flooding is a natural phenomenon that we humans keep assuming can be controlled with enough effort and engineering. But this simply is not possible, as floods across the globe repeatedly demonstrate. People continue to
- [The Big Impact of Small Waters: Zooplankton Density Trends in the North Delta](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/06/16/the-big-impact-of-small-waters-zooplankton-density-trends-in-the-north-delta/) - By Kim Luke & John Durand Zooplankton and their history in the San Francisco Estuary Zooplankton are tiny aquatic organisms unable to swim against currents; they include microscopic crustaceans, small jellyfish, and larval life stages of other organisms (Figure 1). Although zooplankton are small in size, they have a big impact on the food web
- [Salmon and the Subsurface](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/06/09/salmon-and-the-subsurface/) - By David Dralle, Gabe Rossi, Phil Georgakakos, Jesse Hahm, Daniella Rempe, Monica Blanchard, Mary Power, Bill Dietrich, and Stephanie Carlson You’ve probably noticed that some streams flow year-round while others are seasonally dry, despite receiving similar amounts of rainfall. Through a recent NSF-funded effort (“Eel River Critical Zone Observatory”), we learned several things about how
- [Adaptive Management Wheels](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/06/02/adaptive-management-wheels/) - by Jay Lund In practice, adaptive management wheels have squarish corners. In ideal adaptive management, there is a steady or periodic process for gathering performance and environmental data, analyzing that data in the context of an integrative computer model, discussions based on the analysis to determine the most promising adaptations of management to reflect this
- [Water Right Exactions](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/05/26/water-right-exactions/) - By Karrigan Börk Water right exactions are a proposed tool to mitigate costs associated with water rights and water infrastructure that would also help users make better decisions about how much water to use. But first, what are exactions? Exactions are a land use permitting tool used by cities and other permitting agencies to ensure developers
- [How to incentivize better groundwater use](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/05/05/how-to-incentivize-better-groundwater-use/) - by Ellen Bruno, Molly Bruce, and Katrina Jessoe For more than a century, parts of California have been using groundwater faster than the resource can be replenished. As a result, aquifers are dwindling—a mounting challenge for irrigators, communities, and ecosystems. The negative impacts of over-extraction include subsidence, shallower wells running dry, and water-quality deterioration. If overextraction remains
- [Roaches of California: Hidden Biodiversity in a Native Minnow](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/04/28/roaches-of-california-hidden-biodiversity-in-a-native-minnow/) - by Peter B. Moyle *This is a repost of a blog originally published in 2019. If you inspect small streams in northern California, including those that seem too small or warm for any fish, you will often see minnows swimming in the clear water. Chances are you are seeing a very distinctive native Californian, usually
- [Support our Students and Engagement at the Center for Watershed Sciences](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/04/19/support-our-students-and-engagement-at-the-center-for-watershed-sciences/) - California WaterBlog is a long-running outreach project from the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences, a research center dedicated to interdisciplinary study of water challenges, particularly in California. We focus on environmentally and economically sustainable solutions for managing rivers, lakes, groundwater, and estuaries. This week, for UC Davis Give Day (April 19-20) we’re sharing a
- [Mornings at the Duck Pond](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/04/14/mornings-at-the-duck-pond/) - By Andrew L. Rypel Each morning is similar, but different. As we approach the pond on the wooden catwalk, you can hear the birds calling, eventually you start to smell the freshness of the ecosystem, the glitters and splashing ahead gives some indication of bird activity on the water. Sometimes an alligator lizard scoots past
- [Spinning Salmon in the Classroom](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/04/07/spinning-salmon-in-the-classroom/) - by Abigail Ward and Peggy Harte Salmon face many stressors that significantly reduce their survival. Persistent challenges include habitat degradation, predation, pollution, and climate change that threaten already at-risk populations. Conservation efforts in California engage with the complexity of these stressors, yet in recent years, a new threat has emerged to salmon restoration in the
- [Manifesting Successful Aquatic Restoration](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/04/01/manifesting-successful-aquatic-restoration/) - by E.J. Baybe-Mahn Successful aquatic restoration traditionally comes from extensive research and knowledge of the system, collaboration among stakeholders, and thorough planning. But what if there was another way to ensure restorations are creating the results we want to see? With increasing effects of climate change, urbanization, and other anthropogenic factors, aquatic organisms, especially ones
- [California’s March Water Madness](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/03/24/californias-march-water-madness/) - by Jay Lund March is usually the last month in California’s mostly unpredictable wet season. A dry March can make a promising water year disappointing. A very wet March can make a potentially critically dry year be only mildly dry, like the “Miracle March” of 1991 (with three times average March precipitation). Unlike basketball, nobody
- [Love Alpaugh: Celebrating the life and legacy of Sandra Meraz](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/03/17/love-alpaugh-celebrating-the-life-and-legacy-of-sandra-meraz/) - By Kristin Dobbin “Some people say Alpaugh is the stepchild of Tulare County; I say we’re the forgotten ones. Rural families are an endangered species.” - Sandra Meraz, Dec 2014 in the LA Times When Alexandrina “Sandra” Meraz arrived in Alpaugh in the Spring of 1963 at the age of 22, one of the first
- [Some curious things about water management](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/03/03/some-curious-things-about-water-management/) - By Jay R. Lund *This is a repost of a blog originally published in 2012. Water management is often very different from what we think intuitively, or what we have been taught. Here are some examples. 1. Most water decisions are local. Water policy and management discussions often seem to assume that state and federal
- [Can large dams help feed downstream ecosystems?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/02/18/can-large-dams-help-feed-downstream-ecosystems/) - By Francisco J. Bellido-Leiva, Nicholas Corline, and Robert A. Lusardi About 1,500 dams obstruct, modify, and regulate flow in all but one of California’s major rivers. These dams provide Californians with reliable drinking and irrigation water, flood protection for low-lying communities, and hydropower for our electrical grid. But dams also threaten downstream ecosystems by severely disrupting
- [Seven conservation lessons I learned in government work](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/02/12/seven-conservation-lessons-i-learned-in-government-work/) - By Andrew L. Rypel *this is a repost of a blog originally published in 2020. Before joining the faculty at UC Davis, I spent the previous five years as a research scientist at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in Madison, Wisconsin. Apparently this experience is somewhat rare among academics. A peer even once described
- [Green Sturgeon aren’t Salmon: Updated life cycle models for management](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/02/04/green-sturgeon-arent-salmon-updated-life-cycle-models-for-management/) - by Erin E Tracy, Jon A. Walter, Karrigan Bork, Anna Steel, Francisco J Bellido-Leiva, Scott Colborne, Sarah Yarnell Over 65 million years ago, as Tyrannosaurus rex roamed the great plains, green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) were already roaming the world’s waters. While these ancient fish survived the fall of dinosaurs, they are now in danger of
- [Even when most of California is dry doesn’t mean we can’t have floods](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/01/28/even-when-most-of-california-is-dry-doesnt-mean-we-cant-have-floods/) - by Jay Lund Every water year is different in California, and in any water year, local and regional experiences often differ. California is a large state, far larger than most storm systems and atmospheric rivers with large topographic differences, so some parts of California are usually wetter or drier than others. Part of the rationale
- [How’s California’s water year developing? – January 2024](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/01/21/hows-californias-water-year-developing-january-2024/) - by Jay Lund The first few months of California’s water year, which started in October 2023, have been pretty dry. We never know what to expect of California’s wet season until it ends, usually in late March. This year is no exception. Precipitation in California is almost uncorrelated from year to year (even with El
- [Dam-Failure Flood Risk in California: How to Manage Low-Probability Hazards](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/01/14/dam-failure-flood-risk-in-california-how-to-manage-low-probability-hazards-2/) - by Kallee Bareket-Shavit, Ryan Miller, and Nicholas Pinter Every year, damaging floods strike somewhere around the world, including sometimes in California like during winter 2022-23. Even a house with just a 1% chance of flooding each year (by the so-called “100-year flood”) has a 26% chance of inundation over a 30-year mortgage. Other natural hazards
- [A Functional Flows approach to implementing Flood-MAR](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/01/08/a-functional-flows-approach-to-implementing-flood-mar/) - by Bronwen Stanford, Julie Zimmerman, Kris Taniguchi-Quan, Ted Grantham, Sarah Yarnell, Alyssa Obester, Eric Stein, Jessi Ayers, Alex Milward As recent droughts have highlighted, groundwater overuse is a serious problem in California. Overdraft is drying shallower domestic and municipal wells, dewatering groundwater dependent ecosystems (Rohde et al. 2021), and necessitating expensive infrastructure repairs. As climate
- [A Functional Flows approach to implementing Flood-MAR](https://californiawaterblog.com/2024/01/08/a-functional-flows-approach-to-implementing-flood-mar-2/) - by Bronwen Stanford, Julie Zimmerman, Kris Taniguchi-Quan, Ted Grantham, Sarah Yarnell, Alyssa Obester, Eric Stein, Jessi Ayers, Alex Milward As recent droughts have highlighted, groundwater overuse is a serious problem in California. Overdraft is drying shallower domestic and municipal wells, dewatering groundwater dependent ecosystems (Rohde et al. 2021), and necessitating expensive infrastructure repairs. As climate
- [Science seen from different perspectives](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/12/17/delta-science-seen-from-different-perspectives/) - by Jay Lund The awe-inspiring Phil Isenberg used to talk about differences in culture between science and policy as being akin to the two cultures of scholarship discussed by C.P. Snow - science and humanities. It is hard for one mind to deeply appreciate the variety and importance of many ways of thinking, and more
- [California water ideas that deserve more attention](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/12/10/california-water-ideas-that-deserve-more-attention/) - By Peter B. Moyle, Karrigan Börk, Christine A. Parisek, Fabian A. Bombardelli, Jay Lund, and Andrew L. Rypel A panel blog Water systems run on ideas, among many other things. Water ideas are frequently discussed for improving and adapting California management to meet current and future challenges. Some ideas seem to receive too much attention,
- [Retirement - an optimal stopping problem](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/12/03/retirement-an-optimal-stopping-problem/) - by Jay Lund By age 66, one realizes that, empirically, the great ride of life and a career will likely end within a few decades. One recounts the longevity (or not) of one’s relatives. Major long-term commitments look riskier. One observes examples of people who prepared well and poorly for their decline and passing. One
- [California’s Amazing Terminal Lakes](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/11/26/californias-amazing-terminal-lakes/) - By Peter B. Moyle When Californians talk of lakes, they usually mean reservoirs, the 1500 or so artificial bodies of water behind dams. Alternately, they may be referring to the 4,000 or so natural lakes in the Sierra Nevada or to one of the few large natural lakes in the state, such as Lake Tahoe
- [Schooling Fish: Behind the Scenes of Putah Creek Fish Sampling](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/11/19/schooling-fish-behind-the-scenes-of-putah-creek-fish-sampling/) - By Christine A. Parisek, Peter B. Moyle, Joshua Porter, and Andrew L. Rypel It’s a curious thing, teaching a classroom of future fish conservationists about revitalizing degraded ecosystems. Putah Creek was an unconventional place to teach ecology. After the creek turned bad, it stayed that way for decades – deteriorated habitat, nonexistent flow, garbage, rusted cars,
- [Crawdads: Naturalized Californians](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/11/12/crawdads-naturalized-californians/) - By Peter Moyle *this is a repost of a blog originally published in June 2020. Crayfish, crawdads, crawfish: whatever you call them, they are everywhere in California’s waters and are as tasty as their lobster relatives. They are especially familiar to anglers who peer into the maw of a bass or pikeminnow or flush their
- [Reallocating Environmental Risk](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/11/05/reallocating-environmental-risk/) - By Karrigan Bork & Keith Hirokawa [X-posted from Environmental Law Prof Blog] Living the good life has often meant finding ways to allow for growth and construction while ostensibly protecting the natural environment on which we depend. Want to build a housing development, but there’s a wetland in the way? Mitigate the harm by building
- [California Enacts Major Water Law Reform Legislation–But More Changes Are Needed](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/10/22/california-enacts-major-water-law-reform-legislation-but-more-changes-are-needed/) - By Richard M. Frank Note: this blog is a cross-post first published on Legal Planet. The California Legislature has enacted and Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed into law SB 389, an important water law reform measure authored by State Senator Ben Allen. California has one of the most antiquated and outdated water rights systems of
- [Strategic Decision Making for Dam Removal Planning](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/10/15/strategic-decision-making-for-dam-removal-planning/) - By Suman Jumani, Ted Grantham, Lucy Andrews, Jeanette Howard California has a dam problem. Since the start of the 20th century, the state has built thousands of dams on its rivers and streams. Now, more than 75% of the largest dams (totaling over 900) are greater than 50 years old, and the mean age is
- [Happy New Water Year 2024!  - from 2023’s wild ride to the wilderness of 2024](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/10/08/happy-new-water-year-2024-from-2023s-wild-ride-to-the-wilderness-of-2024/) - by Jay Lund October 1 marked the beginning of the new Water Year in California. Water years here run from October 1 until September 30 of the next calendar year, and are named for the calendar year of the bulk of the water year (January-October). It is a good time to reflect on the last
- [The myth of normal river flow: Drought, floods, and management of California’s rivers](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/10/01/the-myth-of-normal-river-flow-drought-floods-and-management-of-californias-rivers/) - By Julie Zimmerman, Jennifer Carah, Kirk Klausmeyer, Bronwen Stanford, Monty Schmitt, Mia Van Docto, Mary Ann King, and Matt Clifford Is California still experiencing drought? Even after a winter of record rainfall and snowpack, followed by a tropical storm, this is still an important question. And if you read the headlines, the answer is…yes and
- [Evolution of Drought Response and Resilience in California’s Cities](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/09/24/evolution-of-drought-response-and-resilience-in-californias-cities/) - By Erik Porse Drought is a regular event in California. In recent decades, California has experienced five prolonged drought periods (1976-77, 1987-1992, 2007-09, 2011-16, 2020-22). Urban water agencies have responded with investments in supply and demand management measures, which have made California’s cities more resilient to drought effects. What motivated these investments? Our current habits
- [Putah Creek’s rebirth: a model for reconciling other degraded streams?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/07/08/putah-creeks-rebirth-a-model-for-reconciling-other-degraded-streams/) - By Emily Jacinto, Nann A. Fangue, Dennis E. Cocherell, Joseph D. Kiernan, Peter B. Moyle, and Andrew L. Rypel It’s hard to look at native fishes in Putah Creek and not grin a little. Be it a Sacamento Pikeminnow (below), a Sacramento Sucker, a Tule Perch, or even a Chinook Salmon - Putah Creek has
- [Future Ancestors of Freshwater Fishes in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/09/17/future-ancestors-of-freshwater-fishes-in-california/) - By Peter B. Moyle The Challenge We are living in the Anthropocene, an era being defined by global mass extinctions caused by humanity. While on-going and impending extinctions of birds and other terrestrial vertebrates gain the most attention, the situation with freshwater fishes (and other freshwater organisms) is as bad or worse, partly because many
- [Hidden links between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems: part 3 – Eel River](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/09/10/hidden-links-between-aquatic-and-terrestrial-ecosystems-part-3-eel-river/) - By Nicholas Wright This blog is the third and final of a three part series on ecological subsidies that appeared throughout summer ’23. In California’s north coast, the Eel River winds its way through hills with shady slopes carpeted in lush ferns and towering redwoods and sunny ridges covered in brushy chaparral. The South Fork
- [Wetlands on the Edge](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/09/03/wetlands-on-the-edge/) - By Andrew L. Rypel It’s really easy to overlook and undervalue wetlands. Some are small or just don’t look very important. Others are enormous, and cause flooding issues for homeowners and growers. Some might even think wetlands are gross, worry about mosquitos and vector borne illness, or have never experienced what it’s like to be
- [Portfolio Solutions for Water – Flood Management](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/08/27/portfolio-solutions-for-water-flood-management/) - by Jay Lund *this is a repost of a blog originally published in March 2019. The tweet below, shows slight (but still frightening) levee overtopping this week on Cache Creek, just north of Woodland, California. It also illustrates the combined operations of flood preparation and response, with a simultaneous floodplain evacuation order. Integrating a range
- [A "Peak" into California’s Alpine Lakes and their Food Webs](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/08/06/a-peak-into-californias-alpine-lakes-and-their-food-webs/) - By Christine A. Parisek “The Sierra Nevada is five hundred miles of rock put right. Granite freed by glaciers and lifted through clouds where water, frozen and fine, has scraped and washed it into a high country so brilliant it brings light into night.” – Willard Wyman Alpine lakes are fascinating ecosystems. They are recognized
- [Hidden links between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems: part 2 – Sacramento River](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/08/13/hidden-links-between-aquatic-and-terrestrial-ecosystems-part-2-sacramento-river/) - By Nicholas Wright Running through the Central Valley’s patchwork of yellow, green, and brown farmlands is the deep blue of California’s largest river–the Sacramento. Once a much wider river, meandering across the flat valley floor, the Sacramento has been straight-jacketed by steep earthen levees and confined to a more controlled channel. On either side of
- [Hidden links between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems: part 1 – Sierra Nevada lakes](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/07/16/hidden-links-between-aquatic-and-terrestrial-ecosystems-part-1-sierra-nevada-lakes/) - By Nicholas Wright This blog is the first in a three part series on ecological subsidies that will appear throughout summer and fall '23. It’s easy to think of aquatic and terrestrial organisms inhabiting entirely separate worlds–they experience distinct biophysical conditions, interact with different ecological communities, and are imperiled by divergent environmental threats. But there
- [Living with Extreme Floods in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/07/30/living-with-extreme-floods-in-california/) - by Peter Moyle, Jay Lund, Andrew L. Rypel, Carson Jeffres and Nicholas Pinter Floods and their consequences are a reality for many worldwide, including those living in California. This reality is evidenced by pictures of people stranded on roofs surrounded by water, people paddling down water-filled streets in makeshift boats, and farm fields and orchards
- [Marsh on the move: bringing environmental education into the classroom](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/07/23/marsh-on-the-move-bringing-environmental-education-into-the-classroom/) - By Josie Storm, Christine Parisek, Brian Williamshen, Caroline Newell, Sarah Yarnell, Kim Luke, Jake Shab, and Erin Tracy This spring, a group of researchers and students at the Center for Watershed Sciences (“Watershed”) organized a community engagement event at a local high school, with the help of our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity Committee. At Watershed,
- [Can Sacramento Valley reservoirs adapt to flooding with a warmer climate?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/06/25/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" (Willis et al. 2022). This work also shows there is also an important component about
- [Lake Tulare (and its fishes) shall rise again](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/04/16/lake-tulare-and-its-fishes-shall-rise-again/) - By Peter B. Moyle “Agriculture has claimed and taken away our former fishing conditions and we have but little water left for fish life within reach of the common people.” ~S.L.N. Ellis, 1922. “When nature provides more water than storage facilities can handle, the lake will rise like a soggy Phoenix from the supine countryside
- [Endangered Freshwater Fishes: Does California Lead the World?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/06/18/endangered-freshwater-fishes-does-california-lead-the-world/) - By Peter B. Moyle & Robert A. Leidy See Moyle and Leidy (2023) for much more detailed version of this essay. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108758826 Few things give the authors of this essay more pleasure than swimming in a California stream on a hot summer day, wearing a mask and snorkel, and observing diverse native fishes behaving naturally.
- [Facing the Dragon: California’s Nasty Ecological Debts](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/06/11/facing-the-dragon-californias-nasty-ecological-debts/) - By Andrew L. Rypel "Every time you borrow money, you're robbing your future self." ~N. Morris When I was younger, a close friend of mine struggled with a crippling debt. It was during that unique period shortly before and after college graduation. He had, in relatively short order, maxed out three credit cards, plus taken
- [Protecting California’s Aquatic Biodiversity in a Time of Crisis](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/05/03/protecting-aquatic-biodiversity-in-california/) - by Peter Moyle, Jeanette Howard, Ted Grantham “Nowhere is the biodiversity crisis more acute than in freshwater ecosystems” (Tickner et al. 2020) Weeks of being confined indoors under shelter-in-place orders increases our appreciation of the natural world. Walking and exercising outdoors, especially along a local stream like Putah Creek, is one of the best ways
- [Water Wasted to the Sea?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/06/04/water-wasted-to-the-sea-2/) - By James E. Cloern, Jane Kay, Wim Kimmerer, Jeffrey Mount, Peter B. Moyle and Anke Müeller-Solger This essay is a condensed version of one that appeared in the journal San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science (Vol. 15, Issue 2, Article 1), in July 2017. The complete article with references and author’s contact information can be found
- [Whiplash Again! - Learning from Wet (and Dry) Years](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/05/21/whiplash-again-learning-from-wet-and-dry-years/) - by Jay Lund, Deirdre Des Jardins, Kathy Schaefer “Old superlatives have been dusted off and new ones count to better describe the tragedy, damage, and trauma associated with the State’s latest ‘unusual’ weather experience.” DWR Bulletin 69-83, California High Water 1982-83, p.1 “California's climate has often been described as variable, inconsistent, and unpredictable. The meteorological
- [Monster Fish: Lessons for Sturgeon Management in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/05/14/monster-fish-lessons-for-sturgeon-management-in-california/) - By Peter B. Moyle & Andrew L. Rypel If you ever watched National Geographic television and are interested fishes and rivers, you likely have some familiarity with Dr. Zeb Hogan. He hosted a series of shows on giant freshwater fishes, called Monster Fish. He and a colleague also recently published a fascinating book (Hogan and
- [Tulare Basin and Lake - 2023 and their future](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/05/07/tulare-basin-and-lake-2023-and-their-future/) - by Jay Lund “The fact that our rivers have been relatively quiet during the last 40 years probably doesn’t mean anything; it’s just a statistical coincidence …. The problem is more psychological. We have become complacent. When we don’t experience a big flood for a while, we tend to forget just how big our floods
- [Fish are born free, but are everywhere in cages this spring](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/04/28/fish-are-born-free-but-are-everywhere-in-cages-this-spring/) - by Carson Jeffres, Eric Holmes, and Andrew Rypel State, federal, and local governments, water users, and the public are all concerned with the survival of salmon. Over decades, and especially recent years, most salmon runs have severely declined in California. Part of sustaining salmon populations is improving the survival and fitness of young salmon as
- [Contemplating the Carp](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/03/08/contemplating-the-carp/) - By Kim Luke and Brian Williamson The UC Davis Arboretum is a defining feature of the campus. Students, faculty, and ducks alike all enjoy the waterway that was once a part of Putah Creek. Many organisms call the Arboretum “home”, but one of recent interest is the non-native Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio). Originally native to
- [New science or just spin: science charade in the Delta](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/03/15/new-science-or-just-spin-science-charade-in-the-delta/) - By Karrigan Bork, Andrew L. Rypel, and Peter Moyle Science-based decision making is key to improved conservation management and a legal mandate in the US Endangered Species Act. Thus supporters of federal efforts to increase water exports from the Central Valley Project (CVP) and State Water Project (SWP) have claimed that these efforts are based
- [Black Lives Matter](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/06/01/black-lives-matter/) - We have elected to suspend our regular CalifornaWaterBlog.com posts for this week. Institutional racism is urgent and real, and should divert us from topics of California water at this time. The deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others are horrific, and the effects of a pandemic are disproportionately affecting communities of color. At
- [Initial Sampling of the Carp-DEUM Project](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/06/28/initial-sampling-of-the-carp-deum-project/) - By Kim Luke, John Durand, Rachel McConnell, Aaron Sturtevant, Nina Suzuki, Andrew L. Rypel This spring, the Carp-Dependent Urgent Management (Carp-DEUM) Project began its first round of sampling in the UC Davis Arboretum before the Covid-19 lockdown. The project has two planned phases; a population estimate of common carp (and other arboretum fishes) in the
- [Rockin' with the Rockfish](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/10/11/rockin-with-the-rockfish/) - By Andrew L. Rypel and Peter B. Moyle California is a spoil of natural resource riches. Most times, our California waterblog busies itself with important freshwater resources issues. Yet every now and again, it is refreshing and worth turning our attention to the spectacular diversity and mysteries of our Pacific Ocean. But freshwater is important
- [New insights into Putah Creek salmon](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/10/18/new-insights-into-putah-creek-salmon/) - by Malte Willmes, Anna Steel, Levi Lewis, Peter B. Moyle, and Andrew L. Rypel It's November 2016, and we're out in canoes on Putah Creek as part of the annual salmon survey. Just as we navigate our watercraft through a narrow river section using push poles, thorny blackberry bushes and trees begin to close in
- [Making "productive" assessments of California's ecosystems](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/12/13/making-productive-assessments-of-californias-ecosystems/) - by Andrew L. Rypel Conservation science and restoration ecology are challenging and interdisciplinary fields. Managing for ecological function necessitates focus on multiple scales of ecological organization while simultaneously integrating feedback loops with critical environmental drivers like temperature, flow and habitat change. This means scientists working on these issues can emerge from diverse areas of inquiry
- [Picture this research - a photo blog from the Center for Watershed Sciences](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/12/20/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 a photo and short description of their work. We hope you enjoy reading about us
- [A Swiss Cheese Model for Fish Conservation in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/01/24/a-swiss-cheese-model-for-fish-conservation-in-california/) - by Andrew L. Rypel, Peter B. Moyle, and Jay Lund We read with great interest Nicholas Chistakis’s piece outlining a “Swiss Cheese Model For Combating Covid-19” in the Wall Street Journal. Christakis presents a model for considering the individual steps needed to achieve a larger goal, and how each step should fit into a larger
- [Eat Prey Loon: lessons from juvenile loons in Wisconsin](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/02/14/eat-prey-loon-lessons-from-juvenile-loons-in-wisconsin/) - by Brian A. Hoover, Andrew L. Rypel and Walter H. Piper Do you remember when you first moved from home, and were completely on your own in new surroundings? How did you decide where to live, or which restaurants to try for the first time? Did you try places randomly, or did you seek familiar
- [Celebrating Black Scientists in Fisheries & Biology](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/02/28/celebrating-black-scientists-in-fisheries-biology/) - By Kim Luke, Christine Parisek, Rachelle Tallman, Marissa Levinson, Sarah Yarnell, Miranda Bell Tilcock, Andrew Rypel, and Jay Lund In honor of Black History Month, the Center for Watershed Sciences would like to highlight the contributions of Black scientists in our field. These prominent researchers have not only pushed the social and scientific boundaries of
- [Field courses help young people see the real world](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/03/28/field-courses-help-young-people-see-the-real-world/) - by Andrew L. Rypel It was perhaps unsurprising I wound up a field ecologist. Raised in Wisconsin, I spent almost all my childhood free time roaming largely unchaperoned in nature, pre-internet. It was there that I developed a deep love for nature, water and fish that would stay with me my whole life. It was
- [Do largemouth bass like droughts?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/05/02/do-largemouth-bass-like-droughts/) - By Andrew L. Rypel “The Delta is full of species that thrive in the lakes in southern Arkansas” ~Bill Bennett by Andrew Rypel As we rapidly enter another drought, long-standing questions on ecological impacts of increased temperatures, reduced water levels and flows re-emerge. This reality recently reminded me of some of my own previous work
- [Risk Rating 2.0: A first look at FEMA's new flood insurance system](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/09/19/risk-rating-2-0-a-first-look-at-femas-new-flood-insurance-system/) - By Ryan Miller, Peter Hansen, and Nicholas Pinter Risk Rating 2.0 has been called the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA)’s most significant reform in 50 years. Roughly 77% of customers of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) nationwide will see increases in their premiums, while the other ~23% will see reductions or no change. FEMA
- [Sometimes, studying the variation is the interesting thing](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/10/17/sometimes-studying-the-variation-is-the-interesting-thing/) - By Andrew L. Rypel As scientists, we’re trained to key in on ‘response variables’. In my case, fisheries scientists often examine how fish physiology, populations, communities or whole ecosystems react to various environmental drivers or human alteration. Unfortunately, variation in data is too frequently looked upon as a nuisance, an after thought, or worse -
- [Can one atmospheric river end California’s drought?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/10/31/can-one-atmospheric-river-end-californias-drought/) - By Andrew L. Rypel and Jay Lund Given the quantity and intensity of last week’s rain, an obvious question is: ‘Is the drought over?’ Alas, the answer is a resounding no. But, the data are interesting and worth thinking about in more detail. As of now, the 8 station index in the northern Sierra registers
- [Science of an underdog: the improbable comeback of spring-run Chinook salmon in the San Joaquin River](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/12/05/science-of-an-underdog-the-improbable-comeback-of-spring-run-chinook-salmon-in-the-san-joaquin-river/) - By Andrew L. Rypel, Gabriel Singer, and Nann A. Fangue “You can’t design a worse evolutionary strategy for the Anthropocene” There are many variants on this quote, and we’ve heard them often in reference to the status of native fishes in California and other freshwater organisms worldwide. Indeed, the statement rings true for Pacific salmon,
- [Defending ‘Rough Fish’](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/12/19/defending-rough-fish/) - by Andrew L. Rypel Have any of you ever reached a tipping point with some topic, issue, or bone-to-pick? Well, one benefit of being a tenured professor is the ability to speak up when you feel like the science or data call for it. And so, after many years of silent stewing, I finally decided
- [Rice & salmon, what a match!](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/02/13/rice-salmon-what-a-match/) - By: Andrew L. Rypel, Derrick J. Alcott, Paul Buttner, Alex Wampler, Jordan Colby, Parsa Saffarinia, Nann Fangue and Carson A. Jeffres Long-time followers of this blog may have tracked the evolution of our salmon-rice work for some time. The work originated most strongly with the “The Nigiri Project” in the early 2000s, building from important
- [Nature has solutions...What are they? And why do they matter?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/03/27/nature-has-solutions-what-are-they-and-why-do-they-matter/) - By Andrew L. Rypel California’s water problems are intense; so much so they are often referred to as ‘wicked’ for their extraordinary depth of complexity and general unsolvability. Yet it recently occurred to me that some of the better and more creative solutions often derive from one particular source - nature itself. Indeed, studies of
- [The Putah Creek Fish Kill: Learning from a Local Disaster](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/04/24/the-putah-creek-fish-kill-learning-from-a-local-disaster/) - By Alex Rabidoux, Max Stevenson, Peter B. Moyle, Mackenzie C. Miner, Lauren G. Hitt, Dennis E. Cocherell, Nann A. Fangue, and Andrew L. Rypel Putah Creek is a small stream located in the Central Valley that has been extensively modified to suit urban and agricultural water needs. Following ratification of the Putah Creek Accord in
- [A conservation bill you’ve never heard of may be the most important in a generation](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/05/22/a-conservation-bill-youve-never-heard-of-may-be-the-most-important-in-a-generation/) - by Andrew L. Rypel This blog is a short introduction to a lesser known federal bill that is one of the most significant pieces of fish and wildlife legislation in decades. In Spring of 2021, Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) and Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) introduced the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act. During July 2021, a separate
- [Considerations for Developing An Environmental Water Right in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/06/12/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 from California growers. Under California’s first-in-time, first-in-right water allocation system, senior water rights are filled
- [California’s continued drought](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/06/19/californias-continued-drought/) - By Andrew L. Rypel As California’s drought deepens, it is worth checking in on the status of water supplies and what might be in store for the rest of the summer, and beyond. What started with the promise of a wet water year, ended up dry, again. In January, the 8-Station Index showed precipitation totals
- [Unlocking how juvenile Chinook salmon swim in California rivers](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/07/10/unlocking-how-juvenile-chinook-salmon-swim-in-california-rivers/) - By Rusty C. Holleman, Nann A. Fangue, Edward S. Gross, Michael J. Thomas, and Andrew L. Rypel Despite years of study and thousands of research projects, some aspects of the biology of Chinook salmon remain altogether mysterious. One enduring question is how outmigrating salmon smolts behave and swim through our waterways to somehow find their
- [<strong>Two-way thinking in natural resource management</strong>](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/08/07/two-way-thinking-in-natural-resource-management/) - By Andrew L. Rypel “I have more confidence in the ability of institutions to improve their thinking than in the ability of individuals to improve their thinking” ~Daniel Kahneman It is long recognized that there are two dominant modes of thinking (Glatzeder 2011). New research and empirical data support the elemental interplay between these modes
- [Science Happens](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/09/11/science-happens/) - By Andrew L. Rypel The famous expression ‘Life Happens!’ has certainly been around awhile. It’s reserved as a sort of colloquialism, describing how someone’s life or life plans are completely upended by circumstances, usually because of seemingly random events. This summer, I've been reflecting on how these types of events also seem to occur in
- [Losing mussel mass - the silent extinction of freshwater mussels](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/10/09/losing-mussel-mass-the-silent-extinction-of-freshwater-mussels/) - by Andrew L. Rypel Note: this is a re-post from August 2020. Throughout my career I’ve spent some time studying the fascinating ecology and conservation issues of freshwater mussels (Fig. 1). For me, learning about mussels has fortified a recurring theme of the natural world - that everything is connected and that small changes in
- [Being patient and persistent with nature](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/10/16/being-patient-and-persistent-with-nature/) - By Andrew L. Rypel In the coming weeks, fall-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) will appear in Putah Creek again to spawn. The fact that any salmon spawn in Putah Creek is a small miracle, and testimony to the resilience of salmon and a small army of people that worked tirelessly to restore and care for
- [<strong>White sturgeon: is an ancient survivor facing extinction in California?</strong>](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/11/06/white-sturgeon-is-an-ancient-survivor-facing-extinction-in-california/) - by Andrea Schreier, Peter B. Moyle, Nicholas J. Demetras, Sarah Baird, Dennis Cocherell, Nann A. Fangue, Kirsten Sellheim, Jonathan Walter, Myfanwy Johnston, Scott Colborne, Levi S. Lewis, and Andrew L. Rypel Sturgeons belong to an ancient family of fishes that once lived alongside dinosaurs. This resilient group of fishes survived a meteor strike, shifting seas and continents,
- [Nature’s gift to nature in early winter storms](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/01/15/natures-gift-to-nature-in-early-winter-storms/) - By Jeffrey Mount, Peter B. Moyle, Andrew L. Rypel, and Carson Jeffres The current wet spell, made up of a parade of atmospheric rivers, is a welcome change from the last three years of record dry and warm conditions. For very good reasons, the focus during these big, early winter storms is first and foremost
- [Is the Drought Over? Reflections on California’s Recent Flood-Drought Combo](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/01/22/is-the-drought-over-reflections-on-californias-recent-flood-drought-combo/) - By Andrew L. Rypel, Jay Lund, and Carson Jeffres Early January was an unusually wild ride of atmospheric rivers. Nine sizable systems produced a train of storms beginning about New Years and lasting for several weeks across almost all of California. After three years of drought, the storms reminded us that California has flood problems
- [Green Sturgeon in California: Hidden Lives Revealed From Long-Term Tracking](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/02/12/green-sturgeon-in-california-hidden-lives-revealed-from-long-term-tracking/) - By Scott F. Colborne, Lawrence W. Sheppard, Daniel R. O'Donnell, Daniel C. Reuman, Jonathan A. Walter, Gabriel P. Singer, John T. Kelly, Michael J. Thomas, and Andrew L. Rypel You gotta respect fishes that have been around since the dinosaurs, such as the 27 described sturgeon species. Unfortunately, the majority of these fishes currently face
- [Will more wildfire and precipitation extremes mussel-out California’s freshwater streams?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/02/26/will-more-wildfire-and-precipitation-extremes-mussel-out-californias-freshwater-streams/) - By Andrew J. Lawrence and Andrew L. Rypel Apocalyptic scenes of wildfires and floods are now familiar to Californians. However, the ecological impacts from these events remain understudied in California and across the world. Gaps in awareness and understanding on the issue are especially intense for freshwater mussels, whose cryptic and sedentary life-histories belie their
- [This Drought is Dead – Long Live the Drought](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/03/26/this-drought-is-dead-long-live-the-drought/) - by Jay Lund and Andrew L. Rypel Floods and droughts are not opposites and can occur simultaneously. This occurs often in California and is especially well-illustrated this year. Floods, droughts, and water scarcity are different. Floods are too much water at a place and time, and we would often pay to reduce the water present
- [Hatcheries alone cannot save species and fisheries](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/04/30/hatcheries-alone-cannot-save-species-and-fisheries/) - By Andrew L. Rypel and Peter B. Moyle The photo is a common one (Fig 1). Large numbers of fish are being released into a river, stream or estuary - products of a fish hatchery. A politician or government leader looks on, or even participates in the release, says a few words, and then grabs
- [The Banality of Floods (and Droughts)](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/04/22/the-banality-of-floods-and-droughts/) - By Jay Lund California’s ongoing floods and very wet year overall will continue to grab headlines, provide great pictures, and break some local records, but overall this year is unlikely to be truly extreme from historical or broader water policy and management perspectives. It can still be a very useful wet year, beyond just having
- [Perspectives on DairyMAR](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/04/09/perspectives-on-dairymar/) - By Thomas Harter and Helen Dahlke Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) to not only store water but also to prevent unwanted flooding. In the recent executive order (N-4-23), governor Newsom provided a near-blanket permit for water managers to divert surface water from flooded streams toward groundwater recharge, an operation referred to as “managed aquifer recharge” (MAR
- [New methods emerging for water management in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/04/01/new-methods-emerging-for-water-management-in-california/) - by Elsa Cailleach Some of you might have noticed it’s been rainy outside lately - alot! Amazingly, the long-desired string of atmospheric rivers is now plaguing the previously drought-ridden state with more water than anyone knows what to do with! This blog reports on some interesting new methods of water capture and management emerging in
- [The rapid invasion of Mississippi silverside in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/03/19/the-rapid-invasion-of-mississippi-silverside-in-california/) - by Peter B. Moyle The Mississippi silverside (Menidia audens[1]) is one of the most abundant fishes in the San Francisco Estuary and in the fresh waters of California in general. As the name indicates, it is not native to the state but was introduced into Clear Lake, Lake County, in 1967, from which it quickly
- [Explaining water units to real people (who like basketball)](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/03/12/explaining-water-units-to-real-people-who-like-basketball/) - by Jay Lund It’s March madness once again as we try to explain water conditions in California to real people in the midst of additional basketball madness. We all enjoy and suffer with basketball. This commonality can make it a useful unit of volume among the many units of volume used for water. A basketball
- [Hiding in plain sight: newly described freshwater fishes from the Los Angeles area and elsewhere in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/03/05/hiding-in-plain-sight-newly-described-freshwater-fishes-from-the-los-angeles-area-and-elsewhere-in-california/) - By Peter B. Moyle, Nicholas Buckmaster, and Yingxin Su Lulu Miller in her wonderful 2020 book, Why Fish Don’t Exist, describes how fish exist to us humans only if they have been assigned proper names. The Santa Ana Speckled Dace is a local case in point. This small fish has been living in southern California
- [A Guide for New California Water Wonks](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/02/19/a-new-water-wonks-guide-to-california/) - by Jay Lund Water is a universal foundation for every problem and opportunity in California. Most people use it every day, yet even experts with decades of experience don’t know it all. (Alas, too many advocates and pundits almost don’t know it at all.) Welcome! Immense numbers of books and articles have been written on
- [DNA Unveils New Freshwater Fish Species in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/01/29/dna-unveils-new-freshwater-fish-species-in-california/) - By Peter B. Moyle & Matthew A. Campbell No doubt you have watched a crime show where DNA analysis reveals the identity of a victim or criminal. Or, you have read accounts of how Neanderthal genes are part of our DNA. It is still astonishing to think that such uses of DNA did not exist
- [Resistance is Futile - Agriculture is Key to Fixing Lower Colorado River Water Shortages](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/02/05/resistance-is-futile-agriculture-is-key-to-fixing-lower-colorado-river-water-shortages/) - by Jay Lund and Josué Medellin-Azuara The lower Colorado River has been out of balance for about 40 years, using more water than has been available. As their reservoirs empty, the three lower basin states, federal government, and water users are getting around to addressing this problem. The Colorado River reservoir system has immense storage
- [Drought and the Colorado River: Localizing Water in Los Angeles](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/01/08/drought-and-the-colorado-river-localizing-water-in-los-angeles/) - By Erik Porse and Stephanie Pincetl In October 2022, water agencies in Southern California with Colorado River water rights announced plans to reduce water diversions. The agencies offered voluntary conservation of 400,000 acre-feet per year through 2026. This annual total is nearly 10% of the state’s total annual usage rights for the Colorado River. The
- [California WaterBlog: 2022 In Review](https://californiawaterblog.com/2023/01/01/california-waterblog-2022-in-review/) - By Christine Parisek The California WaterBlog is completing its 11th year. As we enter 2023, we take a moment to to thank our many readers, partners, authors, and friends. The California WaterBlog’s central mission is to provide stimulating ideas and commentary on critical challenges of water issues, resource management, and ecosystem restoration, in a digestible
- [The Collapse of Water Exports – Los Angeles, 1914](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/12/29/the-collapse-of-water-exports-los-angeles-1914-2/) - This is a re-post from 2019 with updated links for pictures and further readings. by Jay Lund Collapse of Los Angeles aqueduct pipeline through Antelope Valley from a major flood in February, 1914 (3-months after the aqueduct's official opening) “In February, 1914, the rainfall in the Mojave Desert region exceeded by nearly fifty per cent
- [The Largest Estuary on the West Coast of North America](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/12/18/the-largest-estuary-on-the-west-coast-of-north-america/) - By Jeffrey Mount and Wim Kimmerer For decades the San Francisco Estuary, which includes San Francisco Bay and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, has been routinely described as “the largest estuary on the west coast of North America.” This appeared in publications of all types, presumably to emphasize the importance and unique nature of the estuary.
- [The 2020-2023 drought continues for a fourth year?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/12/11/the-2020-2023-drought-continues-for-fourth-year/) - by Jay Lund After three years of drought and two dry months, plus two wet weeks, into California’s “wet” season for 2023, California has become unsettlingly settled into this long drought. Most cities have decreased their water use, some more than others. Agricultural fallowing has been modest statewide, but large in the Sacramento Valley, with
- [Managing source water for maximum benefit in a challenging climate](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/12/04/managing-source-water-for-maximum-benefit-in-a-challenging-climate/) - By Amber Lukk and Ann Willis In drought-prone northern California, limited water resources, private water rights allocations, and inefficient transport and use of water resources causes tension between freshwater conservation and private landownership (Garibaldi et al. 2020, Vissers 2017). In the face of a changing climate, drought curtailments will likely become more frequent, ratchetting stress
- [<strong>The Flow of California Water Policy – A Chart</strong>](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/11/20/the-flow-of-california-water-policy-a-chart/) - by Jay Lund California water policy is often discussed and depicted as being impossibly complex. In its essentials, it can be seen much more simply, as in the flow chart below. Without extreme events (such as floods and droughts), the policy process would be simpler, but ironically less effective, and less well funded. California’s remarkable
- [<strong>Are native fishes and reservoirs compatible?</strong>](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/11/13/are-native-fishes-and-reservoirs-compatible/) - By Peter B. Moyle and Anna M. Sturrock The question addressed in this blog comes from a new PPIC report that calls for reforms in management of environmental water stored behind dams in California. The report shows it is possible to manage water in ways that are compatible with maintaining a natural ecosystem in streams
- [Spawning of the living dead: understanding how salmon pass thiamine deficiency to their young](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/10/30/spawning-of-the-living-dead-understanding-how-salmon-pass-thiamine-deficiency-to-their-young/) - By Abigail E. Ward and Miranda Bell-Tilcock This is no ordinary witch’s brew. It’s one part of the recipe to study thiamine deficiency in our California Central Valley Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) populations. In 2019, hatcheries noticed an eerie and shivering change in juvenile Chinook salmon. Offspring were laying on their side at the bottom
- [<a>Innovative Approaches for Flood Insurance Affordability</a>](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/10/23/innovative-approaches-for-flood-insurance-affordability/) - by Kathleen Schaefer People have been asking if Hurricane Ian will push the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) into an affordability crisis? Some argue the NFIP is already there. Two weeks ago, the Greater New Orleans, Inc.’s Coalition for Sustainable Flood Insurance (CSFI) reported that NFIP’s new pricing strategy makes NFIP insurance premiums unaffordable. The
- [People, Agriculture, and Water in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/06/21/people-agriculture-and-water-in-california/) - by Jay Lund Agriculture is California’s predominant use of managed water. Agriculture and water together are a foundation for California’s rural economy. Although most agriculture is economically-motivated and commercially-organized, the sociology and anthropology of agriculture and agricultural labor are basic for the well-being of millions of people, and the success and failure of rural, agricultural,
- [<strong>Happy New Water Year 2023!</strong>](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/10/02/happy-new-water-year-2023/) - by Jay Lund Happy New Water Year, 2023! (October 2022 – September 2023) The first New Year celebration for California’s water wonks is October 1, the beginning of the new Water Year, the nominal beginning of California’s wet season. California sometimes has its first big rain storm earlier, and sometimes later, but by convention the
- [Federal Disaster Assistance to California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/09/25/federal-disaster-assistance-to-california/) - By Ryan Miller and Nicholas Pinter Following a major flood or other natural disaster, the US federal government provides disaster assistance to individuals and local and state jurisdictions to help them recover. Over the past ~20 years, these federal payments have totaled nearly $150 billion (in 2020 dollars), including over $20 billion for recovery from Hurricane
- [Watershed Outreach - Summer 2022](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/09/18/watershed-outreach-summer-2022/) - With summer wrapping up and a new school year upon us, we decided it was a good time to reflect on outreach done by researchers at the Center for Watershed Sciences (CWS) at UC Davis. Some of the outreach was organized by the Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee while others took initiative and pursued
- [<strong>Dissecting the use of water management plans in California</strong>](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/08/07/dissecting-the-use-of-water-management-plans-in-california/) - By Nicola Ulibarri California uses plans as a primary tool for managing water throughout the state. Regulations like the Urban Water Management Planning Act of 1983, Regional Water Management Planning Act of 2002, Water Conservation Act of 2009, and Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014 require local water agencies to write plans documenting their available
- [You Can't Always Get What You Want - A Mick Jagger Theory of Drought Management](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/08/28/you-cant-always-get-what-you-want-a-mick-jagger-theory-of-drought-management-2/) - by Jay Lund [This is a reposting of a CaliforniaWaterBlog.com post from February 2016, near the end of the previous drought. For human uses, conditions seem somewhat similar to this point in the previous drought, so this perspective might be useful. A couple of more recent readings are added to this post.] “You can't always
- [<strong>The vortex of executive activity</strong>](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/08/14/the-vortex-of-executive-activity/) - by Jay Lund The graphic below seems to apply to any bureaucracy, with larger bureaucracies showing this tendency more strongly. In this vortex conception of management, one can often make more progress from the periphery than from the center of power. The center spins rapidly, always changing directions, but moving little in space. Those in
- [The Great Lakes and Invasive Species](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/07/31/the-great-lakes-and-invasive-species/) - This week’s CaliforniaWaterBlog post is an excerpt (Box 1) from a recent Delta Independent Science Board report on non-native species and the California Delta. This excerpt summarizes the experience of the Great Lakes, and how its physical and ecological management has led to waves of profoundly disruptive species invasions, resulting in a sequence of “novel”
- [Follow the Water!](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/07/24/follow-the-water/) - by Jay Lund People often have strange ideas about how water works. Even simple water systems can be confusing. When water systems become large complex socio-physical-ecological systems serving many users and uses, opportunities for confusion become extreme, surpassing comprehension by our ancient Homo sapien brains. When confused by conflicting rhetoric, using numbers to “follow the
- [Saving Clear Lake's Endangered Chi](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/07/17/saving-clear-lakes-endangered-chi/) - By Peter B. Moyle and Thomas L. Taylor ‘Tens of thousands of these fish once ascended streams in Spring. They are of major cultural importance to the Pomo people who harvested them as a valued food source.’ When you read statements like this, most likely it is salmon that come to mind. Yet this statement characterizes
- [Demystifying mist as a source of water supply](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/06/05/demystifying-mist-as-a-source-of-water-supply/) - By Jay Lund (originally posted in 2015) In some of the world’s driest places, atmospheric moisture is a major source of water for native ecosystems. Some algae, plants and insects in the Israeli and Namibian deserts get much of their water from fog, dew and humidity. The spines of some cacti species have evolved to collect fog droplets.
- [The Failed Recovery Plan for the Delta and Delta Smelt](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/05/29/the-failed-recovery-plan-for-the-delta-and-delta-smelt/) - By Peter Moyle Few native species are as controversial as Delta Smelt. It is a 3-4 inch translucent fish that lives only in the California Delta, where the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers meet. This place also happens to be the heart of California’s complex water supply system which provides fresh drinking water to 35-million
- [How engineers see the water glass in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/05/15/how-engineers-see-the-water-glass-in-california-5/) - This is another dry year. How do California’s engineers see a partially-full water glass? Mostly the same as they did in the original 2012 version of this post, but we’ve added a few more perspectives. by Jay R. Lund Depending on your outlook, the proverbial glass of water is either half full or half empty.
- [Five “F”unctions of the Central Valley Floodplain](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/05/08/five-functions-of-the-central-valley-floodplain/) - by Francheska Torres, Miranda Tilcock, Alexandra Chu, and Sarah Yarnell The Yolo Bypass is one of two large flood bypasses in California’s Central Valley that are examples of multi-benefit floodplain projects (Figure 1; Serra-Llobet et al., 2022). Originally constructed in the early 20th century for flood control, up to 75% of the Sacramento River’s flood flow can
- [Government Spending on Stormwater Management in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/05/01/government-spending-on-stormwater-management-in-california/) - By Erik Porse, Maureen Kerner, Brian Currier, David Babchanik, Danielle Salt, and Julie Mansisidor Stormwater infrastructure in cities is highly visible and serves to mitigate flooding and reduce pollution that reaches local waterbodies. Being so visible, it might be reasonable to assume that stormwater is adequately funded both in infrastructure and water quality management. Yet,
- [The 20th Anniversary of Another Good Idea: Ecogeomorphology](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/04/17/the-20th-anniversary-of-another-good-idea-ecogeomorphology/) - by Jeffrey Mount and Peter Moyle Several years ago on this site, we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Center for Watershed Sciences—what we termed a “really good idea.” That blog described the founding principles of the Center that live on today. A few years after starting the Center, we had a second really good
- [Why give away fish flows for free during a drought?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/04/10/why-give-away-fish-flows-for-free-during-a-drought/) - by Jay Lund, Ellen Hanak, Barton “Buzz” Thompson, Brian Gray, Jeffrey Mount and Katrina Jessoe This is a re-posting from 11 February 2014 (in the previous drought). With California in a major drought, state and federal regulators will be under pressure to loosen environmental flow standards that protect native fish. This happened in the 1976-77
- [Parr for the Course - Holistic Fish Conservation](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/04/01/parr-for-the-course-holistic-fish-conservation/) - by Nan Frobish April 1, 2022 Juvenile Chinook Salmon lack rearing habitat in the Central Valley due to pervasive land use change and altered hydrology. Historically, juvenile salmon (or parr) had access to roughly four million acres of seasonal floodplain which provided ideal growth conditions before transitioning to the ocean. Managed wetlands and flooded off-season
- [Drought Year Three in California, 2022](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/03/20/drought-year-three-in-california/) - by Jay Lund 2022 is another drought year, although we won’t know exactly how dry for about another month. Precipitation and snowpack this year in California are below average. In addition, the prolonged dry and warm months of January through March of this year’s “wet” season will have evaporated more water from watersheds and reduced
- [Between a rock and a dry place: effects of drought on stream drying patterns in California’s intermittent streams](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/03/13/between-a-rock-and-a-dry-place-effects-of-drought-on-stream-drying-patterns-in-californias-intermittent-streams/) - By Hana Moidu, Mariska Obedzinski, Stephanie Carlson, and Ted Grantham You may have heard the saying from the Ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus, “No man steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man.” If you walk along a coastal stream in California at the
- [Shift happens](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/03/06/shift-happens/) - By Miranda Bell-Tilcock, Rachel Alsheikh, and Malte Willmes Doing science is hard. Even in the best of times, it’s incredibly difficult, with many failures, mishaps, and disappointments along the road. More so than just smarts, perseverance, resilience, and teamwork are essential to seeing a project from initial field and lab studies to final conclusions. If
- [Approaches to Water Planning](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/02/27/approaches-to-water-planning/) - by Jay Lund “Structured decision-making” and “decision biases” are all the rage, but methods to structure and make better decisions have been common for centuries. A recent paper reviews structured approaches to water planning and policy discussions (Lund 2021). This blog post summarizes these approaches for practical water planning problems. Rational Planning “Rational” planning is
- [FEMA’s Community Rating System: Worth the Effort?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/02/20/femas-community-rating-system-worth-the-effort/) - by Jesse Gourevitch and Nicholas Pinter In response to growing threats of climate change, the US federal government is increasingly supporting community-level investments in resilience to natural hazards (Executive Order 14008, 2021; Lempert et al., 2018). As such federal programs become more widespread, evaluating their efficiency and effectiveness becomes essential. The Community Rating System (CRS),
- [California’s 2022 Water Year – Both Wet and Dry](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/02/06/californias-2022-water-year-both-wet-and-dry/) - by Jay Lund After two years of solid drought, and four months into California’s “wet” season, we don’t know if this year will be wet or dry. This is normal for California. But this year’s monthly precipitation “whiplash” is unusual. For northern California, October was the 2nd wettest October in 102 years of record
- [The Journey to Science Friday](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/01/30/the-journey-to-science-friday/) - by Miranda Bell Tilcock I published my first manuscript in January 2021, titled “Advancing diet reconstruction in fish eye lenses” in Methods in Ecology and Evolution. Publication and the subsequent press release led to quite the whirlwind of attention and interviews. The most notable was being featured on Science Friday. This was unexpected and the
- [Who governs California's drinking water systems?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/01/23/who-governs-californias-drinking-water-systems/) - By Kristin Dobbin and Amanda Fencl A key feature of California’s drinking water system is the large number of individual water systems. There are approximately 3,000 Community Water Systems (CWSs) in the state, meaning systems that serve a residential population year-round (the remaining 5,000 of the state’s 8,000 Public Water Systems are non-community systems serve
- [From buckets to umbrellas: fish conservation before the storm](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/01/16/from-buckets-to-umbrellas-fish-conservation-before-the-storm/) - By Alyssa Obester, Rob Lusardi, Sarah Yarnell, Ryan Peek, and Nick Santos Fish need water. While minimum flows and other emergency-response approaches might save some fishes during crises, such “bucket-based” approaches are insufficient in the long-term. For example, biologists in the Owens Valley saved the Owens pupfish from extinction by translocating individuals via buckets; however,
- [Continued drought early in a possibly wet year](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/01/09/the-current-drought-early-in-a-potentially-wet-year/) - by Jay Lund California’s 2021 calendar year is over, but its 2022 Water Year (which started October 2021) is already three months old and still early in its wet season. So far this wet season is actually wet. It is a good time to assess the condition of the present drought and whether it is
- [California Waterblog 2021 "Wrapped"](https://californiawaterblog.com/2022/01/02/california-waterblog-2021-wrapped/) - by Christine A. Parisek and Andrew L. Rypel “The wait is over. Your [California Waterblog 2021 Wrapped] is here.” As we embark on another new year, we reflect and earnestly thank all of our readers, partners, authors, and friends. Studying water management challenges is complex and requires vision, transdisciplinary thinking, team science, and motivated people.
- [A Fishmas Carol: Ghosts of Salmons' Pasts](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/12/26/a-fishmas-carol-ghosts-of-salmons-pasts/) - by Kelly Neal Here is a story not quite like the one you have heard before, but echoes a similar tune as traditional lore. California salmon are at a precipice with conservation attempting to mitigate threats of climate change, habitat loss, and genetic simplification. Yet today, we have the knowledge and tools to create a
- [A Recorded Conversation with Dr. Peter B. Moyle](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/12/12/a-recorded-conversation-with-dr-peter-b-moyle/) - With John Durand Dr. Peter Moyle was the main reason that I came to UC Davis fifteen years ago to study the confusing ecology of the San Francisco Estuary. Peter is a Distinguished Professor of Fish Biology, Emeritus, and one of the first people back in the 1970s to seriously study the diversity of California
- [How dry will 2022 be?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/11/28/how-dry-will-2022-be/) - by Jay Lund Last year, Northern California had very little precipitation in October and November, and we wondered if California was entering into a multi-year drought. Today, we know - last year became the 3rd driest year on record for northern California, in terms of precipitation. This water year, so far This year, Northern California
- [Adjusting past hydrology for changes in climate](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/11/21/adjusting-past-hydrology-for-changes-in-climate/) - by Jay Lund Segal's Law: “Someone with one watch knows what time it is. Someone with two watches is never sure.” Time is certain, but its estimation and measurement are uncertain, yet we are not in total ignorance. Many water management and regulation decisions require an understanding of current and future hydrology. These include regulatory
- [Which species will survive? Climate change enhances the vulnerability of California freshwater fishes to severe drought](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/11/14/which-species-will-survive-climate-change-enhances-the-vulnerability-of-california-freshwater-fishes-to-severe-drought/) - By Peter Moyle As I write this on an October weekend, rain is falling steadily in Davis and has been for most of the day. This is the first real rain we have had in over seven months. But it is not the end of the drought. Multiple storms are needed. The landscape is a
- [Managing Water Stored for the Environment During Drought](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/11/07/managing-water-stored-for-the-environment-during-drought/) - By Sarah Null, Jeffrey Mount, Brian Gray, Michael Dettinger, Kristen Dybala, Gokce Sencan, Anna Sturrock, Barton "Buzz" Thompson, Harrison "HB" Zeff Introduction Storing water in reservoirs is important for maintaining freshwater ecosystem health and protecting native species. Stored water also is essential for adapting to the changing climate, especially warming and drought intensification. Yet, reservoir
- [Fish eyes: the hidden diet journal](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/10/24/fish-eyes-the-hidden-diet-journal/) - by Miranda Bell-Tilcock It is strange to think of an eye as a diet journal, but a fish's eye can tell much about what it has been eating at each point in its life. If we know what a fish has been eating and when, then we can figure out where a fish has been.
- [Episode 2: "Unraveling the Knot" Water Movement in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta - Tidal Forces](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/10/10/episode-2-unraveling-the-knot-water-movement-in-the-sacramento-san-joaquin-delta-tidal-forces/) - By William Fleenor, Amber Manfree, and Megan Nguyen Tides are the biggest driver of Delta flows, and in Episode 2 we look at their impacts in different locations under a variety of inflow conditions. Tides have a twice-daily cycle in the region, with a range of about six feet at Martinez. In the first part
- [The Big California Drought Stories of 2021](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/10/03/the-big-california-drought-stories-of-2021/) - by Jay Lund Happy New Water Year! October 1, 2021 is the beginning of the 2022 water year in California, the traditional beginning of California’s “wet season”, such as it will be. Although there are many fine and interesting stories from California’s current drought, so far, a few stories seem more important and worth summarizing
- [Could California weather a mega-drought?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/09/12/could-california-weather-a-mega-drought-2/) - By Jay Lund "Mega-drought" has become a frightful "thing" in public and media discussions. In the past 1,200 years, California had two droughts lasting 120-200 years, "megadroughts" by any standard. Could the state’s water resources continue to supply enough water to drink, grow crops and provide habitat for fish with such an extreme, prolonged drought
- [Developing tools to model impaired streamflow in streams throughout California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/09/26/developing-tools-to-model-impaired-streamflow-in-streams-throughout-california/) - by Jeanette Howard, Kirk Klausmeyer, Laura Read, and Julie Zimmerman Droughts are extreme, but not necessarily extreme events -- at least not in the way we humans usually experience events as discrete, episodic occurrences. Droughts are continuous and exhausting; they can come out of nowhere and take us on a rollercoaster of waiting for precipitation
- [Lessons from Three Decades of Evolution of Cropland use in the Central Valley](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/09/05/lessons-from-three-decades-of-evolution-of-cropland-use-in-the-central-valley/) - by José M. Rodríguez-Flores, Spencer A. Cole, Alexander Guzman, Josué Medellín-Azuara, Jay R. Lund, Daniel A. Sumner California’s Central Valley is the source of more than $30 billion of farm value. It produces more milk than any state outside California, and dominates national production of dozens of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts and rice. The valley
- [Dammed hot: California's regulated streams fail cold-water ecosystems](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/08/29/dammed-hot-californias-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 them under any conditions? New research shows how current stream management fails to provide the
- [2021 Drought in California - in one page](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/08/22/2021-drought-in-california-in-one-page/) - by Jay Lund Droughts and this drought in California California has more hydrologic variability than any state in the US, meaning that we have more drought and flood years per average year than any other state. This is a problem, but has also meant that we have designed for droughts, which are always testing us.
- [Living with non-native fishes in California requires using the right words](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/08/08/living-with-non-native-fishes-in-california-requires-using-the-right-words/) - by Peter Moyle Everywhere you go in California, people live in landscapes where non-native species are conspicuous: European grasses turning the hills golden, earthworms tilling our garden soil, exotic trees providing shade, bullfrogs jumping into backyard ponds, starlings making tight maneuvers overhead. In this blog, I want to describe the language of our relationships with
- [The California Water Model: Resilience through Failure](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/08/01/the-california-water-model-resilience-through-failure-2/) - by Nicholas Pinter, Jay Lund, Peter Moyle This is a slightly-edited re-posting from May 5, 2019. A review of 170 years of water-related successes in California suggests that most successes can be traced directly to past mistakes. California's highly variable climate has made it a crucible for innovations in water technology and policy. Similar water
- [The California Water Model: Resilience through Failure](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/05/05/the-california-water-model-resilience-through-failure/) - by Nicholas Pinter, Jay Lund, Peter Moyle A review of 170 years of water-related successes in California suggests that most successes can be traced directly to past mistakes. California's highly variable climate has made it a crucible for innovations in water technology and policy. Similar water imperatives have led to advances in water management in
- [Experimental Habitats for Hatchery Delta Smelt](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/07/25/experimental-habitats-for-hatchery-delta-smelt/) - by Peter Moyle The Delta smelt is either extinct in the wild or close to it; in the past year only a handful have been caught, with great effort. In contrast, the UC Davis Fish Conservation and Culture Laboratory (FCCL) has considerable success spawning and rearing the smelt in captivity. This coming winter, the FCCL
- [California’s Missing Forecast Flows in Spring 2021 - Challenges for seasonal flow forecasting](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/07/18/californias-missing-forecast-flows-in-spring-2021-challenges-for-seasonal-flow-forecasting/) - by John Abatzoglou, Anna Rallings, Leigh Bernacchi, Joshua Viers, Josué Medellín-Azuara California’s 2021 water outlook became grimmer this spring as the state did not get fabulous February or miracle March precipitation. Unsurprisingly, spring streamflow forecasts from snowfed basins in the Sierra were far below average. For example, early April forecasts from California DWR called for
- [California isn’t running out of water; it’s running out of cheap water](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/07/11/california-isnt-running-out-of-water-its-running-out-of-cheap-water-2/) - by Wyatt Arnold A California water myth which becomes especially pernicious in droughts is that California is “running out of water” (Hanak et al. 2009). Viewing California’s supply and demand pressures in terms of fixed water requirements perpetuates this myth and invariably places undue attention on building additional supply infrastructure. Instead, managing water as a
- [California isn’t running out of water; it’s running out of cheap water](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/07/11/california-isnt-running-out-of-water-its-running-out-of-cheap-water/) - by Wyatt Arnold A California water myth which becomes especially pernicious in droughts is that California is “running out of water” (Hanak et al. 2009). Viewing California’s supply and demand pressures in terms of fixed water requirements perpetuates this myth and invariably places undue attention on building additional supply infrastructure. Instead, managing water as a
- [Home is where the habitat is](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/07/04/home-is-where-the-habitat-is/) - by Dylan Stompe, Teejay O’Rear, John Durand, and Peter Moyle The San Francisco Estuary (estuary) is sometimes called the most invaded estuary in the world, and for good reason. Through many avenues, hundreds, if not thousands, of species have been introduced to San Francisco Bay, the Delta, and their rivers. Some introductions were byproducts
- [Drought Makes Conditions Worse for California’s Declining Native Fishes](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/06/27/drought-makes-conditions-worse-for-californias-declining-native-fishes/) - by Peter Moyle and Andrew Rypel California is home to 131 kinds of native fishes that require freshwater for some or all of their life-cycle. Most of these fishes are found only in California and most (81%) are in decline (Moyle et al. 2015, 2020). Thirty-two (24%) are already listed as threatened or endangered by
- [Mitigating Domestic Well Failure for SGMA and Drought in the San Joaquin Valley](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/06/20/mitigating-domestic-well-failure-for-sgma-and-drought-in-the-san-joaquin-valley/) - by Rob Gailey and Jay Lund Domestic wells serve sizable potable water demands in California and much of the world. These wells tend to degrade and fail with declining regional groundwater levels. In areas of irrigated agriculture, impacts to shallower domestic wells may occur from ongoing groundwater use and worsen during drought when agricultural pumping
- [<strong>Ecosystem Restoration and Water Management</strong>](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/06/13/ecosystem-restoration-and-water-management/) - - Curated by Jennifer Cribbs (jecribbs@ucdavis.edu) Note from the Curator: Restoration implies returning to a prior state. A broken cup carefully glued, might appear nearly as whole as the original, but will always differ from the original. Ecosystem restoration attempts to return an evolving web of interconnected species and physical processes to a prior state.
- [Jobs and Irrigation during Drought in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/06/06/9731/) - Jobs and Irrigation during Drought in California Farmworkers harvesting cauliflower in Monterey County. Photo by John Chacon/California Department of Water Resources by Josué Medellín-Azuara and Jay Lund During droughts organizations and stakeholders look for ways of getting the most from every water drop. This is not an exception in California where roughly 40 percent of all water
- [Assessing portfolios of actions for winter-run salmon in the Sacramento Valley](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/05/29/assessing-portfolios-of-actions-for-winter-run-salmon-in-the-sacramento-valley/) - by Francisco Bellido Leiva, Robert Lusardi and Jay Lund We may be entering a time when more mechanistic understanding can be used to estimate effects of habitats and flows on fish populations and health, and help design ecosystem restoration efforts. An integrated portfolio approach to protecting and restoring winter-run salmon would begin with a model
- [Dollars and Drought – Windfalls for innovation or entrenchment?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/05/23/dollars-and-drought-windfalls-for-innovation-or-entrenchment/) - by Jay Lund California’s Governor Newsom recently declared a drought emergency throughout much of California and announced over $5 billion in new water program investments. These twin emergency and funding announcements are a classic “bad-news creates good news story” (and potentially vice versa) for California’s water problems. They are opportunities for innovation and making long-term
- [A few Lessons for California's New Drought](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/05/16/a-few-lessons-for-californias-new-drought/) - We asked some colleagues for lessons that might be useful in managing the California's new drought. Here is a first sampling of thoughts. 1: Market-based approaches to water management will lessen the costs of drought. Katrina Jessoe. Agricultural and Resource Economics, UC Davis Climate models indicate that California’s droughts will become more frequent and severe.
- [How dry is California?  What should we prepare for?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/04/25/how-dry-is-california-what-should-we-prepare-for/) - by Jay Lund California is in the second year of a drought. Governor Newsom this week made his first drought declaration. Just how dry is this drought, so far? What are some likely implications? And what might State and local governments do about it? How dry is it? California Data Exchange Center has some
- [Suisun Marsh fishes in 2020: Persistence during the Pandemic](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/04/18/suisun-marsh-fishes-in-2020-persistence-during-the-pandemic/) - by Teejay O’Rear, John Durand, Peter Moyle Suisun Marsh is central to the health of the San Francisco Estuary. Not only is it a huge (470 km2) tidal marsh in the center the northern estuary (Figure 1), but it is an extremely important nursery area for species such as splittail, striped bass, longfin smelt, and, formerly,
- [Increasing groundwater salinity changes water and crop management over long timescales](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/04/11/increasing-groundwater-salinity-changes-water-and-crop-management-over-long-timescales/) - by Yiqing “Gracie” Yao and Jay Lund Salinity has often become a major limit for irrigated agriculture in semi-arid regions, from ancient Mesopotamia to parts of California today. A previous blog post showed that conjunctive use with more saline groundwater can differ fundamentally from freshwater aquifers. Higher salinity limits groundwater use for irrigation during dry
- [Looking for a new challenge?   -   Retrain as a Delta Smelt](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/04/01/looking-for-a-new-challenge-retrain-as-a-delta-smelt/) - Help restore one of California’s most endangered species while supporting California’s water supplies in a time of drought. The Federal government is beginning a program for the unemployed to retrain as much-needed Delta Smelt. Following a two-day course, candidates will learn to: Seek out turbid watersSpawn in sand at secret locationsSurf the tidesMake themselves present
- [That Time Warren Buffett Got Involved in California Water](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/03/21/that-time-warren-buffett-got-involved-in-california-water/) - by Andrew L. Rypel Plans to remove four large hydroelectric dams along the Klamath River have been developing for some time. The genesis of the Klamath Dam removals is multi-faceted. Part of it comes from endangered species like salmon and the native Klamath River suckers having gained protective ascendancy under the law. In addition, tribes
- [California’s New Drought](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/03/14/californias-new-drought/) - By Jay Lund, Andrew L. Rypel, and Josue Medellin-Azuara As March begins to drag on with little precipitation in the forecast and few weeks left in California’s traditional wet season, we are in another dry year. This is California’s second dry year in a row since the 2012-2016 drought. Statistically, California has the most drought
- [Managing Water and Crops with Groundwater Salinity – A growing menace](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/03/07/managing-water-and-crops-with-groundwater-salinity-a-growing-menace/) - by Yiqing “Gracie” Yao and Jay Lund Salinity is an eventual threat to agriculture and groundwater sustainability in parts of California, and other irrigated parts of the world. Irrigation, lower groundwater levels, and natural conditions have dramatically increased groundwater salinity in parts of California over the last 150 years (Hansen et al. 2018). Nearly two
- [Groundwater Salinization in California’s Tulare Lake Basin, the ABCSAL model](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/02/21/groundwater-salinization-in-californias-tulare-lake-basin-the-abcsal-model/) - By Rich Pauloo and Graham Fogg Lower groundwater levels can prevent drainage of water and salts from a basin and increase aquifer salinity that eventually renders the groundwater unsuitable for use as drinking water or irrigation without expensive desalination. Pauloo et al. (2021) demonstrate this process for the Tulare Lake Basin (TLB) of California’s Central
- [Can Japanese Smelt Replace Delta Smelt?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/02/07/can-japanese-smelt-replace-delta-smelt/) - by Peter Moyle A question I get asked on occasion is: Why all this fuss about endangered delta smelt when there is another smelt that looks just the same that can takes its place? The smelt being referenced is the wakasagi (Hypomesus nipponensis), which is indeed similar to the delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus). In fact, both
- [February 1: Is California Still Heading for a Multi-Year Drought?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/01/31/february-1-is-california-still-heading-for-a-multi-year-drought/) - by Jay Lund, Peter Moyle, and Andrew Rypel This updates a post from December on the likelihood of California entering a second dry year. Normally, a second dry year brings drought operations for California's overall water system operations. Today, it is even likelier that California is entering a multi-year drought. Precipitation conditions have improved somewhat
- [Managing Groundwater Overdraft – Combining Crop and Water Decisions (without salinity)](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/01/17/groundwater-use-and-ending-overdraft-combined-crop-and-water-management-without-salinity/) - by Yiqing “Gracie” Yao and Jay Lund California’s Central Valley produces much of the nation’s food, including about 40% of the country’s fruits and nuts and has the nation’s second most pumped aquifer system. Its drier southern portion, the San Joaquin Valley, has decreasing surface water supply reliability due to frequent and prolonged droughts, stricter
- [2021: Is this the year that wild delta smelt become extinct?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/01/10/2021-is-this-the-year-that-wild-delta-smelt-become-extinct/) - by Peter Moyle, Karrigan Börk, John Durand, T-C Hung, and Andrew L. Rypel 2020 was a bad year for delta smelt. No smelt were found in the standard fish sampling programs (fall midwater trawl, summer townet survey). Surveys designed specifically to catch smelt (Spring Kodiak Trawl, Enhanced Delta Smelt Monitoring Program) caught just two of
- [California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta – a short history of big changes](https://californiawaterblog.com/2021/01/03/californias-sacramento-san-joaquin-delta-a-short-history-of-big-changes/) - by Jay Lund Deltas globally adjust with changes and fluctuations in external conditions, internal dynamics, and human management. This is a short history of big changes to California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) in the past and present, and its anticipated future. This history is important for understanding how many of the Delta’s problems have developed,
- [Is California Heading for a Multi-Year Drought?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/12/06/is-california-heading-for-a-multi-year-drought/) - by Jay Lund Yes, California will have another multi-year drought. California has immense hydrologic variability, with more droughts and floods per average year than any other part of the country. California’s water users, managers, and regulators should always be prepared for droughts (and floods). Eventually, California will have a multi-year drought worse than any we
- [Functional Flows Can Improve Environmental Water Management in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/11/29/functional-flows-can-improve-environmental-water-management-in-california/) - By Ted Grantham, Jeanette Howard, Belize Lane, Rob Lusardi, Sam Sandoval-Solis, Eric Stein, Sarah Yarnell and Julie Zimmerman Over the past three years, a team of scientists from universities, NGOs, and state agencies across California have been working to provide guidance on how to better manage river flows for freshwater ecosystems throughout the state. A
- [Getting to the Bottom of What Fuels Algal Blooms in Clear Lake](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/11/22/getting-to-the-bottom-of-what-fuels-algal-blooms-in-clear-lake/) - By: Nick Framsted Clear Lake is one of California’s oldest and most unique natural features. Nestled in Northern California’s coastal mountains, Clear Lake is the largest lake completely within California and is the oldest lake in North America with sediments dating back 480,000 years (Sims et al. 1988). Rich mineral deposits around the lake were
- [Planning for a shorter rainy season and more frequent extreme storms in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/11/15/planning-for-a-shorter-rainy-season-and-more-frequent-extreme-storms-in-california/) - By Claire Kouba and J. Pablo Ortiz Partida California’s hydrologic future is muddled by a fundamental uncertainty: will the state get wetter or drier? Climate models disagree on this question, but provide insights on other important water management questions. The wetter or drier question has been studied often in government reports (DWR CCTAG, 2015; U.S.
- [Small Dam, Big Deal: York Dam Removed in Napa Valley](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/11/08/small-dam-big-deal-york-dam-removed-in-napa-valley/) - By: Amber Manfree, Peter Moyle, Ted Grantham The recent removal of the sediment-filled York Dam in Napa County has reconnected two miles of steelhead trout habitat that has been blocked for over a century. While the dam itself was small and non-functional, it took nearly 30 years to accomplish removal. Thousands of barriers to stream
- [How will climate change affect the economic value of water in California?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/09/27/how-will-climate-change-affect-the-economic-value-of-water-in-california/) - by Lorie Srivastava Climate change is affecting natural resources in California, with water being one of the most important in the state. Water is critical for municipalities, agriculture, industry, and habitat/environmental purposes. Will future supply meet future demand? How will the economic value of water change over this century? The economic value of raw –
- [The Freezer of Horrors](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/10/31/the-freezer-of-horrors/) - by Miranda Bell-Tilcock, Jamie Sweeney, and Malte Willmes Down the dark corridors of the Watershed Sciences building are freezers of dead fish. Frozen Chinook Salmon carcasses and their dissected eyes and muscles in neat vials are stacked next to White Sturgeon fin clips, Striped Bass scales, and tubes of stomach contents. This might sound like
- [Happy 2021!  Here’s to a New Water Year!](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/10/04/happy-2021-heres-to-a-new-water-year/) - by Jay Lund 2020 was terrible, and as a water year (WY), October 2019 - September 2020, it is over. A dry winter (drier than 2014-2015 in Sac. Valley), COVID-19, deep recession and unemployment, wildfires, racial violence and unrest, extreme high temperatures, water documents disappearing from State of California websites, and finally a very unpresidential
- [Old Readings on California Water](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/08/23/old-readings-on-california-water/) - by Jay Lund Today’s water struggles have deep roots. In our shared summer confinement, we hopefully have some time for some deeper reading on California water. Here is a small collection of older writings on California water, the youngest of which is still older than me. Beyond historical interest, these early writings have useful perspectives
- [Fish surveys in the estuary:  the whole is greater than the sum of its parts](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/08/16/fish-surveys-in-the-estuary-the-whole-is-greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts/) - by Dylan K. Stompe, Peter Moyle, Avery Kruger, John Durand The San Francisco Estuary is a dynamic and altered estuary that supports a high diversity of fishes, both native and non-native. These species have substantial recreational, commercial, and intrinsic value to people. Since the 1950s, various agencies and UC Davis have established long-term surveys to
- [SGMA and the Human Right to Water: How do submitted Groundwater Sustainability Plans address drinking water?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/08/09/sgma-and-the-human-right-to-water-how-do-submitted-groundwater-sustainability-plans-address-drinking-water/) - by Kristin Dobbin, Darcy Bostic, Michael Kuo and Jessica Mendoza In 2012 California passed the Human Right to Water (AB 685) which declares all Californians have the right to safe, clean, affordable and accessible drinking water. Two years later during a record-breaking drought, California passed another piece of historic legislation known as the Sustainable Groundwater
- [Drought and the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, 2012–2016: Environmental Review and Lessons](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/08/02/drought-and-the-sacramento-san-joaquin-delta-2012-2016-environmental-review-and-lessons/) - by John R. Durand, Fabian Bombardelli, William E. Fleenor, Yumiko Henneberry, Jon Herman, Carson Jeffres, Michelle Leinfelder-Miles, Jay R. Lund, Robert Lusardi, Amber D. Manfree, Josué Medellín-Azuara, Brett Milligan, and Peter Moyle Droughts are common in California. The drought of 2012-2016 had no less precipitation and was no longer than previous historical droughts (Figure 1),
- [106 Years of Water Supply Reliability](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/07/26/106-years-of-water-supply-reliability/) - by Jay Lund Water supply reliability is a major policy and management goal in California, and in the rest of the world, today and since the beginning of time. The goals of reliable water supplies have grown from supporting human health, to supporting economic prosperity, to supporting healthy ecosystems, even when these goals conflict. Since
- [Summer Reading in the Time of Covid 19](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/07/19/summer-reading-in-the-time-of-covid-19/) - by Peter B. Moyle Tired of reading about the constant haggling over California water? Or of binge-watching old TV shows? Or, worse, watching the news as the Covid 19 virus spreads in our free country? For relief, I recommend two entertaining yet somewhat off-beat books, reviewed here. The books are very different but both involve
- [Can we talk? New nationwide flood maps provide opportunities for dialogue](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/07/14/can-we-talk-new-nationwide-flood-maps-provide-opportunities-for-dialogue/) - by Kathleen Schaefer and Brett F. Sanders Why Dialogue Matters For fifty years, Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) have unintentionally stifled conversations of flood risk. They have encouraged property-owners and governments at all levels to dwell on map details for one static event, rather than flood risks for a range of events under changing conditions
- [An Introduction to State Water Project Deliveries](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/05/24/an-introduction-to-state-water-project-deliveries/) - By Nicole Osorio Most people in California receive some of their drinking water supply from the State Water Project (SWP). The SWP also supplies water to over 10% of California’s irrigated agriculture. The SWP and its service area span much of California, delivering water to 29 wholesale contractors shown in Figure 1. Each year, the
- [Drawing boundaries with DNA to improve conservation](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/05/17/drawing-boundaries-with-dna-to-improve-conservation/) - by Ryan Peek Foothill Yellow-legged Frogs have begun to spawn, laying small snow-globe sized egg masses in streams and rivers. They are one of the few stream-breeding frogs endemic to California and Oregon. This species is a good indicator of stream health because they link aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and are strongly tied to natural
- [Supreme Court Ruling Finds Old, New Middle Ground on Clean Water Act’s Application to Groundwater](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/04/26/supreme-court-ruling-finds-old-new-middle-ground-on-clean-water-acts-application-to-groundwater/) - By Thomas Harter, Steph Tai, and Karrigan Bork In 1972, the U.S. Clean Water Act (CWA) created a permit system for point source discharges to navigable waters of the United States – rivers, lakes, and coastal waters - with the goal of restoring and protecting their water quality. Typically, these permits are issued by the
- [How reliable are Groundwater Sustainability Plans?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/05/10/how-reliable-are-groundwater-sustainability-plans/) - by Alvar Escriva-Bou, Jay Lund, Josue Medellin-Azuara, and Thomas Harter Earlier this year, the first local Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) were submitted to California’s Department of Water Resources for basins with the most severe groundwater overdraft. To comply with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, these plans must address any “significant and unreasonable” impacts of groundwater
- [Striped Bass in the Pacific Ocean: When, where and why?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/04/12/striped-bass-in-the-pacific-ocean-when-where-and-why/) - by Dylan K. Stompe Striped bass are an iconic and recreationally important fish species throughout the United States, including within their native range on the Atlantic Coast. Based on their value as a sport fish and as table fare, striped bass were one of the early introductions to the San Francisco Estuary (SFE). Their life-history
- [Eating Delta Smelt](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/04/05/eating-delta-smelt/) - by Peter Moyle, Center for Watershed Sciences, UC Davis Delta smelt are an endangered species and the latest estimates of their numbers indicate they will likely not be around much longer as wild fish. When I first started working on them, in the 1970s, they were abundant and frequently caught in various sampling programs. One
- [MWDC Proposes Overarching Delta Solution](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/04/01/mwdc-proposes-cross-delta-aqueduct/) - by Nestle J. Frobish Today the Megalopolitan Water District of California (a consortium of southern California and Bay Area urban water suppliers) proposed building a new aqueduct to take water from the Sacramento River to Bay Area and southern California cities. The aqueduct, depicted below, would avoid the subsurface uncertainties of a Delta tunnel, ease
- [Is California’s dry 2020 water year a drought?  Prepare anyway](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/03/28/is-californias-dry-2020-water-year-a-drought-prepare-anyway/) - by Jay Lund Not again! There was not a “Miracle March” to follow California’s precipitation “Flat-line February.” Instead, we’ve had a “Meh March.” With the near-end of its wet season, California’s 2020 water year is and will be dry. The Northern Sierra 8-gage Precipitation Index is now about 25 inches, and might increase about 10%
- [Environmental Flows in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/03/18/environmental-flows-in-california/) - By Alyssa Obester, Sarah Yarnell, and Ted Grantham The California Environmental Flow Framework was recently highlighted in the 2020 Water Resilience Portfolio to address the seemingly impossible task of establishing of how much water our rivers and streams need to support healthy ecosystems. While many methods for setting environmental water needs exist, the Framework provides
- [Is the Sacramento Splittail an Endangered Species?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/03/03/is-the-sacramento-splittail-an-endangered-species/) - by Peter Moyle, Dylan Stompe, and John Durand The Sacramento splittail is a lovely, silvery-white fish that lives primarily in Suisun Marsh, the north Delta and other parts of the San Francisco Estuary (SFE; Moyle et al. 2004). The name comes from its unusual tail, in which the upper lobe is larger than the lower
- [California's Driest February and Coming Drought?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/03/01/driest-february-and-the-coming-drought/) - By Jay Lund February has been amazingly dry in California, if anyone hasn’t noticed. No precipitation at all in February, a dry forecast, about 51% of seasonal Sacramento Valley precipitation (a bit less for the San Joaquin and Tulare basins), and only about half (45-57%) of normal snowpack for this time of year.
- [Episode 1: “Unraveling the Knot” Water movement in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta - reprise](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/02/02/episode-1-unraveling-the-knot-water-movement-in-the-sacramento-san-joaquin-delta-reprise/) - By Bill Fleenor, Amber Manfree, and Megan Nguyen This is a re-posting from January 22, 2017. Reminders on how things work are sometimes useful. (The whole series, with links below, is thought-provoking.) In 2010, John DeGeorge of RMA, Inc used animated model results to illustrate specific flow and water quality issues in the Delta to
- [Episode 1: "Unraveling the Knot" Water movement in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/01/22/episode-1-unraveling-the-knot-introduction/) - By Bill Fleenor, Amber Manfree, and Megan Nguyen In 2010, John DeGeorge of RMA, Inc used animated model results to illustrate specific flow and water quality issues in the Delta to the State Water Board. The Center for Watershed Sciences, working with John and using RMA software, has assembled a series of narrated animations to
- [Realty Meets Climate Reality](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/01/26/realty-meets-climate-reality/) - by Kat Kerlin My husband and I fell in love a couple of months ago. It was with a house by a river. (See what I did there?) This is the river that was a stone’s throw away when we were engaged 13 years ago. The river we’ve brought our children to every summer of
- [Striped Bass: An Important Indicator Species in the Delta](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/01/12/striped-bass-an-important-indicator-species-in-the-delta/) - by Peter Moyle The striped bass is a favorite sport fish in the San Francisco Estuary (SFE), especially the Delta, because of its large size, sporting qualities, and tasty flesh. Historically, it supported major commercial and sport fisheries but the commercial fishery was shut down long ago and the sport fishery is in long-term decline.
- [A Change of Plans](https://californiawaterblog.com/2020/01/05/a-change-of-plans/) - by Jay Lund The 1957 California Water Plan was ambitious for its time, and successful in its own way for a time. This plan was the ultimate major water project development plan arising from a century of struggles to orient and organize a society transplanted from the humid eastern US to California's highly variable Mediterranean
- [Rapid changes in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta both diminish scientific certainty and increase science's value](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/12/22/rapid-changes-in-the-sacramento-san-joaquin-delta-both-diminish-scientific-certainty-and-increase-sciences-value/) - by Jay Lund Conditions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta are changing, changing in new ways, and changing rapidly. Changes are rampant not only in climate, but also in ecosystem structure, economic structure and globalization, invasive species, infrastructure, water demands, environmental regulations, and societal objectives. Although the Delta always has changed, often rapidly, we are seeing
- [Futures for Delta Smelt](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/12/15/futures-for-delta-smelt/) - by Peter Moyle, Karrigan Bork, John Durand, Tien-Chieh Hung, Andrew Rypel A recent biological opinion (BiOp) released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) concluded that a proposed re-operation of California’s largest water projects will avoid driving the federally threatened Delta smelt to extinction. The plan proposes increasing water exports from the Central Valley
- [Turbidity and Insights on Flow-Habitat-Fish Abundance Curves in Policy-making](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/12/01/turbidity-and-insights-on-flow-habitat-fish-abundance-curves-in-policy-making/) - by Jay Lund California’s water policy community continues to be embroiled on how best to manage what remains of California’s native aquatic ecosystems, particularly for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and its tributaries. One aspect of this controversy is the dedication and use of habitat and flow resources to support native fishes. There is general agreement
- [Jobs per drop irrigating California crops](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/12/08/jobs-per-drop-irrigating-california-crops-2/) - By Josué Medellín-Azuara, Jay Lund and Richard Howitt Reposted from Apr 28, 2015 (an oldie, but goodie!) Some of the most popular drought stories lately have been on the amount of what water needed to produce food from California, as a consumer sees it — a single almond, a head of lettuce or a glass of wine.
- [Jobs per drop irrigating California crops](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/04/28/jobs-per-drop-irrigating-california-crops/) - By Josué Medellín-Azuara, Jay Lund and Richard Howitt Some of the most popular drought stories lately have been on the amount of what water needed to produce food from California, as a consumer sees it — a single almond, a head of lettuce or a glass of wine. The stories are often illustrated with pictures of common
- [Is it drought yet?  Dry October-November 2019](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/11/24/is-it-drought-yet-dry-october-november-2019/) - by Jay Lund So far, October and November 2019 has been the driest (or almost the driest) beginning of any recorded water year with almost zero precipitation. (The 2020 water year began October 1, 2019 – so you might have missed a New Year’s party already.) Should we worry about a drought yet? Yes, this
- [Some more water management truisms (Part II)](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/11/10/some-more-water-management-truisms-part-ii/) - by Jay Lund Here is part two of a partial collection of truisms on water management. These ideas seem obviously true, but still offer insights and perspective. Original sources are mostly unknown (but apocryphal citations are common). Any that I think are original to me, are probably not. Progress and effectiveness occur somewhere between complacency
- [Night of the Living Dead Salmon](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/10/30/night-of-the-living-dead-salmon/) - by Kelly Neal and Gabe Saron On a cool and misty morning somewhere south of Redding, California, jet boats roar across the tranquil Sacramento River. Armed with tridents, machetes and poleaxes, it seems akin to a scene from an action movie; except that “California Department of Fish and Wildlife” is painted on the boats. One
- [The Dreamt Land by Mark Arax: We’re all complicit in California’s water follies](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/10/21/the-dreamt-land-by-mark-arax-were-all-complicit-in-californias-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 a history that we’re still in the midst of creating, rather than reflecting on sins
- [Can we understand it all?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/10/13/can-we-understand-it-all/) - This is my favorite water cartoon. It depicts how well the public (and elected officials) will ever understand how water systems work. Today, as individuals we understand only a little about the detailed world around us (cell phones, medical technology, monetary policy, politics, international trade, law, etc.). We operate with amazing Neolithic brains in a
- [Some water management truisms, Part I](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/10/06/some-water-truisms-part-i/) - by Jay Lund Here is a partial collection of truisms on water management. These are common ideas that seem obviously true (particularly in the western US), but still offer insights and perspective. The original sources of these are unknown (although apocryphal citations are common). Any that I think are original to me, are probably not.
- [Management’s eternal relevance](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/09/29/managements-eternal-relevance-in-engineering-and-vice-versa/) - by Jay Lund Just a brief, and slightly pedantic, blog post this week on the importance of liberal education and broad thinking for those want to solve real problems, illustrated with a bit of history. Engineers and physical scientists will know Claude-Louis Navier from his work on the fundamental equations of fluid mechanics (the Navier-Stokes
- [The long and winding road of salmon trucking in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/09/22/the-long-and-winding-road-of-salmon-trucking-in-california/) - By Dr Anna Sturrock Trucking juvenile hatchery salmon downstream is often used in the California Central Valley to reduce mortality during their perilous swim to the ocean. But is it all good? Researchers at UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC San Francisco and NOAA Fisheries published an article in Fisheries this month exploring the history and
- [Providing Flows for Fish](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/09/15/providing-flows-for-fish/) - by Peter Moyle A reality in California and the American West is that people are competing with fish for water. We humans are winning the competition. However, because there are moral, aesthetic, and legal obligations to provide fish with water in streams, biologists like me often get asked the question “Just how much water do
- [Remarkable Suisun Marsh: a bright spot for fish in the San Francisco Estuary](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/08/25/remarkable-suisun-marsh-a-bright-spot-for-fish-in-the-san-francisco-estuary/) - by Teejay O’Rear and Peter Moyle To most people, Suisun Marsh is either the seemingly blank area visible at 70 MPH from the north side of Highway 680 or the sudden expanse of tules visible after the Amtrak train leaves Suisun City, headed for Oakland. However, it is one of our favorite places in California,
- [Can Water Agencies Work Together Sustainably? – Lessons from Metropolitan Planning](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/08/18/can-water-agencies-work-together-sustainably-lessons-from-metropolitan-planning/) - by Jay Lund It is said that, “In the US, we hate government so much that we have thousands of them.” This decentralization has advantages, but poses problems for integration. Integration is easy to say, and hard to do. Integration is especially hard, and unavoidably imperfect, for organizing common functions across different agencies with different
- [The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of California’s State-Mandated Urban Water Conservation during Drought](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/09/08/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-of-californias-state-mandated-urban-water-conservation-during-drought/) - by Amy Talbot Amy Talbot is the Regional Water Efficiency Manger for the Regional Water Authority, which represents 21 water suppliers in the Sacramento region. She manages an award-winning public outreach and education program. Additionally, she is a board member of the California Water Efficiency Partnership (CalWEP), which is supporting water suppliers with the implementation
- [What Water is Covered by the Clean Water Act?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/08/11/what-water-is-covered-by-the-clean-water-act/) - by Karrigan Bork It is important if a stream, river, wetland, or even a dry ditch is protected by the Clean Water Act (CWA). The CWA is a federal law “to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters.”[1] But the Act doesn’t cover all waters. Waters covered by the
- [Groundwater Law – Physical – “the water budget myth”](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/08/05/groundwater-law-physical-the-water-budget-myth/) - by Jay Lund This week’s short post is on groundwater law – from the viewpoint of physics. Water policy, management, and human law often misunderstand how groundwater and surface water work physically. Bredehoeft, et al. (1982) distill a longstanding lament of many groundwater experts, “Perhaps the most common misconception in groundwater hydrology is that a
- [$24.6 Billion National Flood Insurance Program Debt Explained in One Chart](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/07/21/24-6-billion-national-flood-insurance-program-debt-explained-in-one-chart/) - by Kathleen Schaefer As we are enter another hurricane season, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is on its 12th short-term extension since September 30, 2017. And after having $16 billion in debt forgiven, it remains $24.6 billion in debt (Horn 2019). Many people are asking, how did we get here? While “its complicated,” much
- [Ties Between the Delta and Groundwater Sustainability in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/07/14/ties-between-the-delta-and-groundwater-sustainability-in-california/) - by Mustafa Dogan, Ian Buck-Macleod, Josue Medellin-Azuara, and Jay Lund Groundwater overdraft is a major problem globally and has been a persistent and growing problem in California for decades. This overdraft is predominantly driven by the economic value of water for agricultural production and cities. Spurred by the recent drought, California passed legislation requiring the
- [Challenges and opportunities for integrating small and rural drinking water stakeholders in SGMA implementation](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/07/07/community-perspectives-on-sgma-implementation-challenges-and-opportunities-for-integrating-small-and-rural-drinking-water-stakeholders-and-interests/) - By Kristin Dobbin, Jessica Mendoza and Michael Kuo The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) is an historic opportunity to achieve long-term sustainable groundwater management and protect drinking water supplies for hundreds of small and rural low-income communities, especially in the San Joaquin Valley. Past research indicates that few of these communities are represented in the
- [Drought, Fish, and Water in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/06/30/drought-fish-and-water-in-california/) - by Peter Moyle With a big collective sigh of relief, Californians rejoiced that we have largely recovered from 2012-2016 drought[1]. Streams are flowing. Reservoirs are full. Crops are watered. Native fishes are reproducing But this not a time for complacency; if the 2012-2016 drought, the hottest and driest on record, had lasted another year or
- [Sustaining integrated portfolios for managing water in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/06/23/sustaining-integrated-portfolios-for-managing-water-in-california/) - by Jay Lund Summary: This post reviews some lessons from portfolio water management in California and identifies roles for state government in facilitating development and implementation of effective portfolios. To better align state regulations and funding with these goals, a more adaptable structure for state planning is suggested. Effective integration of local, regional, and state
- [Flood Mapping in California: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/06/16/flood-mapping-in-california-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/) - by Kathleen Schaefer and Nicholas Pinter FEMA flood insurance rate maps (FIRMs) are the principle tool for managing the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). They identify properties whose owners may be required to purchase flood insurance and help set flood insurance premiums across the US. FEMA is required to assess FIRMs at least every five
- [Economic Tradeoffs in Groundwater Management During Drought](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/06/10/economic-tradeoffs-in-groundwater-management-during-drought/) - by Kathleen Stone and Rob Gailey Domestic well users in some areas were greatly impacted by additional agricultural groundwater pumping during California’s 2012-2016 drought, which substantially compensated for reduced surface water supplies. Implementation of the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) should improve long-term groundwater availability during drought for all system users by requiring groundwater
- [Some common questions on California water (Part II)](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/06/02/some-common-questions-on-california-water-part-ii/) - by Jay Lund and Josué Medellín-Azuara This is the second installment of answers to some common questions regarding water problems in California. Part I examined some common questions on water supplies (questions 1-5). Part II looks more at common questions on water uses and demands. 6. Wouldn’t more agricultural water use efficiency end California’s water
- [A water portfolio planning report card for California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/05/26/a-report-card-on-water-portfolio-planning-in-california/) - by Jay Lund Governor Newsom recently called for a state portfolio of actions to manage water under rapidly changing climate and other conditions. This post reviews the state of water portfolio planning in California today. In this complex changing world, major problems are rarely solved with a single solution or a single problem-solver. Portfolio-based planning
- [Evaluating Landscape Effects of Turf Replacement](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/05/19/evaluating-landscape-effects-of-turf-replacement/) - Erik Porse, Stephanie Pincetl, Diane Pataki, and Tom Gillespie Outdoor landscapes in California use water for irrigation, especially during summer. Outdoor water use is the largest portion of residential water use, especially in hotter inland areas and cities with larger lots. While lawns have value for recreation and aesthetics, replacing existing turf lawns with well-designed
- [Some common questions on California water (Part I)](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/05/12/some-innocent-questions-on-california-water-part-i/) - by Jay Lund People are interested in California water problems, and they ask reasonable questions. Here is a first installment of short science-based answers to some reasonable questions often heard at public and private discussions of water in California. (Longer answers are possible, of course.) Why doesn’t California just build desalination plants to end water
- [Some springtime reading on California water](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/04/21/some-springtime-reading-on-california-water-2/) - Jay R. Lund, Director, Center for Watershed Sciences and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California – Davis California is a wonderful place to study water. So many interesting and important problems, thoughtful and insightful authors, and much to be learned. Here is a selection of readings (updated from a 2012 post) on
- [Some springtime reading on California water](https://californiawaterblog.com/2012/05/02/some-springtime-reading-on-california-water/) - Jay R. Lund, Director, Center for Watershed Sciences and the Ray B. Krone Chair of Environmental Engineering, University of California – Davis California is a wonderful place to study water, with so many interesting and important problems, many thoughtful and insightful authors, and much to be learned. Here is a short selection of readings on
- [Portfolio Solutions for Safe Drinking Water – Multiple Barriers](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/04/07/portfolio-solutions-for-safe-drinking-water-multiple-barriers/) - by Jay Lund Only some parts of the world have safe drinking water almost ubiquitously, and only in the last century. (We lucky few!) In these countries, drinking water safety relies on a complex portfolio of actions and accountability by individuals, industries, and diverse layered units of government. The provision of safe drinking water
- [When do water bonds pass? Lessons from past elections](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/04/14/when-do-water-bonds-pass-evidence-from-past-elections/) - By Cassidy Craford and Hannah Safford Californians cite drought and water-supply challenges as some of the most important environmental issues facing the state today. A whopping 85% of California voters agree that water supply is a “big problem” or “somewhat of a problem” in their region. Population growth, dated infrastructure, and climate change are combining
- [Climate Warming Brings New Water to California’s Delta](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/04/01/climate-warming-brings-new-water-supplies-to-californias-delta/) - April 1, 2019 By Nestle J. Frobish The California Department of Water Resources is working to employ the ongoing break-up of the Antarctic ice cap to provide a vast supply of water for California. Current plans are to employ ocean tugs to bring ice bergs into San Francisco Bay for docking in the State Water
- [Groundwater and agriculture: a comparison of managing scarcity and droughts in France and California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/03/24/groundwater-and-agriculture-a-comparison-of-managing-scarcity-and-droughts-in-france-and-california/) - By Josselin Rouillard Overview of French and Californian agricultural groundwater management France and California face a common challenge of managing overdraft in intensively exploited aquifers. As of 2018, large areas of France and California have overexploited groundwater (see maps below). And both regions have passed landmark groundwater legislation, the Loi sur l’Eau et les Milieux
- [The Collapse of Water Exports – Los Angeles, 1914](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/03/17/the-collapse-of-water-exports-los-angeles-1914/) - by Jay Lund “In February, 1914, the rainfall in the Mojave Desert region exceeded by nearly fifty per cent in three days the average annual precipitation. Where the steel siphon crosses Antelope valley at the point of greatest depression, an arroyo or run-off wash indicated that fifteen feet was the extreme width of the flood
- [Portfolio Solutions for Water Supply](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/03/10/portfolio-solutions-for-water-supply/) - by Jay Lund "Water problems in the western United States, when viewed from afar, can seem tantalizingly easy to solve: all we need to do is turn off the fountains at the Bellagio, stop selling hay to China, ban golf, cut down the almond trees, and kill all the lawyers.” - David Owen (2017), Where
- [The sociology of science in environmental management: Reflections on “Fields and Streams”](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/02/17/the-sociology-of-science-in-environmental-management-reflections-on-fields-and-streams/) - by Jay Lund Most readers of this blog are water management wonks who toil in the bureaucracies and professions of water management, the water-industrial complex, so to speak. We mostly work on technical issues and internal and inter-organizational rules and controversies. Despite the daily “firefighting” foci of our activities, almost everyone understands something of the
- [15 Years of the San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Sciences - Open Access Journal](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/02/03/15-years-of-the-francisco-estuary-and-watershed-sciences-open-access-journal/) - By Lisa Howard originally published January 21, 2019 When the peer-reviewed journal San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science launched fifteen years ago, the editors chose what was then a somewhat new model of scientific publication known as “open access.” At that time, most academic journal publishers kept their content behind pay walls, accessible only with
- [Droughts and progress - Lessons from California’s 2012-2016 Drought](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/01/27/when-big-droughts-have-smaller-impacts-lessons-from-californias-2012-2016-drought/) - By Jay Lund, Josue Medellin, John Durand, and Kathleen Stone Droughts and floods have always tested water management, driven water systems improvements, and helped water organizations and users maintain focus and discipline. California’s 2012-2016 drought and the very wet 2017 water year were such tests. Historically, major droughts accelerate innovation and are career tests for
- [Improving public perception of water reuse](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/01/20/improving-public-perception-of-water-reuse/) - By Kahui Lim and Hannah Safford Water reuse is becoming more important to water security in arid regions like California. The California Recycled Water Policy calls for an increase of 1 million acre-feet of reused water per year by 2020 and 2 million by 2030. Assembly Bill (AB) 574 mandates that California establish a legislative
- [Shared interest in universal safe drinking water](https://californiawaterblog.com/2019/01/13/shared-interest-in-universal-safe-drinking-water/) - by Jay LundPublic health is every society’s and every drinking water system’s most fundamental objective. The prosperity and existence of civilizations rest on drinking water being safe, available and affordable. Prosperity and democracy together seem almost essential to having near-universal safe drinking water supplies. Prosperity and democracy together bring effective social organization and resources needed
- [Functional Flows for Developing Ecological Flow Recommendations](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/12/09/functional-flows-for-developing-ecological-flow-recommendations/) - by Sarah Yarnell, Alyssa Obester, Ted Grantham, Eric Stein, Belize Lane, Rob Lusardi, Julie Zimmerman, Jeanette Howard, Sam Sandoval-Solis, Rene Henery, and Erin Bray To protect California’s native aquatic species, stream flows need to be managed to support important ecological processes and habitat needs. In practice, such flows are difficult and controversial to define and
- [The folly of unimpaired flows for water quality management](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/11/25/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 shows why unimpaired flows is often a flawed basis for environmental management, particularly when water
- [Eastern San Joaquin Valley and other CA drinking water supplies at risk in the next drought](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/11/12/domestic-well-vulnerability-to-drought-in-californias-central-valley/) - 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 reliable source of drinking water for months and, in some cases, years. The crisis drew
- [Striped Bass in the San Francisco Estuary: Insight Into a Forgotten Past](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/11/18/striped-bass-in-the-san-francisco-estuary-insight-into-a-forgotten-past/) - by Dylan Stompe and Peter Moyle Striped bass are well known throughout California as a hard-fighting game fish, excellent table fare, and a voracious predator on other fish. Striped bass were introduced into the San Francisco Estuary in 1879 and are often cited as a major cause of native species decline. Historically they were valued
- [Getting Strategic about Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/11/04/getting-strategic-about-freshwater-biodiversity-conservation-in-california/) - 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 are present in a region, where they can be found, and their conservation status. For
- [U.C. Davis Law's Environmental Law Center Releases Proposition 3 White Paper](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/11/02/u-c-davis-laws-environmental-law-center-releases-proposition-3-white-paper/) - 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 California voters on the November 6, 2018 general election ballot: Proposition 3. California’s Proposition 3: A
- [Opportunities for Science Collaboration and Funding in the Delta](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/10/23/opportunities-for-science-collaboration-and-funding-in-the-delta/) - 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 home to an expansive but highly disrupted ecosystem, which is studied extensively. Many studies are
- [The Public Trust and SGMA](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/10/07/the-public-trust-and-sgma/) - 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 surface stream may violate the public trust. The public trust does not protect groundwater itself.
- [The Little Shasta River: A model for sustaining our national heritage](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/09/05/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 a zero-sum approach that ignores the commonality of our natural – and national – heritage.
- [Sex, lies and videotape: Premature maturation of Chinook salmon on Shasta River](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/11/23/sex-lies-and-videotape-premature-maturation-of-chinook-salmon-on-the-shasta-river/) - Carson Jeffres, Senior Research Associate, Center for Watershed Sciences, University of California – Davis Migration to and from the sea (anadromy) is the iconic pattern we associate with Pacific salmon. They spend most of their life in the ocean, taking advantage of its productivity to grow and mature. These adults return upstream to spawn in
- [Science takes flight: aerial imagery provides new opportunities and insights](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/01/10/science-takes-flight-aerial-imagery-provides-new-opportunities-and-insights/) - By Devon Lambert Remote sensing is all the rage as we start the New Year, largely due to its ability to exponentially increase our areas of analysis for research. What used to take us weeks to survey with traditional field methods can be done in as little as a few hours, sometimes without even leaving
- [Creeks that cool down as summer heats up](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/06/30/creeks-that-cool-down-as-summer-heats-up/) - 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 loss of eggs and fry from an over-heated Sacramento River. Low and warm flows in
- [Water storage successes, failures, and challenges from Proposition 1](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/09/09/water-storage-successes-failures-and-challenges-from-proposition-1/) - 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 as for ecosystem support, flood risk reduction, water quality, recreation, and emergency response. Among its
- [Water Grabs of California, Explained Simply](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/08/26/water-grabs-of-california-explained-simply/) - by Jay Lund Your water use is a "grab" and a "waste." My water use is a nab, and a sacred right. We all see water the same way, mostly, but from different perspectives. Historically, periods of progress in water management occur when enough people rise above such motivational rhetoric and struggle for workable solutions.
- [Science, the Delta, and the future of San Joaquin salmon](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/08/21/science-the-delta-and-the-future-of-san-joaquin-salmon/) - 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 bit. This seems to be true nationwide as well, except in the highest levels of
- [Fish managers tasked with ranching? Conservation wins](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/08/12/a-conservation-carrot-for-coho-recovery-in-the-lower-klamath/) - 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 2010 state award of $10M to purchase the existing easement and control over water rights
- [Killing Native Fishes for Fun and Predator Control](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/08/05/killing-native-fishes-for-fun-and-predator-control/) - 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 killing Sacramento pikeminnow and hardhead for reducing predation on juvenile Chinook salmon and for attracting
- [Indirect Environmental Benefits of Cannabis Cultivation Regulation](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/06/24/indirect-environmental-benefits-of-cannabis-cultivation-regulation/) - by Kathleen Stone The external pressures for cannabis cultivation and the immediate need for water use regulation may provide opportunities for broader, long-sought environmental objectives in California. Specifically, legislation and state programs regulating water use for cannabis cultivation could produce collateral benefits for environmental instream flow and water quality management in general. The Medical Cannabis
- [Groundwater exchange pools in Los Angeles: An innovative example of adaptive management](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/07/27/groundwater-exchange-pools-in-los-angeles-an-innovative-example-of-adaptive-management/) - 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, which detail strategies to bring groundwater use into balance by 2040. Planning processes must assemble
- [SGMA struggles to overcome marginalization of disadvantaged communities](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/06/10/who-is-being-left-out-of-californias-groundwater-reform/) - by Kristin Dobbin Small Disadvantaged Communities (DACs), or DACs with less than 10,000 people, have long been disproportionately affected by California’s water management woes such as groundwater overdraft and pollution. Now, new research from the UC Davis Center for Environmental Policy and Behavior shows that the majority of small DACs are not participating in the
- [Groundwater Nitrate Sources and Contamination in the Central Valley](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/09/17/groundwater-nitrate-sources-and-contamination-in-the-central-valley/) - by Katherine Ransom and Thomas Harter In California’s Central Valley, many communities depend significantly or entirely on groundwater as their drinking water supply. Studies estimate the number of private wells in the Central Valley to be on the order of 100,000 to 150,000 (Viers et al., 2012; Johnson and Belitz, 2015). Elevated nitrate concentrations in
- [Groundwater Recovery in California – Still Behind the Curve](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/04/08/groundwater-recovery-in-california-still-behind-the-curve/) - by Thomas Harter and Bill Brewster California has a unique and highly variable climate in which drought reoccurs periodically. California began this century in a dry period from 1999 to 2005, and experienced droughts from 2007 to 2009, and 2012 to 2016. Such wet-dry cycles can be seen in Figure 1, which shows total rainfall
- [Guest Species – What about the nonnative species we like?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/05/28/guest-species-what-about-the-nonnative-species-we-like/) - by Karrigan Bork, JD, PhD Conservationists worry about a host of nonnative species, and with good reason. Nonnative species cause north of $120 billion per year in damages in North America alone, and they present the primary extinction risk for roughly half of the threatened or endangered species in the United States. The worst offenders are
- [Managing Domestic Well Impacts from Overdraft and Balancing Stakeholder Interests](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/05/20/balancing-ag-and-domestic-well-interests-during-groundwater-overdraft/) - by Robert M. Gailey and Jay R. Lund The historic drought in California from 2012 through 2016 brought unprecedented groundwater level declines and reports of dry domestic supply wells. This was particularly true in the Central Valley. New research on conditions in Tulare County during the drought provides insight regarding tradeoffs in interests between domestic
- [Improving Urban Water Conservation in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/05/06/improving-urban-water-conservation-in-california/) - by Erik Porse The relatively dry 2017-18 winter in California resurfaced recent memories of drought conservation mandates. From 2013-16, urban water utilities complied with voluntary, then mandatory, water use limits as part of Executive Order B-37-16. Urban water utilities met a statewide 25% conservation target (24.9%), helping the state weather severe drought. Winter rains in
- [Habitat Restoration for Chinook Salmon in Putah Creek: A Success Story](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/05/13/habitat-restoration-for-chinook-salmon-in-putah-creek-a-success-story/) - by Eric Chapman, Emily Jacinto, and Peter Moyle 2017 was another good year for Chinook salmon in Putah Creek. Putah Creek is just a small stream flowing through Yolo and Solano counties, fed by releases of water from Lake Berryessa. For decades, Chinook salmon were rare in the creek. Yet, now, with salmon populations struggling
- [California’s Water Data Problems are Symptoms of Inchoate Science and Technical Activities](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/03/26/californias-water-data-problems-are-symptoms-of-inchoate-science-and-technical-activities/) - "The truth is lost when there is too much contention about it." – Publius Syrus (43 BC) by Jay Lund In 2016, California’s legislature passed AB 1755, the Open and Transparent Water Data Act, requiring that State agencies provide water data online, including existing datasets, with open-data protocols for data sharing, transparency, documentation and quality
- [Resurrecting the Delta for Desirable Fishes](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/04/29/resurrecting-the-delta-for-desirable-fishes/) - by Peter Moyle, Carson Jeffres, John Durand The Delta is described in many ways. When extolling the Delta as a tourist destination, it is described as a place of bucolic beauty; islands of productive farmland are threaded by meandering channels of sparkling water, a place to boat, fish, view wildlife, and grow cherries and pears. But
- [Modeling, Measuring, and Comparing Crop Evapotranspiration in the Delta](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/04/23/modeling-measuring-and-comparing-crop-evapotranspiration-in-the-delta/) - by Jesse Jankowski Crop evapotranspiration (ET) is the biggest managed loss of water in California, accounting for roughly 80% of human net water use, and includes crop water applications transpired from plants and evaporated from soil. Methods to estimate ET have been developed based on a robust scientific understanding of its physics and data collected
- [Reality Check of California Water Fix Model results in a Critical Flow Year](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/04/15/reality-check-of-california-water-fix-model-results-in-a-critical-flow-year/) - by William Fleenor In 2008 a group from the Center for Watershed Sciences (including this author), joined by an economist from the Public Policy Institute, published findings that suggested that an alternative conveyance for Sacramento River water might improve ecological conditions in the Delta and improve reliability for Delta water exports [1, 2]. The original
- [Brown is the new gold: Water strategy is starting to pay dividends](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/04/01/brown-is-the-new-gold-water-strategy-is-starting-to-pay-dividends/) - by Nan Frobish Governor Brown has unveiled a sweeping new strategy, "Brown is the New Gold," to simultaneously make California more robust to drought, secure private water rights, buffer California's growers against disastrous losses from a looming national trade war, and facilitate a market for environmental water. “Leadership has not been clever enough, or strong
- [How engineers see the water glass in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/03/18/how-engineers-see-the-water-glass-in-california-4/) - It looks like 2018 will be a dry year, with snowpack about 50%. How do engineers see the water glass in California? Mostly the same as they did six years ago in the original version of this post, but we've added a few more perspectives. By Jay R. Lund Depending on your outlook, the proverbial
- [Is Ecosystem-Based Management Legal for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/03/08/is-ecosystem-based-management-legal-for-the-sacramento-san-joaquin-delta/) - by Brian Gray (PPIC Water Policy Center), William Stelle (former NOAA Fisheries West Coast Administrator), and Leon Szeptycki (Stanford University, Water in the West)* Introduction In a recent three-part series posted on this website, a group of independent experts (including one of the authors here) proposed new ways to manage the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ecosystem. The
- [Back to Dry – Get Organized and Prepared for Drought Again](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/03/04/back-to-dry-get-organized-and-prepared-for-drought-again/) - by Jay Lund Despite this week’s rain and snow, California is back to dry conditions again after a very wet 2017. With about four weeks left in the normal wet season, the Sacramento Valley is at about 65% of average precipitation (less than 1/3 of last year's precipitation). The southern Central Valley has less than
- [Advice on Voluntary Settlements for California’s Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan Part 3: Science for Ecosystem Management](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/02/27/advice-on-voluntary-settlements-for-californias-bay-delta-water-quality-control-plan-part-3-science-for-ecosystem-management/) - by Jeffrey Mount, PPIC Water Policy Center* Recommendation Improving Delta ecosystem functions under the State Water Board’s proposed Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan will require a complex series of changes to water and land management—and a strong science program to guide actions. This science effort will need to go well beyond current Delta science programs
- [Advice on Voluntary Settlements for California’s Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan Part 1: Addressing a Manageable Suite of Ecosystem Problems](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/02/13/advice-on-voluntary-settlements-for-californias-bay-delta-water-quality-control-plan-part-1-addressing-a-manageable-suite-of-ecosystem-problems/) - by Jeffrey Mount, PPIC Water Policy Center Recommendation The State Water Resources Control Board and the parties seeking to incorporate voluntary settlement agreements in the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan should identify a specific, tractable set of problems that can be addressed over the next 15 years through this plan. We urge the participants to
- [Advice on Voluntary Settlements for California’s Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan Part 2: Recommended Actions to Improve Ecological Function in the Delta](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/02/21/advice-on-voluntary-settlements-for-californias-bay-delta-water-quality-control-plan-part-2-recommended-actions-to-improve-ecological-function-in-the-delta/) - by Jeffrey Mount, PPIC Water Policy Center* Recommendation By strategically linking freshwater flow releases with the management of tidal energy and investments in landscape changes in the Delta, it is possible to improve ecological food webs and habitat for native species and reduce the effects of pollutants. Projects to address these problems should be concentrated
- [Drought Water Right Curtailment – Analysis, Transparency, and Limits](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/02/18/drought-water-right-curtailment-analysis-transparency-and-limits/) - By Jay Lund, Ben Lord, Andrew Tweet, Wesley Walker, Chad Whittington, Reed Thayer, Jeff Laird, Quinn Hart, Nicholas Santos, William Fleenor, Julia Pavicic, Lauren Adams, and Bradley Arnold Drought often means not having enough water to satisfy all water-right holders. Assessing which water-right holders should curtail their use and by how much is not simple.
- [Lessons for SGMA from other State-Local Collaborations](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/02/04/lessons-for-sgma-from-other-state-local-collaborations/) - by Dave Owen California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act is known primarily for establishing statewide requirements for sustainable groundwater management. But the statute did another important thing: it introduced an intriguing yet relatively rare model of state and local governance into groundwater management. Typical state and local governance models involve delegating authority to local governments, with
- [Ecological Incentives for Delta Water Exports](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/01/24/ecological-incentives-for-delta-water-exports/) - by Jay Lund and Peter Moyle All parties in the Delta have an interest in a healthy ecosystem and in healthy water exports. Without a healthy ecosystem, endangered species requirements increasingly intrude on water exports and Delta landowners. Without healthy water exports, the south and central Delta becomes dominated by brackish agricultural drainage and state
- [Los Angeles and the Future of Urban Water in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/01/22/los-angeles-and-the-future-of-urban-water-in-california/) - by Erik Porse Los Angeles is a grand American urban experiment. It brings emerging ideas into the mainstream, sometimes for better, and sometimes for worse. In the early 20th Century, it seemed fanciful to build a metropolis in a region receiving limited seasonal rainfall. But LA adopted the ideas of the time at grand scales.
- [Will Delta Smelt Have a Happy New Year?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/01/14/will-delta-smelt-have-a-happy-new-year/) - by James Hobbs and Peter Moyle The results of 2017 surveys of Delta fishes are coming in. Already, the results are clear: it was an unhappy year for Delta smelt. The wet year with high outflows should have created an increase in the population, as happened in 2011. Instead numbers stayed extremely low. The US
- [New paths to survival for endangered winter run Chinook salmon](https://californiawaterblog.com/2018/01/07/new-paths-to-survival-for-endangered-winter-run-chinook-salmon/) - by Anna Sturrock and Corey Phillis Many Californians have seen headlines about endangered Sacramento River Winter Run Chinook salmon ("winter run”) on the “brink of extinction.” But not many people know exactly what winter run are, nor why they are endangered. Like all salmon, winter run reproduce (spawn) in freshwater. Their offspring migrate to the
- [Beginning of 2018 drought? – December 31, 2017](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/12/31/beginning-of-2018-drought-december-31-2017/) - by Jay Lund Every year is different for water management in California. The 2012-2016 water years were among the driest and warmest on record. 2017 was the wettest year of record for much of California, with thousands of water managers struggling to store as much water as possible in reservoirs and aquifers. So far for
- [Nudging progress on funding safe drinking water](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/12/24/nudging-progress-on-funding-safe-drinking-water/) - by Jay Lund This year's Nobel Prize in Economics went to Richard Thaler, who pioneered "nudging" to help people volunteer to make more personally and socially beneficial decisions. As an example, having employees automatically enrolled for retirement contributions and then allowing them to lower their contributions results in considerably more retirement savings than having them
- [Making water for the environment count in an era of change: Cautionary tales from Australia](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/12/17/making-water-for-the-environment-count-in-an-era-of-change-cautionary-tales-from-australia/) - by Alison Whipple The specter of California drought looming again on the horizon gives renewed urgency for water policy and management reforms. Recent discussions reflect a growing recognition that our future depends on us making water count for both humans and the environment. For much of our state’s history, water has counted primarily in its
- [A Water Right for the Environment](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/12/10/a-water-right-for-the-environment/) - by Brian Gray, Leon Szeptycki, and Barton "Buzz" Thompson California’s management of water for is not working for anyone. Environmental advocates argue that state and federal regulators have set water quality and flow standards that do not adequately protect fish and wildlife, and have not enforced these requirements when they are most needed. Farm and
- [Duel Conveyance: Delta Tunnel Dilemmas](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/11/19/duel-conveyance-delta-tunnel-dilemmas/) - by Jay Lund A new option has entered public discussion of Delta water supplies, having only one cross-Delta tunnel instead of two. The official State WaterFix proposal is for two tunnels (totaling 9,000 cfs capacity) under-crossing the Delta for 35 miles to allow up to 60% of Delta water exports to be directly from the
- [A Tale of Two Fires: How Wildfires Can Both Help and Harm Our Water Supply](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/12/03/a-tale-of-two-fires-how-wildfires-can-both-help-and-harm-our-water-supply/) - by Gabrielle Boisramé Now that summer is over and rain has returned to California, it appears that the dramatic 2017 fire season is finally behind us. The effects of fire season can linger, however, with the possibilities of erosion and polluted runoff from burned areas. Napa County has even issued suggestions for how to protect
- [Moving Salmon over Dams with Two-Way Trap and Haul](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/11/05/moving-salmon-over-dams-with-two-way-trap-and-haul/) - by Peter Moyle and Robert Lusardi Removing Shasta Dam is the single best action we can take to save California’s wild salmon. Not possible, you say? Then there are two alternatives. One is to provide plenty of cold water and diverse, highly managed habitat below dams. The other is to transport fish to now-inaccessible habitat
- [The Spawning Dead: Why Zombie Fish are the Anti-Apocalypse](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/10/29/the-spawning-dead-why-zombie-fish-are-the-anti-apocalypse/) - by Mollie Ogaz Imagine you are on the bank of a river or stream in California’s Central Valley. It is just past sunset, leaves rustle overhead, and you feel a tingling along your spine. Suddenly a zombie fish leaps past you, patches of decomposed flesh visible as it streaks by. It’s a thing of
- [Facing Rollbacks, California Must Protect Drinking Water, Wetlands](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/10/27/facing-rollbacks-california-must-protect-drinking-water-wetlands/) - by Richard Frank This article originally appeared on Water Deeply. You can find the original here. Californians strongly support action by state and federal agencies to ensure that the water in our streams and the water we drink are free of dangerous contaminants, and that our precious wetlands are preserved. Unfortunately, the Trump administration and
- [Meet Dr. Andrew Rypel, our new fish squeezer](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/10/15/meet-dr-andrew-rypel-our-new-fish-squeezer/) - This year, we have the pleasure of welcoming Dr. Andrew Rypel to UC Davis and the Center for Watershed Sciences to his appointment as the new Peter B. Moyle and California Trout Endowed Chair in Coldwater Fishes. Dr. Rypel shares some of this thoughts about fish, science, and his new position: 1. How does it feel to be the new Peter B. Moyle and California Trout Endowed
- [Accounting for groundwater movement between subbasins under SGMA](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/10/08/accounting-for-groundwater-movement-between-subbasins-under-sgma/) - by Christina Buck, Jim Blanke, Reza Namvar, and Thomas Harter The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) presents many new challenges and opportunities. One challenge is accounting for ‘interbasin flow,’ or subsurface groundwater movement between subbasins, a piece of the overall water budget required in Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs). The Department of Water Resources is tasked
- [20 Years Ago a Pretty Good Idea: The UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/10/01/20-years-ago-a-pretty-good-idea-the-uc-davis-center-for-watershed-sciences/) - by Jeffrey Mount The UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences turns 20 years old this month. I am the first Director of the Center. The current Director — Jay Lund — asked me to write an account of the origins of the Center, including some reflection on any key lessons. The Center was and remains
- [Evolutionary genomics informs salmon conservation](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/09/24/evolutionary-genomics-informs-salmon-conservation/) - by Tasha Thompson, Michael Miller, Daniel Prince and Sean O’Rourke Spring Chinook and summer steelhead (premature migrators) have been extirpated or are in decline across most of their range while fall Chinook and winter steelhead populations (mature migrators) remain relatively healthy. Because premature migrating fish are closely related to mature migrating fish within the same river,
- [Floodplains in California's Future](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/09/10/floodplains-in-californias-future/) - by Peter Moyle, Jeff Opperman, Amber Manfree, Eric Larson, and Joan Florshiem The flooding in Houston is a reminder of the great damages that floods can cause when the defenses of an urban area are overwhelmed. It is hard to imagine a flood system that could have effectively contained the historic amount of rain that
- [Preliminary Analysis of Hurricane Harvey Flooding in Harris County, Texas](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/09/01/preliminary-analysis-of-hurricane-harvey-flooding-in-harris-county-texas/) - by Nicholas Pinter, Nicholas Santos, and Rui Hui Located in Harris County, Texas, Houston is the 4th most populous city in the US. The flooding now unfolding in the Houston area is a human and economic disaster likely to rank with Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy among the worst in US history. At the present moment,
- [Trump Killed Obama's Flood Protection Rule Two Weeks Ago](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/08/30/trump-killed-obamas-flood-protection-rule-two-weeks-ago/) - by Nicholas Pinter This post was originally published as an op-ed in Fortune. Whether or not you like President Donald Trump, the current administration has not been gifted with great timing. Just 10 days before Hurricane Harvey made landfall, the White House rescinded one of the most progressive flood-risk management tools on the books, an
- [We hold our convenient truths to be self-evident - Dangerous ideas in California water](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/08/27/we-hold-our-convenient-truths-to-be-self-evident-dangerous-ideas-in-california-water/) - by Jay Lund Success in water management requires broad agreement and coalitions. But people often seem to group themselves into communities of interests and ideology, which see complex water problems differently. Each group tends to hold different truths to be self-evident, as outlined below. These beliefs, when firmly held, do not stand up to scientific
- [Habitat Preferences of various Delta species](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/08/20/habitat-preferences-of-various-delta-species/) - Like fish, the different human professions involved in the Delta have different habitat preferences: Lawyers: high turbidity and fear, complex egosystems, either high and cynical levels of expectation, abundant funds Engineers: high clarity, data-rich nutrient sources, high expectation concentrations, abundant funds Biologists: thrives on uncertainty and inconclusiveness, extreme biodiversity, highly dynamic ecosystems with complex structure,
- [California WaterFix and Delta Smelt](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/08/13/california-waterfix-and-delta-smelt/) - by Peter Moyle and James Hobbs The delta smelt is on a trajectory towards extinction in the wild. Heading into 2017, the spawning adult population was at an all-time low although this past wet winter has apparently seen a small resurgence. However, increasingly warm summer temperatures in the Delta may dampen any upswing. Given the
- [Accounting for Water in the San Joaquin Valley](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/04/16/accounting-for-water-in-the-san-joaquin-valley/) - by Brad Arnold1, Alvar Escriva-Bou1,2, Jay Lund1, and Ellen Hanak2 University of California - Davis, Center for Watershed Sciences Public Policy Institute of California Accounting for water supplies and uses is fundamental to good water management, but it is often difficult and controversial to implement. As with other types of accounting, this task is harder
- [California’s drought and floods are over and just beginning](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/04/09/californias-drought-and-floods-are-over-and-just-beginning/) - By Jay Lund California is a land of extremes – where preparing for extremes must be constant and eternal. The last six years demonstrated California’s precipitation extremes. From 2012-2015, California endured one of its driest years of record. 2016 was an additional near-average year, classified into drought because water storage levels were so low. 2017
- [Irrigation Management in the Western States, seen from overseas](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/06/18/irrigation-management-in-the-western-states-seen-from-overseas/) - by Fandi P. Nurzaman The transformation of the western United States by irrigation offers hope for developing countries looking for models to improve their irrigation system for food security or agricultural prosperity. The transformation of the American West from barren desert and low value grazing into one of the largest agriculture areas in the United
- [Summer Snowmelt Safety - Know the Flow Before You Go](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/06/11/summer-snowmelt-safety-know-the-river-flow-before-you-go/) - By Megan Nguyen As recently as this weekend, winter storms have brought much snow to the Sierra Nevada after five years of drought. Warm temperatures have begun to melt the mountain snow that will flow down the valley through a network of rivers. The recreation opportunities seems endless: Mammoth Resort announced they plan to stay
- [Small, self-sufficient water systems continue to battle a hidden drought](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/08/06/small-self-sufficient-water-systems-continue-to-battle-a-hidden-drought/) - by Amanda Fencl and Meghan Klasic California’s drought appears over, at least above ground. As of April 2017, reservoirs were around 2 million acre feet above normal with record breaking snowpack . This is great news for the 75% of Californians that get their drinking water from large, urban surface water suppliers. Groundwater, however, takes longer to
- [A simplified method to classify streams and improve California’s water management](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/07/16/a-simplified-method-to-classify-streams-and-improve-californias-water-management/) - by Belize Lane, Sam Sandoval, and Sarah Yarnell Alterations to the natural flow regime for human water management activities have degraded river ecosystems worldwide. Such alterations are particularly destructive in regions with highly variable climates like California, where native riverine species are highly adapted to natural flooding and drought disturbances. In California, less than 2%
- [San Joaquin Valley Water Supplies - Unavoidable Variability and Uncertainty](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/07/02/san-joaquin-valley-water-supplies-unavoidable-variability-and-uncertainty/) - by Brad Arnold1, Alvar Escriva-Bou2, and Jay Lund1 1 UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences 2 Public Policy Institute of California Passage of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and the recent drought have brought attention to chronic shortages of water in the San Joaquin Valley. Although the portfolio of water flows available to the
- [Reflections on Cadillac Desert](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/07/09/reflections-on-cadillac-desert/) - by Jay Lund In 1986, when Mark Reisner published his book Cadillac Desert, I had just begun professing on water management. The book went “viral,” before the word viral had its present-day internet-intoxicated meaning. The book offered a compelling revisionist history and understanding of water development in the American West, based on economic self-interest, ideology,
- [Fish, flows, and 5937 - legal challenges on the Santa Maria River](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/07/30/fish-flows-and-5937-legal-challenges-on-the-santa-maria-river/) - by Karrigan Bork, JD, PhD Driving down the 101, you cross a half-mile long bridge over the Santa Maria River into the city of Santa Maria, California. It’s a large bridge, with big levees to constrain the river on either end. But the Santa Maria River, like many southern California rivers, is dry throughout much
- [Yolo Bypass: the inland sea of Sacramento](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/02/20/yolo-bypass-the-inland-sea-of-sacramento/) - By Megan Nguyen Land or Sea? The recent rains early this year brought much needed relief from the five-year drought in California. Reservoirs are full, mountains are covered with snow, and flood control structures are being used, some for the first time since 2006. Interstate 80 causeway commuters frequently, though perhaps unknowingly, witness one of
- [Water wasted to the sea?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/07/24/water-wasted-to-the-sea/) - by James E. Cloern, Jane Kay, Wim Kimmerer, Jeffrey Mount, Peter B. Moyle, and Anke Mueller-Solger This article originally appeared in the journal San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science. If we farmed the Central Valley or managed water supplies for San Francisco, San Jose or Los Angeles, we might think that fresh water flowing from
- [Blacklock Marsh: Tidal Habitat No Panacea for Thoughtful Restoration](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/06/04/blacklock-marsh-tidal-habitat-no-panacea-for-thoughtful-restoration/) - by John Durand and Peter Moyle Returning open tidal exchange to diked lands is a primary goal of Delta restoration, driven by the 2008 Biological Opinion from USFWS. This document requires 8000 acres of tidal and subtidal habitat to be created. California EcoRestore is coordinating with state and federal agencies to restore at least 30,000
- [Better Information Can Help the Environment](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/05/21/better-information-can-help-the-environment/) - by Henry McCann and Alvar Escriva-Bou This blog was originally posted on the Public Policy Institute's Viewpoints blog. We know that California’s aquatic species are at risk from a host of stressors and that drought pushes them closer to the brink. Yet there are significant gaps in our understanding of key factors affecting ecosystem health
- [The Future of California’s Unique Salmon and Trout: Good News, Bad News](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/05/16/the-future-of-californias-unique-salmon-and-trout-good-news-bad-news/) - by Robert Lusardi, Peter Moyle, Patrick Samuel, and Jacob Katz California is a hot spot for endemic species, those found nowhere else in the world. Among these species are 20 kinds of salmon and trout. That is an astonishing number considering California is also literally a hot-spot in terms of summer temperatures and that these
- [Facing Extinction II: Making hard decisions](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/05/07/facing-extinction-ii-making-hard-decisions/) - by Jason Baumsteiger and Peter Moyle In part I of our blog, we projected a bleak future for many freshwater fishes, especially in California. Some difficult decisions will need to be made to prevent extinctions or to verify them. However these decisions will rely on answers to one sweeping question: When is a species, in
- [Facing extinction: California fishes](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/04/30/facing-extinction-california-fishes/) - by Peter Moyle and Jason Baumsteiger At least two species of California fishes appear to be facing imminent extinction in the wild: delta smelt and winter-run Chinook salmon. These species could join about 57 other North American fishes declared extinct. If we are fortunate, these species will continue to scrape by with small populations, maintained
- [GRA's Contemporary Groundwater Issues Council weighs in on BMPs for Groundwater Sustainability Plans](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/04/23/gras-contemporary-groundwater-issues-council-weighs-in-on-bmps-for-groundwater-sustainability-plans/) - by Thomas Harter, Vicki Kretsinger Grabert, Reid Bryson, and Tim Parker On May 26, 2016, eight days after the California Water Commission voted to approve emergency regulations for Groundwater Sustainability Plans, the Groundwater Resources Association (GRA) held the sixth annual workshop of the Contemporary Groundwater Issues Council (CGIC) to address a closely related component of Sustainable Groundwater
- [Down the DRAIN: California gets a jump on Delta tunnels](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/04/01/down-the-drain-california-gets-a-jump-on-delta-tunnels/) - by Nan W. and Dunlay J. Frobish California took a step towards replumbing its archaic Delta water infrastructure by completing the first part of a contentious project. An intake for the first Delta tunnel was completed this fall, and with the return of wet weather, began transporting flows that will eventually bypass the Delta entirely.
- [Post-drought groundwater in California: Like the economy after a deep “recession,” recovery will be slow](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/03/19/post-drought-groundwater-in-california-like-the-economy-after-a-deep-recession-recovery-will-be-slow/) - by Thomas Harter The 2012-2016 drought has made many of us keenly aware of how "empty" our groundwater "reservoirs" have become. As the recent series of atmospheric rivers have left us with a massive snowpack, full surface water reservoirs (with some exceptions in southern California), and soggy soils, some questions are frequently asked: Is the
- [Evading Dam-Nation to Build a Working Floodplain on the Cosumnes River](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/03/12/evading-dam-nation-building-a-working-floodplain/) - by Michelaina Johnson This winter’s barrage of rain storms has driven most Central Valley rivers to the point of near record-breaking flooding, and the Cosumnes River is no exception. On February 10th, the Cosumnes hit the second highest peak flow in its recorded flow history: 45,400 cubic feet per second at Michigan Bar. The Cosumnes
- [What do stream fish do during flood flows?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/03/05/what-do-stream-fish-do-during-flood-flows/) - By Peter B. Moyle My local stream, Putah Creek, looks like a river these days. Water is pouring down the Glory Hole of Lake Berryessa and rushing in muddy turmoil from the ‘dry’ creeks that are its main tributaries. The creek’s deeply incised and leveed channel is containing the flows that once would have spread
- [California's Wettest Drought? – 2017](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/02/05/californias-wettest-drought-2017/) - By Jay Lund Wet. After five years of drought, most of California finally has become wet. The mountains are exceptionally wet and covered with snow. The state’s reservoirs are fuller than their long term average (with a few exceptions). Flood control structures are being employed, some for the first time since 2006. We can now
- [California’s Floods of 2017, so far](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/02/26/californias-floods-of-2017-so-far/) - by Jay Lund What a wild water month! Floods, spillway damage, and levee failures! Mass evacuations! And Donald Trump and Barack Obama are not even remotely to blame! Flood control and preparation are vitally important for California. Now we remember. This year we see California’s raw, boisterous, and often irresistible flood potential. And we see
- [Episode 3: "Unraveling the Knot" Water Movement in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta - Managing Flows](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/01/29/episode-3-unraveling-the-knot-water-movement-in-the-sacramento-san-joaquin-delta-managing-flows/) - By William Fleenor, Amber Manfree, and Megan Nguyen Delta water diversions have significant effects on flows and water quality within the Delta. Diversions can re-direct river flows and draw salt water inland from the sea, impacting water quality and the environment. Episode 3 explores how water diversion quantity affects in-Delta flow directions and quantities. This
- [Out With the Old Drought and In With the New?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/12/28/out-with-the-old-drought-and-in-with-the-new/) - By Jay Lund We are just a few months into this year’s wet season, and progress has been great. Statewide, California is about 800,000 acre ft below average surface water storage for this time of year. California’s water year began with surface storage about 3 million acre ft (3 full Folsom Reservoirs) less than historical
- [Tails of California's Drought](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/01/10/tails-of-californias-drought/) - by Jay Lund Storms are filling reservoirs, building snowpack, and flooding in ways not seen since the most recent California drought began in 2012. The state's reservoirs today contain 1.2 million acre-ft more water than the long-term average for this time of year (the first time above average in 6 years). Two years ago reservoir
- [Indicators of a drought ending in northern California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/01/15/indicators-of-a-drought-ending-in-northern-california/) - Jay Lund Droughts are common in California, a large, generally dry, and hydrologically complex place. So it is hard to rely on a single index of the end or beginning of a drought. A single storm is rarely enough to end a drought in California, especially a long drought like the one that seems to
- [Drought Prospects in California for the New 2017 Water Year – October 1, 2016](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/10/03/drought-prospects-in-california-for-the-new-2017-water-year-october-1-2016/) - This blog post has been superseded by more recent storms this water year. See the January 2017 Tails of California's Drought. This older post remains of some retrospective significance in how slow and fast drought conditions can change - Jay Lund By Jay Lund Happy New Water Year 2017! Hopefully everyone has recovered from their
- [California, Flood Risk, and the National Flood Insurance Program](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/12/14/california-flood-risk-and-the-national-flood-insurance-program/) - by Nicholas Pinter, Rui Hui, and Kathy Schaefer Across the US and worldwide, flooding is the deadliest and most costly natural disaster. The US National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is an imperfect framework for reducing flood losses, but currently the best we've got. NFIP is scheduled for Congressional reauthorization in 2017, and this debate promises
- [Shadow theater and data management for the Delta - a video](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/12/20/illuminating-data-management-with-shadow-puppets-at-bay-delta-science-conference/) - By Amber Manfree Data and data management are persistent concerns for the Delta and California water more generally. Data Wars: A New Hope, a shadow puppet play on the subject, was shown at the 2016 Bay-Delta Science Conference in Sacramento. The challenge of the Conference’s theme, “Science for Solutions: Linking Data and Decisions,” is illustrated
- [How engineers see the water glass in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/12/05/how-engineers-see-the-water-glass-in-california-3/) - How do engineers see the water glass in California? Mostly the same as they did four years ago when this blog was first posted, though with today’s drought the glass is perhaps down to a quarter full — or three-quarters empty. By Jay R. Lund Depending on your outlook, the proverbial glass of water is either
- [Allocating a Share of San Joaquin River Water to the Environment Shows Promise](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/11/14/allocating-a-share-of-san-joaquin-river-water-to-the-environment-shows-promise/) - By Jeffrey Mount, Brian Gray, Ellen Hanak, PPIC Water Policy Center, Peter Moyle, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences Introduction In September 2016, the State Water Board released its draft plan for new environmental flow requirements in the San Joaquin River watershed. The board’s proposal contains a novel—and controversial—recommendation. Instead of following the traditional approach
- [Human Use of Restored and Naturalized Delta Landscapes](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/11/20/human-use-of-restored-and-naturalized-delta-landscapes/) - By Brett Milligan, Assistant Professor, UC Davis Landscape Architecture and Sustainable Environmental Design and Alejo Kraus-Polk, PhD Geography candidate, UC Davis Current legislation and plans for the California Delta call for restoring tens of thousands of acres of aquatic and terrestrial habitat, which will require large changes in land uses and cultural patterns. In addition
- [The Horror of a Salmon’s Wheel of Misfortune](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/10/30/the-horror-of-a-salmons-wheel-of-misfortune/) - By Miranda Tilcock Salmon in the Stream 10 little salmon eggs, resting in a redd 1 was covered in silt, now the egg is dead 9 little alevin, with their yolks attached, 1 was washed away, and never made it back 8 little salmon fry, looking for something to munch 1 wandered too far, now
- [Visualizing Flows - A Sandbox Experience with Modeling](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/08/07/6445/) - by Jeanette Newmiller In winter quarter 2016, Dr. Colleen Bronner of the UC Davis Department of Civil Engineering gathered a small group of graduate students and posed a challenge. To support new education standards involving teaching engineering methods throughout K-12 education, Dr. Bronner asked the graduate students design education outreach modules that reflected their research
- [Evaluating California's Adjudicated Groundwater Basins in the SGMA Era](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/10/23/evaluating-californias-adjudicated-groundwater-basins-in-the-sgma-era/) - By Ruth Langridge, University of California – Santa Cruz [i] Groundwater is a critical resource in California. While the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) established new requirements and increased state oversight for many overdrafted basins,[ii] groundwater basins adjudicated before the passage of SGMA are exempt from the statute’s requirements[iii]. Groundwater adjudication is where water
- [Water is for fighting over? - a review of John Fleck's recent book](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/10/17/water-is-for-fighting-over-a-review-of-john-flecks-recent-book/) - By Jay Lund Most expressions on Western water issues are reflex or studied advocacy favoring a single viewpoint or opposing other viewpoints. A minority provide thoughtful and reasonably balanced insights. John Fleck's new book, "Water is for fighting over" is at the 1% extreme of thoughtful readable pieces on western water. The book is one
- [The North Delta Habitat Arc: an Ecosystem Strategy for Saving Fish](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/11/06/the-north-delta-habitat-arc-an-ecosystem-strategy-for-saving-fish/) - Peter Moyle, John Durand, Amber Manfree. Center for Watershed Sciences, University of California, Davis. Delta native fishes are in desperate condition. Over 90% of fish sampled by diverse means belong to non-native species. Native species such as delta smelt are on a trajectory to extinction. If we are going to reverse this trend, we need
- [Comparing Delta Consumptive Use: Preliminary Results from a Blind Model Comparison](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/10/09/comparing-delta-consumptive-use-preliminary-results-from-a-blind-model-comparison/) - By Josué Medellín-Azuara, Kyaw Tha Paw U, Yufang Jin, Quinn Hart, Eric Kent, Jenae’ Clay, Andy Wong, Andrew Bell, Martha Anderson, Daniel Howes, Forrest Melton, Tariq Kadir, Morteza Orang, Michelle M. Leinfelder-Miles, J. Andres Morande, William Li, and Jay R. Lund As California works to improve its official accounting of water for a range of
- [How much water was pumped from the Delta's Banks Pumping Plant? A mystery.](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/09/26/how-much-water-was-pumped-from-the-deltas-banks-pumping-plant-a-mystery/) - By Jay Lund As the old saying goes, “Someone with one watch knows what time it is, someone with two watches is never sure.” Water accounting is fundamental to water management, but is not easy. But any accounting is more difficult and expensive if it is less organized. To illustrate this point, let's look at
- [California WaterBlog survey and recommended reads](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/09/11/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, we are curious about what topics California Waterblog readers would like to see addressed. Were
- [Ecogeomorphology: A Transformative Expedition Education](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/09/18/ecogeomorphology-a-transformative-expedition-education/) - This week, the Center for Watershed Sciences is proud to feature our flagship education course, Ecogeomorphology. What began as a collaboration between then-Professors Jeffrey Mount and Peter Moyle to introduce students to cross-discipline thinking in expedition settings has developed into a transformative opportunity for the select graduate and undergraduate students to experience a range of settings
- [How ecogeomorphology changed my life](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/09/21/how-ecogeomorphology-changed-my-life/) - by Tyler Goodearly For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to study fish. Like my idols, Jacques Cousteau, or Steve Irwin, or Jeff Corwin, I too had the “fish itch,” and I knew I must follow this passion. By the time I was in the seventh grade I had devised a 10-year plan
- [New Baton Rouge flood map show limits of current risk and planning methods](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/08/28/new-baton-rouge-flood-map-show-limits-of-current-risk-and-planning-methods/) - by Nicholas Pinter, Nicholas Santos, Rui Hui, Kathleen Schaefer The flooding in Baton Rouge and surrounding areas of Louisiana is a major disaster, claiming an estimated 13 lives and displacing more than 100,000 people from their homes. The National Weather Service reported that rainfall in Louisiana this past week reached up to a 1000-year event
- [Economic Analysis of the 2016 California Drought for Agriculture](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/08/15/economic-analysis-of-the-2016-california-drought-for-agriculture/) - by Josué Medellín-Azuara, Duncan MacEwan, Richard E. Howitt, Daniel A. Sumner, and Jay R. Lund The drought continues for California’s agriculture in 2016, but with much less severe and widespread impacts than in the two previous drought years, 2014 and 2015. Winter and spring were wetter in the Sacramento Valley, to the extent of several
- [Scott Valley pioneers instream flow and groundwater management for reconciled water use](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/08/21/scott-valley-pioneers-instream-flow-and-groundwater-management-for-reconciled-water-use/) - by Gus Tolley The Scott River is one of California’s four major undammed streams and important spawning habitat for coho (a species listed as “threatened”) and Chinook salmon. This peaceful and pastoral agricultural valley is at the center of several water-related conflicts and lawsuits. However, it is also pioneering a range of instream flow and
- [A confluence of whitewater and watershed scientists](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/04/23/a-confluence-of-whitewater-and-watershed-scientists/) - UC Davis watershed scientists immerse themselves in rafting guide training on the South Fork American River, April 2013. Video by Eric Holmes By Chris Bowman Researchers here at the multidisciplinary UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences convey the power and behavior of rivers in many ways. Geologists measure the movement of sediment and the scouring
- [Environmental science students rise to storytelling challenge](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/09/30/environmental-science-students-rise-to-storytelling-challenge/) - Trailer for "Stream Macroinvertebrates, A Love Story," by UC Davis student Kyle Phillips By Sarah Yarnell 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 life. Whether rafting the Colorado
- [Hike Tuolumne Meadows -- without breaking a sweat](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/09/14/hike-tuolumne-meadows-without-breaking-a-sweat/) - Opening scene of the Tuolumne Meadows Virtual Hike. Source: UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences, Google Maps. Take the Tuolumne Meadows Virtual Hike By Sarah Yarnell To enjoy the full sweep of Yosemite's lush and lovely Tuolumne Meadows, as shown above, you need to head for the high country on the national park's north side
- [Wanted: student scientists looking for inspiration and adventure](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/02/07/5728/) - 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 life. Whether rafting the Colorado through the Grand Canyon, plying the undammed Skeena in British
- [Local groundwater management in France and California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/07/31/local-groundwater-management-in-france-and-california/) - by Corentin Girard France and California have different environmental, agricultural, economic, institutional, and cultural contexts. However, both are moving to more local management of groundwater. In California, the 2014 Groundwater Sustainable Management Act required creation of local Groundwater Sustainable Agencies (GSA) and Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSP) to end groundwater overdraft and other undesirable conditions
- [Better accounting begets better water management](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/07/24/better-accounting-begets-better-water-management/) - by Jay Lund Sustainable use of groundwater in California will require major changes in groundwater management, use, and recharge. Under the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, groundwater basins as a whole are responsible for sustainability. But millions of people and thousands of governments and private land managers must recharge more water and pump less to
- [St. Helena, California: Dealing with a Field-of-Dreams Levee, Residual Risk, and a Flood of Controversy](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/07/17/st-helena-california-dealing-with-a-field-of-dreams-levee-residual-risk-and-a-flood-of-controversy/) - by Nicholas Pinter A new $37.2[1] million levee in the town of St. Helena, on the floodplain of the Napa River, has a colorful history and has been stirring local acrimony since its inception. This project illustrates both the attraction of levee protection, in this case protecting a low-income neighborhood ("low income" by Napa standards)
- [Instream flows: Five features of effective summer flow strategies](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/07/10/instream-flows-five-features-of-effective-summer-flow-strategies/) - 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 there are five key ideas worth remembering as water users and regulators throughout the state consider
- [How bad is water management in California?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/06/26/how-bad-is-water-management-in-california/) - by Jay Lund California’s combination of climate, native ecosystems, and human uses makes water management inherently hard, unsatisfactory, and evolving. California is doomed to have difficult and controversial water problems. No matter how successful we are. California is one of the few parts of the world with a Mediterranean climate (Figure 1). These climates tend
- [California Water Made Simple](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/06/19/california-water-made-simple/) - Celebrating end of the academic year, and the need to grade papers, here is a reprise post from January 29, 2014. There’s only so many acre-feet of water jargon the public can absorb during a drought. Here’s a primer that avoids wading into cubic-feet-per-second, appropriative water rights, overdraft, conjunctive water use and the like. Further
- [Trump's Dubious Drought Claims](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/06/12/trumps-dubious-drought-claims/) - By Vanessa Schipani This post originally appeared on June 9, 2016 on FactCheck.org. The original post can be found here. Peter Moyle, Associate Director at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences, and Jeffrey Mount, Senior Fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California and founding director of CWS, dispel some myths in Trump's Fresno rally speech. During
- [Cue the Frogs! Water signatures, environmental cues and climate change](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/06/05/cue-the-frogs-water-signatures-environmental-cues-and-climate-change/) - By Ryan Peek, Helen Dahlke, and Sarah Yarnell An organism’s success relies on responding to environmental cues that trigger activities such as breeding, migration, feeding, predator evasion, etc. Responses can be finely tuned to specific cues, or may require multiple triggers. For example, changes in day length and air temperature cue many bird migrations over
- [Water and salt exports from the Delta - A tale of two plots](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/05/29/water-and-salt-exports-from-the-delta-a-tale-of-two-plots/) - By Jay Lund and William Fleenor Where does water exported from the Delta come from? And where does the salt in Delta exports come from? Water and salt exported from the Delta comes from several sources: Sacramento River (largest high-quality source) (Sac) San Joaquin River discharge (usually modest flow, but much saltier from agricultural drainage)
- [Understanding predation impacts on Delta native fishes](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/05/22/6206/) - By Peter Moyle, Andrew Sih, Anna Steel, Carson Jeffres, William Bennett of University of California, Davis. Will endangered fishes, such as Chinook salmon, delta smelt, and longfin smelt, benefit from control of predators, especially of striped bass? This question is of interest because if the answer is ‘yes’, then predator control might increase the benefits
- [SGMA and the Challenge of Groundwater Management Sustainability](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/05/15/sgma-and-the-challenge-of-groundwater-management-sustainability/) - By Bill Blomquist It isn’t just the groundwater that has to be sustainable; it’s the management too. That’s why the title of this post shifts from the more familiar “sustainable groundwater management” to “groundwater management sustainability.” This perspective doesn’t come from the world of hydrologic or climate or environmental science, but from political science and
- [Inevitable Changes to Water in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/05/08/inevitable-changes-to-water-in-california/) - 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 and unique ecosystems. A growing globalized economy and society historically drive changes in California’s water
- [California’s Delta-Groundwater Nexus: Delta Effects of Ending Central Valley Overdraft?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/04/17/californias-delta-groundwater-nexus-economic-and-water-supply-effects-of-ending-groundwater-overdraft-in-californias-central-valley/) - By Timothy Nelson, Heidi Chou, Prudentia Zikalala, Jay Lund, Rui Hui, and Josué Medellín–Azuara Surface water and groundwater management are often tightly linked, even when linkage is not intended or expected. This link has special importance in drier regions, such as California. A recent paper examines the economic and water management effects of ending long-term
- [Floods, farms, fowl, and fish: a confluence of successful management](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/03/20/floods-farms-fowl-and-fish-a-confluence-of-successful-management/) - By Eric Holmes The floodplain smorgasbord is open! Wrapping up a successful fifth season, the Knaggs Nigiri project, partnered with California Trout and the California Department of Water Resources, places fall run juvenile Chinook salmon in inundated rice fields during a six week period in February and early March, the non-rice-growing season. The project has implications
- [Sailing the Seas of Data Discovery](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/04/10/sailing-the-seas-of-data-discovery/) - by Megan Nguyen Which display is more engaging to you? The table or the map? Do you remember a time when you really needed to find something in your room that you know you for certain have but can't remember where you placed it? And so then you have to search every nook and cranny
- [ENSO the Wet Season Ends (almost) - March 31, 2016](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/04/03/enso-the-wet-season-ends-almost/) - By Jay Lund Summary of conditions March 2016 has been unusually wet, and quite a contrast to February. The “Godzilla” El Nino this year has been a bit “Gonzo”, but overall has brought a welcome above average precipitation for northern California, after four solid drought years. The unevenness of the precipitation is some concern, and
- [Water managers drop the ball on Hetch Hetchy](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/04/01/water-managers-drop-the-ball-on-hetch-hetchy/) - By Nan W. Frobish Visitors to Yosemite's iconic Hetch Hetchy reservoir are doing a double-take. Instead of seeing the majestic backdrop of the Sierra Nevada reflected in the pristine mountain water, they are now greeted by millions of black balls that cover the surface. After four years of record-setting drought and statewide low reservoir levels,
- ["Toilet to tap": A potential high quality water source for California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/03/27/toilet-to-tap-a-potential-high-quality-water-source-for-california/) - By Nathaniel Homan Reusing water is not a new concept to many Californians. Many municipalities across California have facilities that treat wastewater to high standards, which allows it to be reused for agricultural irrigation, landscape irrigation, and industrial use. Other municipalities, such as the Orange County Water District, treat wastewater even further using advanced technologies,
- [Using Game Theory To Encourage Cooperation in Levee System Planning](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/03/13/using-game-theory-to-encourage-cooperation-in-levee-system-planning/) - By Rui Hui, Jay Lund and Kaveh Madani Levees protect land from floods, but not perfectly. Different levees on a river often are controlled by different agencies or groups. A landowner on one riverbank sees the levee system differently from a landowner on the opposite bank or downstream. Each landowner, or elected levee board, is
- [Let people pay what water is worth - Sell your conserved water](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/03/06/let-people-pay-what-water-is-worth-sell-your-conserved-water/) - 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, pumping, treatment plants, and reservoirs. We do not pay for the lost value that water
- [ENSO the Drought Strikes Back!   The 2016 Drought so far – March 1](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/02/28/enso-the-drought-strikes-back-the-2016-drought-so-far-march-1/) - By Jay Lund Summary of conditions February 2016 has been dry, despite El Nino-besotted promises of aqueous abundance. There is sometimes a difference between climatic conditions and hydrologic reality (and economic reality). Annual precipitation and snowpack are now about average or a little less. Fortunately, the largest reservoirs continue to fill slowly, relative to previous
- [You Can't Always Get What You Want - A Mick Jagger Theory of Drought Management](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/02/21/you-cant-always-get-what-you-want-a-mick-jagger-theory-of-drought-management/) - by Jay Lund “You can't always get what you want But if you try sometimes you just might find You get what you need,” Rolling Stones (1969, Let It Bleed album) The ongoing California drought has many lessons for water managers and policy-makers. Perhaps the greatest lesson is how unimportant a drought can be if
- [ENSO it’s raining.   The 2016 Drought so far – February 1](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/01/31/enso-its-raining-the-2016-drought-so-far-february-1/) - by Jay Lund Summary of conditions January 2016 has been much wetter than the previous Januaries during this drought. Precipitation is modestly above average, as is snowpack, and climatic conditions remain promising. The largest reservoirs are mostly fuller than a year ago, although not nearly to average conditions for this time of year. Groundwater is
- [What lies behind the dam? In some cases, self-sustaining salmon](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/02/14/5714/) - By K. Martin Perales Chinook salmon are a remarkably adaptable species. There is good reason to believe there are multiple populations of landlocked Chinook salmon completing their entire life cycle above Central Valley dams. We recently documented spawning above six of thirteen reservoirs that have been stocked with Chinook. In some cases, populations have persisted for
- [Why care about native freshwater fish?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/01/24/why-care-about-native-freshwater-fish/) - By Jason Baumsteiger Even with a strong El Niño year, there are no assurances the drought is over. Clearly we need a better plan for future droughts and that plan needs to include provisions for native freshwater fish. But why include native fish? There are many reasons. Many feel that native fish have a right
- [Eager for rain - and floods - on California's floodplain playground: the lower Cosumnes River](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/01/17/eager-for-rain-and-floods-on-californias-floodplain-playground-the-lower-cosumnes-river/) - By Andrew Nichols California’s drought plays on, and a recent series of storms to start the New Year have done little to change this broken record. However, promising weather conditions suggest a change of tune may be coming soon. This is exciting news for drought-stricken California, bringing hope of full reservoirs and an extended spring
- [ENSO it Begins?   The 2016 Drought – so far – January 3](https://californiawaterblog.com/2016/01/03/enso-it-begins-the-2016-drought-so-far-january-3/) - By Jay Lund "One afternoon they take me ... to witness a great religious ceremony. It is the invocation to the gods for rain." John Wesley Powell (1895, p. 338) 2016 starts with slightly above average precipitation and snowpack and promising climatic conditions, but a long way to go... Summary of conditions California remains in
- [The Earth is Falling! - Land Subsidence and Water Management in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/12/27/the-earth-is-falling-land-subsidence-and-water-management-in-california/) - By Jay Lund, Thomas Harter, Rob Gailey, Rick Frank, and Graham Fogg Groundwater problems are mostly invisible. However, as California has come to rely more on groundwater during the drought, land subsidence from groundwater drawdown and accumulating overdraft has become a visible concern in some areas. Some of this subsidence has been dramatic. Almost 4
- [Comments to SWRCB: Regulation for Measuring and Reporting Water Diversion](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/12/16/comments-to-the-state-water-resources-control-board-on-emergency-regulation-for-measuring-and-reporting-the-diversion-of-water/) - By Henry McCann, Elisa Blanco, Alvar Escriva-Bou, Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund, Bonnie Magnuson-Skeels, Andrew Tweet[1] Governor Brown signed Senate Bill 88 on June 24, 2015, adding provisions to the California Water Code for stricter measurement and reporting for surface water diverters. Last week, the State Water Resources Control Board published a draft Emergency Regulation for
- [Rising to El Niño’s challenges – and opportunities](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/11/29/rising-to-el-ninos-challenges-and-opportunities/) - By Nicholas Pinter The much-anticipated El Niño has now arrived, with increased potential for heavy rain and snowfall, including the possibility of localized flooding, mudslides and other hazards. While extreme storms, flooding and other natural disasters challenge society to protect life and property from damage, they also present opportunities. Floods in particular often catalyze positive
- [Measuring the effectiveness of ‘environmental flows’](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/11/18/measuring-the-effectiveness-of-environmental-flows/) - 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 Shasta River, prompting emergency actions to increase stream flows in the upstream tributary. When Chinook
- [Improving mandatory State cutbacks of urban water use for a 5th year of drought](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/12/13/improving-mandatory-state-cutbacks-of-urban-water-use-for-a-5th-year-of-drought/) - 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, also bring opportunities to use water more efficiently, based on lessons from the drought so
- [California's groundwater - basics, laws, and beyond](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/12/07/californias-groundwater-basics-laws-and-beyond/) - By Chris Austin Groundwater has been receiving a lot of attention lately, and for good reason. California is the heaviest groundwater user in the nation, and our use is increasing after recent, multiple dry years. The Sustainable Groundwater Supply Act of 2014 set a fundamentally new state water policy to manage and monitor the state’s
- [Keep California's water 'Maven’ afloat](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/11/24/keep-californias-water-maven-afloat/) - The nonprofit Maven's Notebook has become the daily go-to place for the latest California water news and information, including meeting summaries, keynote speeches and digests of ponderous documents. It's a one-person operation, and that person, Chris Austin (aka "Maven"), needs your donations to stay afloat. Helping Maven's Notebook stay nonprofit helps everyone in California water policy and
- [Urban water conservation for the birds](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/10/06/water-conservation-could-be-for-the-birds/) - 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 will go to uses they value less — such as supplying more wasteful customers, new
- [Finally, a one-stop shop for locating California's fishes](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/11/08/finally-a-one-stop-shop-for-locating-californias-fishes/) - By Nick Santos “Where?” The question is foundational to conservation biology and policy. To take a conservation action, you need to know where to act. And, yet, for decades stewards and researchers of aquatic fauna have been sorely lacking in tools to systematically collect, store and map data on where California's freshwater fishes are located.
- [Watering up Halloween, California style](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/10/28/watering-up-for-a-california-halloween/) - By Ghost Writer What better way to spook Californians this Halloween than to appear as a slobbering "Godzilla El Niño." Or draped in a bedsheet as Godzilla's opponent, "The Blob," the amoeba-shaped patch of unusually warm Pacific water blocking storms in California. Too scary? Not to worry. Researchers at UC Davis' Center for Watershed Sciences
- [An update on California fishes of ‘special concern’](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/10/22/an-update-on-california-fishes-of-special-concern/) - By Peter Moyle Three-fourths of California’s native fishes are now officially designated as being in trouble, or potentially so. The good news is that not all of these species – 93 of the total 123 native fishes today – have to go the way of winter-run Chinook salmon or delta smelt, which are verging on
- [Capturing El Niño for the underground](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/10/13/capturing-el-nino-for-the-underground/) - By Philip Bachand, Helen Dahlke, William Horwath, Thomas Harter and Toby O’Geen A much-anticipated "Godzilla" El Niño this winter may refill California’s drought-diminished reservoirs, but it won’t do much to restock the severely depleted aquifers we rely upon to get by during droughts. One reason for this is the sheer depth of California’s precipitation deficit
- [Time-lapse river videos expose nature in the raw](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/10/01/time-lapse-river-videos-expose-nature-in-the-raw/) - By Ryan Peek Thanks to its Mediterranean climate, California swings from one extreme to another — severe drought, raging wildfires, big floods. These forces often interact and amplify, as we saw all too well this past summer in the scorching of hundreds of thousands of extremely dry forested acres, with the loss of homes and lives.
- [The banality of California's '1,200-year' drought](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/09/23/the-banality-of-californias-1200-year-drought/) - By Jay Lund California’s ongoing drought will continue to break records and grab headlines, but it is unlikely to be especially rare from a water policy and management perspective. Estimates of the current drought’s rarity range from once in 15 years to once in 1,200 years (Griffin and Anchukaitis 2014), depending on the region and
- [How research programs stack up -- a photo essay](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/09/21/how-research-programs-stack-up-a-photo-essay/) - By Jay Lund Riding into work the other day, I was thinking how our understanding of hard problems requires understanding a lot of pieces and how those pieces fit together – sort of like how a pile of bricks gets transformed into a habitable structure. If every research study is a brick in our understanding,
- [For a change in Delta perspective, move a few feet](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/09/09/for-a-change-in-delta-scenery-move-a-few-feet/) - By Jay Lund Each year my family takes a week’s vacation in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta on our old sailboat. We often follow some Delta veterans who show us new places. As an engineering professor working on California’s water problems, I research the Delta mainly as a water supply hub and a flood-prone landscape. Sailing
- [Delta smelt's unsung cousin seems verging on extinction, too](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/08/30/delta-smelts-unsung-relative-seems-verging-on-extinction-too/) - By James Hobbs and Peter Moyle Another native fish of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta appears to be rivaling the cliffhanger status of the delta smelt. Relative to its historical abundance, the lesser-known longfin smelt has experienced an even bigger decline than delta smelt — and may be in bigger trouble — according to trawl surveys
- [Guidance for putting new groundwater law on the ground](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/08/26/guidance-for-putting-new-groundwater-law-on-the-ground/) - By Thomas Harter, Vicki Kretsinger Grabert and Tim Parker A group that helps shape California groundwater policy has proposed several ideas for state consideration in implementing the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). The Contemporary Groundwater Issues Council of the Groundwater Association of California – comprised of various agency executives and influential water researchers and
- [Drought bites harder, but agriculture remains robust](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/08/18/drought-bites-harder-but-agriculture-remains-robust/) - Spanish version By Richard Howitt, Duncan MacEwan, Josué Medellín-Azuara and Jay Lund Today we release our second annual report estimating the economic impacts from prolonged drought. More than anything, the results of our 16-page analysis of the current growing season speak to agriculture’s remarkable resilience to multiyear surface water shortages. They also show that the
- [The hard work of sustainable groundwater management](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/08/13/the-hard-work-of-sustainable-groundwater-management/) - By Erik Porse Under California’s new groundwater law, local agencies must adopt long-term plans for sustainably managing basins subject to critical overdraft. Preparing these plans will be challenging, requiring collaboration and compromise among water users accustomed to pumping as they please. Local agencies do not know exactly what they’re in for. They’ve never been responsible
- [Napa County strings together a 'living' river](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/07/29/napa-county-strings-together-a-living-river-2/) - By Amber Manfree In the historic heart of Napa Valley, a moderate climate and alluvial soils deposited by the Napa River create perfect conditions for world-class cabernets. An acre of vines here sells for around $300,000, or 25 times the state average for irrigated cropland. Yet a group of landowners have ripped out 20 acres
- [Ten realities for managing the Delta](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/07/23/ten-realities-for-managing-the-delta-2/) - This article was originally published Feb. 26, 2013 By Peter Moyle I have been working on Delta fishes for nearly 40 years. Increasingly, I have curmudgeonly thoughts about what is needed to make the ecosystem work better. Here I present these thoughts as “Ten Realities” – statements of the obvious that are often overlooked in
- [Is California's drought a ‘new normal’ ?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/07/15/is-californias-drought-a-new-normal/) - By Stephen Maples Many are wondering whether the current drought is the harbinger of a drier California with more frequent and longer multi-year dry spells. Some have already jumped to this conclusion. "This is the new normal," Gov. Jerry Brown declared during an April 1 press conference announcing mandatory urban water restrictions statewide, the first
- [California Drought: Virtual Water vs. Real Water](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/07/05/virtual-water-vs-real-water-in-california-2/) - This article was originally published Feb. 27, 2014 By Jay Lund There has been considerable kvetching during this drought about California exporting agricultural products overseas, with some saying that this implies we are virtually exporting water that we should be using in California. Those concerned should take comfort with California’s major imports of virtual water. Much of
- [How to manage drought: Ask an economist](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/06/23/how-to-manage-drought-ask-an-economist/) - The economics of water scarcity is crucial to sustainable water management, particularly during droughts. California has long benefited from the insights of economists, though their ranks in state water agencies are thinning. Luckily, California has a wealth of young, talented economists already active in public water policy and who will be around for future droughts. California
- [Making the most of little water -- with spreadsheets](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/06/14/making-the-most-of-little-water-with-spreadsheets/) - By Jenny Ta and Joshua Viers It seems inevitable that increasing numbers of California farmers will see their claims to surface water suspended this growing season as the drought persists into a fourth year. The State Water Resources Control Board said as much Friday (June 12) when it extended drought-related prohibitions on river diversions to irrigators with rights
- [Drought killing farm jobs -- even as they grow](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/06/08/california-drought-killing-farm-jobs-even-as-they-grow/) - By Josué Medellín-Azuara, Richard Howitt, Duncan MacEwan, Daniel Sumner and Jay Lund With all the news about the drought drying up farm jobs, it seems paradoxical that California agriculture actually came out a bit ahead on employment growth last year. The industry gained a monthly average of more than 4,000 jobs, up 1 percent from
- [Harsher drought impacts forecast for California agriculture](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/06/02/harsher-drought-impacts-forecast-for-california-agriculture/) - By Richard Howitt, Duncan MacEwan, Josué Medellín-Azuara, Jay Lund and Daniel A. Sumner The drought is expected to be worse for California’s agricultural economy this year because of reduced water availability, according to our preliminary estimates released today. The study, summarized below, estimates farmers will have 2.7 million acre-feet less surface water than they would in a
- [Ten ways the feds can help ease drought in the West](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/05/27/ten-ways-the-feds-can-help-ease-drought-in-the-west/) - Since the onset of California’s drought emergency 16 months ago, federal agencies and Congress have been seeking to help the state through funding and new and existing legislation. Here are 10 recommendations for new federal actions. Although many focus on California, they are relevant to other western states facing similar challenges. Because droughts are a
- [Water giveaways during a drought invite conflict](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/03/23/water-giveaways-during-a-drought-invite-conflict/) - This article first ran in the San Francisco Chronicle on March 20, 2015. By Jay Lund and Peter Moyle When labor is scarce, people move to better jobs with higher wages.
- [Q & A on survival of California's delta smelt ](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/05/17/q-a-on-survival-of-delta-smelt-on-air-and-off-air/) - Four years of severe drought and decades of huge water diversions appears to have pushed delta smelt to the point of no return. State biologists netted only a single smelt last month in trawl of 40 sites in San Francisco Estuary, the species' only home. The record-low catch came less than a month after UC
- [Keeping accounts for groundwater sustainability](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/05/10/getting-to-the-big-picture-in-groundwater-management/) - Rob Gailey, Graham Fogg, Thomas Harter, Jay Lund, Helen Dahlke, Richard Frank, Tim Ginn, Richard Howitt, Mimi Jenkins, Bonnie Magnuson, Josué Medellín-Azuara, and Samuel Sandoval Solis The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014 creates an opportunity to establish standards for the way California accounts for its stores of groundwater, which provide up to 60 percent
- [Water rationing and California's drought](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/05/03/water-rationing-and-californias-drought/) - By Jay Lund California cities and water utilities will be stressed to meet the state’s aggressive urban conservation mandates in this fourth year of drought. Following Gov. Jerry Brown’s executive order, the State Water Resources Control Board developed specific reduction targets for each major urban water supplier, ranging from 8 percent to 36 percent of
- [Food prices and the California drought](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/04/22/food-prices-and-the-california-drought/) - By Daniel A. Sumner California’s drought has been tough on farms and especially painful for farm workers in the Central Valley. But consumers of California-produced food have been spared large price increases. Despite the severity of the drought and California’s dominant market shares in many foods – especially fruits, vegetables and tree nuts – consumers
- [Dollars and drops per California crop](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/04/14/dollars-and-drops-per-crop-in-california/) - By Josué Medellín-Azuara and Jay Lund When it comes to water, California’s irrigated agriculture is always under the public magnifying glass because it is the largest managed water use in the state and the economic base for many rural areas. During a prolonged drought like the current one, however, crop water comes under a microscope.
- [Making every drop count in drought – and deluge](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/04/09/making-every-drop-count-in-drought-and-deluge/) - By Joshua Viers and Graham Fogg A little publicized but highly curious part of the emergency drought legislation signed by Gov. Jerry Brown last month advances hundreds of millions of dollars to shore up and replace aging levees in flood prone areas of the state. Drought relief through better flood control? Really? As it turns
- [Exotic animals deployed as Delta 'weed whackers'](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/04/01/exotic-herbivores-deployed-to-mow-down-waterweeds-clogging-delta/) - By Nestle J. Frobish Visitors to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta are doing double takes lately as they encounter some newly introduced “biological controls” to keep a fast-spreading waterweed from damaging boat propellers and choking off waterways. Working with state water officials, UC Davis scientists last month released a herd or “bloat” of hippopotamuses from Botswana
- [The California Drought of 2015: A preview](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/03/30/the-california-drought-of-2015-a-preview/) - By Jay Lund This fourth year of drought is severe, but not yet the driest ever. The drought's impacts are worsened by record heat, which has dried out soils and raised the demands for irrigation, and the historical high levels of California's population, economy, and agricultural production, and historical low levels of native fish species. There is
- [Prepare for extinction of delta smelt](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/03/18/prepare-for-extinction-of-delta-smelt/) - By Peter Moyle I saw my first delta smelt in 1972, during my first fall as an assistant professor at UC Davis. I was on a California Department of Fish and Wildlife trawl survey to learn about the fishes of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The survey then targeted young striped bass, but the trawl towed
- [Salmon finding a home in my backyard – Could it be?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/03/11/salmon-finding-a-home-in-my-backyard-could-it-be/) - By Peter Moyle The sound of splashing drew me to the stream. A dark finned back cut the surface. Salmon? The fish came into view and its snout was a giveaway, maroon-hued and curved like a hook. This was a spawning male Chinook salmon. It alternated between chasing another hooknose and two jacks, small males
- [Creating effective groundwater sustainability plans](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/03/04/creating-effective-groundwater-sustainability-plans/) - Jay Lund, Thomas Harter, Robert Gailey, Graham Fogg, Richard Frank, Helen Dahlke, Timothy Ginn, Sam Sandoval Solis, Thomas Young — UC Davis Andrew Fisher, Ruth Langridge — UC Santa Cruz Joshua Viers, Thomas Harmon — UC Merced Patricia Holden, Arturo Keller — UC Santa Barbara Michael Kiparsky — UC Berkeley Todd Greene, Steffen Mehl —
- [The California Drought of 2015: March](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/02/28/the-2015-drought-so-far-march-1/) - By Jay Lund Droughts are strange, and this one is becoming scarier. February began with a nice few stormy days, but has since looked like this January - very dry. And so far, the March forecast is not wet. At the beginning of March, the Northern Sierra (Sacramento Valley) Precipitation Index was down to 88%
- [Dutch lessons on levee design and prioritization for California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/02/26/21st-century-delta-dutch-lessons-on-levee-design-prioritization/) - This is the second of an intermittent series of articles on the future of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. By Jay Lund In any lowland, levees define how humans live and how they disrupt native habitats. This is as true for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta as it is for coastal Louisiana, Vietnam and the Netherlands. Flood
- [21st Century Delta: Reconciling the desired with the possible](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/02/19/21st-century-delta-reconciling-the-desired-with-the-possible/) - This is this first in an intermittent series of articles on the future of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. By Steven Culberson Estuaries are hard places to understand and even harder to explain. Estuarine scientists, myself included, have struggled to learn how changes in the San Francisco Estuary led to declining fish populations and waning productivity,
- [The romance of rain barrels](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/02/08/the-romance-of-rain-barrels/) - By Jay Lund Imagine capturing some of the heavy rain that has been draining off Northern California roofs lately to water yards this summer, for what will likely be a fourth year of drought. The drought has generated interest in household cisterns commonly known as “rain barrels” that collect and store rooftop runoff for when
- [The California Drought of 2015: February](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/02/04/rain-or-shine-california-drought-still-kicking/) - Feb. 4, 2015 drought update on Capital Public Radio By Jay Lund Odds are exceedingly good that February will top January's contribution to precipitation in California. It's hard to be drier than what was essentially zero rain and snowfall last month. The state's driest January on record dropped the Northern Sierra Precipitation Index down from
- [How dam operators can breathe more life into rivers](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/02/01/how-dam-operators-can-breathe-more-life-into-rivers/) - By Sarah Yarnell Dams are no friend to biodiversity. Once impounded, a river answers first and foremost to human needs, be it water supply, energy production or flood protection. Releases are measured and timed to satisfy these demands. As a result, the river downstream loses much of its natural variability in timing, volume and spread of
- [Virtual Water vs. Real Water in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/02/27/virtual-water-vs-real-water-in-california/) - By Jay Lund There has been considerable kvetching during this drought about California exporting agricultural products overseas, with some saying that this implies we are virtually exporting water that we should be using in California. Those concerned should take comfort with California’s major imports of virtual water. Much of the food consumed here comes from
- [New environmentalism needed for California water](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/07/01/new-environmentalism-needed-for-california-water/) - By Jay R. Lund California needs a new environmentalism to set a more effective and sustainable green bar for the nation and even the world. For decades, we have taken a “just say no” approach to stop, prevent or blunt human encroachments onto the natural world – often rightly so. Early environmentalism needed lines in
- [Drought journal: Search for Sierra fish goes from bad to worse](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/08/18/drought-journal-search-for-sierra-fish-goes-from-bad-to-worse/) - Is the drought hastening the decline of California's native fish? Will they be able to recolonize once normal conditions return? To help find out, a team of researchers with the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences are taking the pulse of about 70 streams and rivers across northern and central California this summer, examining habitat conditions
- [Modernizing drought water allocations](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/10/16/modernizing-drought-water-allocations/) - The State Water Resources Control Board recently solicited public comments on how to improve its drought curtailment of water rights. Here is a summary of insights and recommendations from a group of seven California water experts. By Ellen Hanak, Jeffrey Mount, Jay Lund, Greg Gartrell, Brian Gray, Richard Frank and Peter Moyle This past year's severe drought
- [The California Drought of 2015: January](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/01/05/the-2015-drought-so-far/) - By Jay Lund The California Department of Water Resources does a great job assembling data that can give insights on water conditions during the ongoing drought. They update the information daily (which can be addictive for some of us) on the California Data Exchange Center website. Here are highlights of water conditions as of January
- [Blogs, blogs everywhere...](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/04/01/blogs-blogs-everywhere/) - This week’s blog is a compilation of recent stories you might have missed. BDCP parties agree to a peripheral bucket line around Delta – The 44 mile line would require 33,000 employees per shift, spaced 7 feet apart, and would have a capacity of 5 gallons per second. A DWR spokesman said, “This approach will
- [Water Storage in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/09/13/water-storage-in-california-2/) - Jay R. Lund, The Ray B. Krone Chair of Environmental Engineering, University of California – Davis "With a larger reservoir, there is some increasing gain with further size, but in a diminishing ratio." - Alan Hazen (1914) Water storage capacity is an important tool in California’s water system for capturing lower-value water for higher-value uses
- [Wild Things and the Delta](https://californiawaterblog.com/2012/05/10/wild-things-and-the-delta/) - Jay Lund, Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringPeter Moyle, Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation BiologyUniversity of California - Davis The recent death of Maurice Sendak, author of Where the Wild Things Are, brings some whimsical reflections on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Several quotes from the book seem to have potential lessons for Delta policy.
- [Reconciling wild things with tamed places – a future for native fish species in the Delta](https://californiawaterblog.com/2012/06/15/reconciling-wild-things-with-tamed-places-a-future-for-native-fish-species-in-the-delta/) - Peter Moyle, William Bennett, John Durand, William Fleenor, Jay Lund, Jeffrey Mount, University of California - Davis Ellen Hanak, Public Policy Institute of California, San Francisco Brian Gray, University of California - Hastings School of Law Today, the Public Policy Institute of California released two reports that look at how California can better manage the
- [California Water – The Great Remodeling Project](https://californiawaterblog.com/2012/07/25/california-water-the-great-remodeling-project/) - Jay R. Lund, Director, Center for Watershed Sciences, and Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UC Davis People periodically remodel their homes. A household might need a new room for children or an ailing grandparent, want a bigger kitchen, replace a leaky roof, or want more room to entertain. California’s water system is now
- [Restoring Hetch Hetchy Valley](https://californiawaterblog.com/2012/09/11/restore-hetch-hetchy-valley-and-the-hetch-hetchy-system-2/) - Jay Lund, the Ray B. Krone Professor of Environmental Engineering, University of California - Davis In November, the people of San Francisco will vote on looking into alternatives to capturing water at the Hetch Hetchy reservoir site, which could lead to restoring the fabled valley in Yosemite National Park. While this modest step faces steep
- [Knowing Delta’s past offers new ideas forward](https://californiawaterblog.com/2012/09/26/knowing-the-deltas-past-offers-new-ideas-forward/) - By Alison Whipple San Francisco Estuary Institute-Aquatic Science Center Teetering atop a haystack to get his bearings, Sacramento County Surveyor Edwin Sherman observed “dense tules and willows” lining the sloughs that wove through “large tule plains and some grass.” The haystack also afforded him a dry bed at night when high tides inundated the surrounding
- [Sierra frogs breed insights on river management](https://californiawaterblog.com/2012/10/03/frogs-breed-new-insights-on-river-management/) - By Sarah Yarnell, hydrologist, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences When dam operators schedule outflows to satisfy their downstream environmental obligations, they typically want to know, “How much?” How much cold mountain water must Shasta Dam release to preserve the Sacramento River’s imperiled winter run of salmon? How much fresh Sierra water must flow out
- [Lessons from Hurricane Sandy for Bay Area business leaders](https://californiawaterblog.com/2012/10/29/lessons-from-hurricane-sandy-for-bay-area-business-leaders/) - By Jeffrey F. Mount, geology professor and founding director of the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences As you read this today, Hurricane Sandy is colliding with cold air from Canada and creating an impressive storm in the Northeast. Strong onshore winds and an intense low-pressure system are causing storm surges as high as 13
- [Halloween hydrology](https://californiawaterblog.com/2012/10/31/halloween-hydrology/) - By the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences staff If these 1950s ideas for solving California’s water problems don’t frighten you, we don’t know what will. Happy Halloween! The Cornell Plan Sidney Cornell, a Los Angeles construction engineer, circulated an idea for transporting Northern California water to the parched southern end of the state without
- [Fish and Game's name change reflects broader mission](https://californiawaterblog.com/2012/11/07/fish-and-games-name-change-reflects-broader-mission/) - By Joshua Viers and Jacob Katz, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences The California Department of Fish and Game is one of the few state agencies with an inherently likable name. Bent fishing rods come to mind. Fishing and hunting permits are tickets to outdoor adventure and family bonding, and a license to literally bring
- [The dog that didn’t bark: Unexpectedly small effects of export changes on Delta farms](https://californiawaterblog.com/2012/11/14/the-dog-that-didnt-bark-delta-farms-wont-be-destroyed-by-salt/) - Inspector Gregory: Is there any other point to which you would wish to draw my attention? Sherlock Holmes: To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time. Gregory: The dog did nothing in the night-time. Holmes: That was the curious incident. By Josué Medellín-Azuara and Richard Howitt, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences California
- [Getting through the dry times](https://californiawaterblog.com/2012/11/30/getting-through-the-dry-times/) - By Ellen Hanak and Elizabeth Stryjewski This week, the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) released a new report that provides a checkup on California’s progress with two innovative water management tools: water marketing and groundwater banking. These tools are part of a modern approach that will enable California to manage its scarce water resources
- [How engineers see the water glass in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2012/12/06/how-engineers-see-the-water-glass-in-california/) - By Jay R. Lund Depending on your outlook, the proverbial glass of water is either half full or half empty. Not so for engineers in California. Civil engineer: The glass is too big. Flood control engineer: The glass should be 50 percent bigger. Army Corps levee engineer: The glass should be 50 percent thicker. Mexicali
- [Climate change and California water – past, present and future](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/01/13/climate-change-and-california-water-past-present-and-future/) - Everyone talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it. – Charles Dudley Warner, 1897 By Jay R. Lund Talk of climate change and water in California is fraught with handwringing and delusions. Much discussion borders on alarmist or seems to presume magical abilities to precisely plan and prepare for a future climate. Here
- [California’s groundwater problems and prospects](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/01/30/californias-groundwater-problems-and-prospects/) - Under the rocks and stones, there is water underground -- Talking Heads By Jay R. Lund and Thomas Harter Groundwater is one of California’s most ubiquitous, widely used resources that is unseen and misunderstood. Aquifers gather and store water and contaminants from large areas over decades to eons to support many human and ecosystem functions.
- [Ten realities for managing the Delta](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/02/26/ten-realities-for-managing-the-delta/) - By Peter Moyle I have been working on Delta fishes for about 40 years. Increasingly, I have curmudgeonly thoughts about what is needed to make the ecosystem work better. Here I present these thoughts as “Ten Realities” – statements of the obvious that are often overlooked in public debates about the system. Reality No. 1:
- [Priming the pump for a water bond](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/03/04/priming-the-pump-for-a-water-bond/) - Ellen Hanak, Co-Director of Research and Senior Fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), testified at a Feb. 26 legislative hearing concerning California’s capacity to incur additional water bond debt. (The Legislature has placed an $11 billion water bond on the November 2014 general election ballot to fund a wide variety of water
- [Large delta smelt population found south of Delta](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/04/01/large-delta-smelt-population-found-south-of-delta/) - UC Davis scientists have found large populations of the federally protected delta smelt growing extraordinarily large in three Southern California reservoirs, hundreds of miles from its native waters. The smelt presumably colonized the lakes after being pumped from the Delta though the California Aqueduct. The find, reported today (April 1) in the journal Pelagic Papers,
- [Unmasking California’s water ‘Maven’](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/03/27/unmasking-californias-water-maven/) - By Chris Bowman Still in their early teens, Joshua and Noah Austin have yet to reject their mother’s idea of family fun. Chris Austin hauls the family around California to visit canals, dams and reservoirs. They recently made a week’s vacation following irrigation water from the Colorado River near Yuma, Ariz., to farms in the
- [Could California weather a mega-drought?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/06/29/could-california-weather-a-mega-drought/) - By Jay Lund In the past 1,200 years, California had two droughts lasting 120-200 years. Could the state’s water resources continue to supply enough water to drink, grow crops and provide habitat for fish with such an extreme, prolonged drought? With careful management, California’s economy in many ways could withstand such a severe drought. That’s
- [UC Davis speakers series: Critical problems for California water policy](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/04/10/uc-davis-speakers-series-critical-problems-for-california-water-policy/) - By Chris Austin California’s water future is at a critical juncture. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is declining, both as a reliable hub for exporting water for millions of Californians and millions of farmed acres, and as an ecosystem supporting a vast array of wildlife. The Delta Reform Act of 2009 set a fundamentally new state
- [Jerry Orlob: legendary mentor for California water engineers](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/04/16/jerry-orlob-legendary-mentor-for-california-water-engineers/) - By Jay Lund Jerry was a giant. He pioneered the field of water quality modeling and system analysis in water and environmental engineering. He founded a series of influential consulting firms, many of which exist today. And he helped establish the excellence of environmental and water engineering programs at UC Davis. What made Jerry a
- [Life springs in Sierra rivers as springtime flows recede](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/05/04/life-springs-in-sierra-rivers-as-springtime-flows-recede/) - By Sarah Yarnell and Ryan Peek In case you hadn’t heard, the annual Sierra “spring snowmelt recession” has begun. The foothill yellow-legged frog certainly knew. Adapted to the seasonal patterns of California’s climate, this rare frog and other native amphibians, fishes and bottom-dwelling invertebrates are genetically wired to reproduce during the spring snowmelt when river
- [A sweet spot for farms and fish on a floodplain](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/05/09/a-sweet-spot-for-farms-and-fish-on-a-floodplain/) - By Richard Howitt and Josué Medellín-Azuara For decades, Sacramento area freeway commuters have been treated to a carousel of contrasting landscapes as they cross a vast floodplain known as the Yolo Bypass. The carousel rotates by the season. In wet winters, the rain-swollen Sacramento River spills into the bypass, which is designed as a relief
- [What lies in store for the state water bond?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/05/16/what-lies-in-store-for-the-state-water-bond/) - By Ellen Hanak California has been struggling to manage its scarce water resources effectively for the benefit of competing needs: a growing population and urban economy, a highly productive agricultural sector and many valuable but threatened watersheds. In the final months of 2009, the state Legislature passed a comprehensive package of water bills – the
- [Warmer water will kill off most of California's native fishes](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/05/31/warmer-water-will-kill-off-most-of-californias-native-fishes/) - By Peter Moyle The peculiar pattern of rain California had this winter – virtually none in January and February – should remind us all that climate change is really happening now. “Abnormal” events will become increasingly frequent as our era of benign climate recedes. Dry winters are especially hard on native fishes that rely on
- [The new 'normal' water year in a changing California climate](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/06/10/the-new-normal-water-year-in-a-changing-california-climate/) - By Sarah Null and Joshua Viers For at least 20 years now, water scientists have impressed upon us the unavoidable effects of climate change already underway in California. The forecasts repeatedly call for reduced Sierra snowpack, earlier spring snowmelt, prolonged hot spells and droughts, warmer rivers stressing cold-water fish, wilder storms and sea level rise
- [The Delta won't rise again](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/06/17/the-delta-wont-rise-again/) - By Jay R. Lund Much of the western and central Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta has sunk deeply below sea level, and it continues to subside as its marsh soils erode from being drained and farmed. At the same time, sea level is rising. The two trends increase these islands’ likelihood of flooding from major storms, earthquakes,
- [Time to rethink fish plantings in the Klamath](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/06/25/time-to-rethink-fish-plantings-in-the-klamath/) - By Rebecca M. Quiñones The Klamath River basin presents one of the best opportunities for the reform of hatchery practices and the recovery of wild salmon and trout populations in California. Much of the habitat for the Klamath’s Chinook, coho and steelhead fisheries is in relatively good shape compared with conditions in the Sacramento and
- [How to save salmon: location, location, location](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/07/23/how-to-save-salmon-location-location-location/) - By Robert Lusardi Spring-fed waters are luxurious places for salmon and trout. They provide ideal flows and temperatures year-round and jungles of aquatic plants teeming with insects for easy snacking. In real estate, the saying goes, three things matter: “location, location, location.” Can the same be said for native fish? Are fish that reside near
- [Project HOBBES: Assembling water models from the data up](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/07/31/project-hobbes-assembling-water-models-from-the-data-up/) - By Samuel Sandoval Solis, Josué Medellín-Azuara and Jay Lund Computer modelers tasked with untangling California’s knotty water problems often find themselves entangled by incompatible or poorly organized datasets. They’re stuck for months trying to transform these datasets into model inputs before the important business of modeling can get underway. Some highly useful datasets on parts
- [Paradox on the Plains: As water efficiency increases, so can water use](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/08/13/paradox-on-the-plains-as-water-efficiency-increases-so-can-water-use/) - By C.-Y. Cynthia Lin Groundwater and water conservation are critical issues in California and globally. Many of the world's most productive agricultural regions depend on groundwater and have experienced unsustainable declines in water levels. In many places, policymakers have attempted to decrease groundwater extraction through voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs for irrigated agriculture. These policies are
- [Major gift endorses UC Davis' multidisciplinary engagement with California's water problems](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/09/19/major-gift-endorses-uc-davis-multidisciplinary-engagement-with-californias-water-problems/) - By Jay Lund Today marks a milestone for successful engagement of university research with California’s water problems. UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi announced a major donation to the Center for Watershed Sciences. The $10 million gift from the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation will enable the Center to expand its scientific research and public
- [Journey to the bottom of the Rim Fire](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/09/26/journey-to-the-bottom-of-the-rim-fire/) - Video: Researchers with the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences describe their Sept. 20 hike through the apocalyptic terrain left by this summer's Rim Fire. The U. S. Forest Service granted the researchers limited access on the still-closed and burning Stanislaus National Forest to retrieve their scientific monitoring equipment at the confluence of the Tuolumne
- [Groundwater and climate change in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/10/09/groundwater-and-climate-change-in-california/) - By Andrew Fisher, Graham Fogg, Joshua Viers, Jay Lund, Ruth Langridge and Patricia Holden For all the talk of climate change adaptation, California has yet to comprehensively address the effects of warmer temperatures and changing weather patterns on the state’s limited groundwater resources. To start the process, several of the leading University of California faculty
- [Innovations in floodplain modeling: A test-drive on the Yolo Bypass](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/10/18/innovations-in-floodplain-modeling-a-test-drive-on-the-yolo-bypass/) - High-resolution simulation of 2006 flooding in Yolo Bypass Video shows a swollen Sacramento River spilling over the Fremont weir into the 57,000-acre floodway. Notice that the floodwaters spread through individual irrigation ditches and drains, the blue hues darkening as levels rise. Hydraulic models need such fine detail when the acreage at stake is relatively small –
- [Board game wakens Delta islanders on flood risks](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/11/18/board-game-wakens-delta-islanders-on-flood-risks/) - By Wouter Jan Klerk and Ties Rijcken The California Delta is one of the world’s most complex water systems. As a group of five Dutch students from Delft University of Technology, we were eager to visit the diked islands, or “polders,” as we call them in the Netherlands. We wanted to learn how California balances
- ['North Delta Arc' lifts hope for recovery of native fish](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/10/26/north-delta-arc-lifts-hope-for-recovery-of-native-fish/) - By John Durand Matt Young and Denise De Carion thought they had seen about all there is of fish communities in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. They had surveyed nearly the entire web of channels using electrofishing boats in their years of assisting environmental researchers at UC Davis. In all their dozens of sampling runs, the
- [Halloween horrors and machetes on the Butte](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/10/30/halloween-horrors-and-machetes-on-the-butte/) - By Chris Bowman Photos by Bill Husa, Chico Enterprise-Record They spook the faint-of-heart every Halloween. Ghoulish, hollow-eyed creatures stumble about like they’re half-dead. Their skin is mottled from open sores. Rotting lips peel back to reveal horrific grins. But enough about California’s spring-run Chinook salmon. Come autumn, these fish become the real-life living dead. Human
- [New suspense flick on Delta](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/11/06/new-suspense-flick-on-delta/) - _____________ Postcard from the Sacramento Delta (2013) 5 min 40 sec -- Rated G -- Suspense Director: Todd Dayton Cast: Jay Lund, Daniel Wilson The sea is rising and the land is sinking. Aging levees are giving way. Island communities find themselves at the mercy of forces beyond their control. Produced by Fallout Pictures for Greenpeace's Postcards
- [Are Central Valley steelhead really ‘threatened’?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/12/08/are-central-valley-steelhead-really-threatened/) - By Peter Moyle The primary goal of the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) is to shorten the government’s list of “endangered” and “threatened” species. The American Peregrine falcon, the brown pelican, the eastern Steller sea lion and California populations of the gray whale are among the iconic creatures that have recovered to large populations and
- [The ESA, fish and me](https://californiawaterblog.com/2013/12/26/the-esa-fish-and-me/) - "Nothing is more priceless and more worthy of preservation than the rich array of animal life with which our country has been blessed." — President Richard Nixon upon signing the Endangered Species Act on Dec. 28, 1973 By Peter Moyle The Endangered Species Act turns 40 this week, and I
- [California droughts precipitate innovation](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/01/21/california-droughts-precipitate-innovation/) - Percentage of average precipitation, Oct. 1, 2013 - Jan. 19, 2014. Source: National Weather Service “A crisis is a terrible thing to waste” – Paul Romer, Stanford University economist By Jay Lund The 2013 calendar year was the driest on record for much of California. There is almost no snow in the Sierra Nevada or
- [The ultimate California water cheat sheet](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/01/29/the-ultimate-california-water-cheat-sheet/) - There's only so many acre-feet of water jargon the public can absorb during a drought. Here's a primer that avoids wading into cubic-feet-per-second, appropriative water rights, overdraft, conjunctive water use and the like. Further reading http://CaliforniaWaterBlog.com Hanak, et al. 2011, Managing California’s Water: From Conflict to Reconciliation, Public Policy Institute of California http://mavensnotebook.com
- [Saving California's salmon during a severe drought](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/02/17/why-and-how-to-save-native-salmon-during-a-severe-drought/) - By Peter Moyle California is in one of the most severe droughts in recent years. This means water agencies are under great pressure to sacrifice river flows meant to sustain fish and wildlife for increased water delivery to farms and cities. Here are some questions decision-makers should consider in the tradeoff. Why save native fish?
- [Yurok stewardship of Klamath's Blue Creek bodes well for fish](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/03/06/yurok-stewardship-of-klamaths-blue-creek-bodes-well-for-fish/) - By Peter Moyle Last summer I had the privilege of camping overnight with members of the Yurok Tribe and Western Rivers Conservancy on Blue Creek, one of California’s loveliest streams and an important cold-water refuge for migrating salmon and steelhead. The creek tumbles down the misty Siskiyou Mountains not far from Redwood National Park. I
- [Funding water services in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/03/13/funding-water-services-in-california/) - By Ellen Hanak, Brian Gray, Jay Lund, David Mitchell, Caitrin Chappelle, Andrew Fahlund, Katrina Jessoe, Josué Medellín-Azuara, Dean Misczynski, James Nachbaur and Robyn Suddeth The current drought has brought renewed calls for more conservation, reservoirs, recycled water use, stormwater capture and desalination plants. But more than calls to action are needed to make these things happen.
- [Where did all that water go? Some dry numbers on today’s drought](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/03/23/where-did-all-that-water-go-some-dry-numbers-on-todays-drought/) - By Greg Gartrell Various water interests lately have been blaming operators of California’s state and federal water projects for worsening this year’s drought. The claims appearing in news stories run along these lines: They exported far more water than they said they would. They drained Northern California reservoirs to fill Southern California reservoirs. They should
- ['Tahoe to tap' could ease California’s water woes](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/04/01/tahoe-to-tap-could-ease-californias-water-woes/) - By Nestle J. Frobish A new study shows how Lake Tahoe might serve as a mammoth reservoir that could significantly mitigate California’s chronic water shortages without tarnishing the lake’s world-renowned beauty. The development, reported today (April 1) in the scientific journal Limnology Tomorrow, drew surprise and delight from California water interests who have long regarded
- [Funding sustainable groundwater management in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/04/03/funding-sustainable-groundwater-management-in-california/) - Ellen Hanak, Emma Freeman, Caitrin Chappelle, Brian Gray, Jay Lund, Dean Misczynski, Josué Medellín-Azuara, David Mitchell, Jeff Mount, James Nachbaur, Robyn Suddeth, Buzz Thompson One of the few current bright spots on California’s waterfront is that the drought seems to be spurring momentum to improve groundwater management in the state’s rural areas. Outside of a
- [Drought’s No. 1 lesson: Modernize water management](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/04/09/droughts-no-1-lesson-modernize-water-management/) - Jeff Mount, Ellen Hanak, Bruce Cain, Caitrin Chappelle, Richard Frank, Brian Gray, Richard Howitt, Katrina Jessoe, Jay Lund, Josué Medellín-Azuara, Peter Moyle, Leon Szeptycki and Buzz Thompson This year's drought is testing how well California manages water during severe dry periods. As we head into spring and the major irrigation season, rainfall totals, snowpack, reservoir
- [UC Drought Summit, April 25: Managing water scarcity in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/04/14/uc-drought-summit-managing-drought-and-water-scarcity-in-california/) - Fellow Water Buffs, On April 25, the University of California will bring together a wide range of experts in the state Capitol for thoughtful discussion of drought and water supply issues. We are honored to host the daylong UC Drought Science, Policy & Management Summit, which is free and open to the public. Faculty from
- [A cheat sheet on the California drought](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/04/24/a-cheat-sheet-on-the-california-drought/) - By Jay Lund Here’s a primer to keep the water-cooler conversation flowing when the subject turns to the California drought. Just how dry are we? We cannot know exactly, but we have some good indications: Northern Sierra. Currently, precipitation is about half of average. The region’s 8-station precipitation index is at 27 inches, compared with
- [Planning for the inevitable at Suisun Marsh](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/05/01/planning-for-the-inevitable-at-suisun-marsh/) - By Amber Manfree and Peter Moyle In Suisun Marsh, it seems, you can go back in time. You get a haunting sense of the vast marshes that once dominated central California’s lowlands. Sloughs flush with tule perch and Sacramento splittail bend back on themselves. Flocks of red-winged blackbirds rise from thickets of cattails and rushes with
- [Time to revisit economics of dam removal](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/05/11/time-to-revisit-economics-of-dam-removal/) - By Sarah Null In California, we ask water managers to do the near-impossible task of managing rivers for both environmental and economic objectives, which are often at odds. Where we have repeatedly failed to stem or reverse environmental problems, environmental regulation can drive water management. California’s Bay Delta – a water source for 25 million
- [Severe drought impacts to Central Valley agriculture forecast this year](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/05/19/severe-drought-impacts-to-central-valley-agriculture-forecast-this-year/) - By Richard Howitt, Josué Medellín-Azuara, Duncan MacEwan and Jay Lund This year's drought will have severe impacts on irrigated agriculture in California’s Central Valley. To estimate this impact, we updated and applied the Statewide Agricultural Production (SWAP) model for estimated cutbacks in surface water supplies (based on interviews with Valley water providers) — with limitations on groundwater
- [Why California’s agriculture needs groundwater management](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/05/26/why-californias-agriculture-needs-groundwater-management/) - California’s agricultural prosperity increasingly depends on groundwater availability during drought. Global markets favoring high-value nuts, fruits and wine grapes are fueling a steady conversion of farmland from annual crops and pasture to orchards and vineyards. The growing profitability of these permanent crops, however, cannot be sustained unless agricultural communities commit to preserve and manage groundwater
- [Is shorting fish of water during drought good for water users?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/06/03/is-shorting-fish-of-water-during-drought-good-for-water-users/) - By Jay Lund and Peter Moyle In drought years, California usually reduces "environmental water flows" — the amount of river flows needed to maintain aquatic ecosystems — to make more water available for farms and cities. The current drought has been no exception. Depriving fish of adequate river flows, however, might not be in the interests
- [Beyond bonds: Funding the governor’s Water Action Plan](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/06/05/beyond-bonds-funding-the-governors-water-action-plan/) - Ellen Hanak, Brian Gray, Jay Lund, David Mitchell, Caitrin Chappelle, Emma Freeman, Dean Misczynski, James Nachbaur In late January, Gov. Jerry Brown released the California Water Action Plan, which outlines 10 strategic priorities for putting the state on a more sustainable water management path. The plan – intended to guide state water policy for the
- [Should California expand reservoir capacity by removing sediment?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/06/09/should-california-expand-reservoir-capacity-by-removing-sediment/) - By Jay Lund Removing sediment from reservoirs is often suggested as a potentially better way to expand storage capacity than raising dam heights or building new reservoirs. This is a natural notion to explore given the cost and likely environmental impacts of traditional expansions. For perspective, the construction cost of conventional reservoir expansion is about
- [Will California’s drought extend into 2015?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/06/15/will-californias-drought-extend-into-2015/) - By Jay Lund and Jeffrey Mount Debates over how to manage California’s critically dry water supplies this year have displaced most discussion about water next year. This year’s drought is bad, but another dry year that begins with even lower groundwater and reservoir levels could be much worse. The state’s reservoir storage is already at near-record
- [Challenging myth and mirage in California's drought](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/07/10/challenging-myth-and-mirage-in-californias-drought/) - In a July 6, 2014 op-ed for The Sacramento Bee, three prominent California water experts challenge some claims that they say are hindering the search for solutions to California's water shortages. We reprint the commentary here with a sidebar on some of the calculations supporting the article. By Jay Lund, Jeffrey Mount and Ellen Hanak As the effects
- [Reconciling ecosystem and economy](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/07/23/reconciling-ecosystem-and-economy/) - Ecologist Michael Rosenzweig kicked off a UC Davis series of public talks exploring a "reconciliation" approach to improving California's aquatic habitat. Video: UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences. A growing number of ecologists say we need to rethink how we go about "saving nature." We should not attempt to restore a wounded meadow, estuary or wetland
- [Why utilities shy from mandatory water saving during a drought](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/07/30/why-utilities-shy-from-mandatory-water-saving-during-a-drought/) - By Jay Lund The State Water Board’s recent decision to outlaw some water-wasting activities under penalty of $500 fines helps alert urban residents and businesses to the seriousness of the drought. These water conservation actions, though, are fairly mild compared with the water rationing and other mandatory restrictions that Santa Cruz and a few other
- [Getting through the dry times](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/08/03/getting-through-the-dry-times-2/) - California's economy overall is weathering the worst drought in decades remarkably well, thanks in part to groundwater use and water market transfers. But as a recent UC Davis study noted, the resilience is tenuous because groundwater is treated like an unlimited savings account and water marketing is hobbled by red tape and lack of transparency.
- [California water rights: You can’t manage what you don't measure](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/08/20/california-water-rights-you-cant-manage-what-you-dont-measure/) - By Ted Grantham and Joshua Viers California water experts have long known the amount of surface water granted by water rights far exceeds the state’s average supplies. Historically, the over-allocation has not raised much concern; in most years, there has been enough runoff of rain and snowmelt to go around. But circumstances are changing. California
- [Groundwater reform more important than water bond](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/08/27/groundwater-reform-more-important-than-water-bond/) - By Jay Lund and Thomas Harter California lawmakers recently found extraordinary consensus in approving a $7.5 billion water bond for the November election ballot. If the measure wins, however, future generations will not necessarily reap many of the promised water supply benefits without additional actions. To significantly improve its resilience to drought, California must quickly
- [Drought Journal: Hope springs eternal](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/09/21/drought-journal-hope-springs-eternal/) - Is the drought hastening the decline of California’s native fish? Will they be able to recolonize once normal conditions return? To help find out, a team of researchers with the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences took the pulse of about 70 streams and rivers across northern and central California this summer, examining habitat conditions and recording the
- [A tribute to California’s ‘First Lady of Water’](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/10/07/a-tribute-to-californias-first-lady-of-water/) - By Tina Cannon Leahy As water policy consultant for the California Assembly, I occasionally research legislative history to iron out competing theories on a law's meaning. So it was earlier this year when I visited the California State Archives to investigate the Davis-Dolwig Act of 1961. I took a manila folder from the nice clerk
- [Flagging problem dams for fish survival](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/10/22/identifying-problem-dams-for-fish-survival/) - By Ted Grantham and Peter Moyle This drought year, as in those past, California water regulators have given away to cities and farms some river flows critical to fish and wildlife. It’s a dicey tradeoff considering most of our native fishes are in trouble even without the drought. There are, however, legal backstops to prevent
- [Trick or treat? Aliens at the door](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/10/29/dont-open-the-door-to-these-trick-or-treaters/) - By Chris Bowman Many of the alien species invading California's lakes and streams would make for wickedly good Halloween costumes. Take the Shokihaze goby, Tridentiger barbatus (above and right), a native of Asian now common in Suisun Bay and the lower Sacramento River. Its spiky stubble of whisker-like barbels about the mouth and cheeks defines "ugly." And
- [Groundwater security, for the long term](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/11/04/groundwater-security-for-the-long-term/) - By Lauren Adams Under recently enacted legislation, local agencies in California are required for the first time to manage groundwater pumping and recharge sustainably. The law empowers local groundwater agencies to manage and use groundwater “without causing undesirable results,” leaving it up to them to determine how to best achieve this goal. Within the next
- [Aquatic plants: unsung but prime salmon habitat](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/11/13/aquatic-plants-unsung-but-prime-salmon-habitat/) - By Robert Lusardi and Ann Willis For decades, California’s management and restoration of salmon and trout populations have focused on principles rooted in coastal redwood streams, mostly fed by rainfall runoff. These concepts portray ideal salmonid habitat as deep pools, shallow riffles and “large woody debris,” such as fallen trees and limbs. Recent studies on
- [Shaping water storage in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/11/20/shaping-water-storage-in-california/) - By Jay Lund, Maurice Hall and Anthony Saracino With the continuation of California’s historic drought and the recent passage of Proposition 1, the potential value of additional water storage in the state is an area of vigorous discussion. In a new study released today, we look at the different roles of storage in California’s integrated water system and
- [How engineers see the water glass in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/11/24/how-engineers-see-the-water-glass-in-california-2/) - How do engineers see the water glass in California? The same as they did two years ago when this blog was first posted, though with today's drought the glass is perhaps down to a quarter full — or three-quarters empty. By Jay R. Lund Depending on your outlook, the proverbial glass of water is either
- [Reconciling fish and fowl with floods and farming](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/12/02/reconciling-fish-and-fowl-with-floods-and-farming-2/) - By Robyn Suddeth Floodplains are extremely productive habitats for native fish and birds, yet floodplains in California are cut off from rivers by levees and development. The loss of this severed habitat threatens many native species that evolved to take advantage of seasonal flooding. Ecologists’ traditional approach to this problem would be to recreate some
- [New environmentalism needed for California water](https://californiawaterblog.com/2014/12/09/new-environmentalism-needed-for-california-water-2/) - By Jay Lund California needs a new environmentalism to set a more effective and sustainable green bar for the nation and even the world. For decades, we have taken a “just say no” approach to stop, prevent or blunt human encroachments onto the natural world – often rightly so. Early environmentalism needed lines in the
- [A salmon success story during the California drought](https://californiawaterblog.com/2015/01/20/a-salmon-success-story-during-the-california-drought/) - Looking back on 2014, it's hard not to feel despair for California salmon. With drought-stricken rivers running dangerously warm and slow for spring migration, the government was giving millions of young hatchery salmon a lift to the Pacific by truck and barge. Come August, several streams in the Central Valley were drying up. Native fish
- [Water—Who uses how much?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/05/05/water—who-uses-how-much/) - Whereas agriculture used to consume 80 percent of the state's water supply, today 46 percent of captured and stored water goes to environmental purposes, such as rebuilding wetlands. Meanwhile 43 percent goes to farming and 11 percent to municipal uses. — The Economist, October 2009 By Jeffrey Mount This excerpt is from an article that
- [Can California further reduce urban water use?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/06/08/can-california-further-reduce-urban-water-use/) - Jay Lund, the Ray B. Krone Professor of Environmental Engineering, UC DavisRyan 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 a policy of further reducing urban water use by 20 percent per capita by 2020. Is this
- [Growing costs and concern for drinking water in Tulare Basin and Salinas Valley ](https://californiawaterblog.com/2012/03/12/growing-costs-and-concern-for-drinking-water-in-the-tulare-basin-and-salinas-valley/) - Thomas Harter, Robert M. Hagan Endowed Chair in Water Management and Policy, University of California – Davis Jay R. Lund, The Ray B. Krone Chair of Environmental Engineering, University of California – Davis A potential public health concern has been percolating into aquifer drinking water supplies in the Tulare Basin and Salinas Valley for the
- [Have our salmon and eat them too: Re-thinking Central Valley salmon hatcheries](https://californiawaterblog.com/2012/02/29/have-our-salmon-and-eat-them-too-re-thinking-salmon-hatcheries-in-the-central-valley/) - By Jacob Katz and Peter Moyle In the previous blog, Jay Lund argued that wide-scale, integrated management of California’s water system will better balance water needs of the environment and water demands by humans. Here we expand on the need for fundamental shifts in policy to recover populations of Central Valley salmon using integrated management
- [Expanding water storage capacity in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2012/02/22/expanding-water-storage-capacity-in-california/) - Jay R. Lund, The Ray B. Krone Chair of Environmental Engineering, University of California – Davis “The old gray mare, she ain’t what she used to be.” The recent report from the US Bureau of Reclamation on the economic feasibility of raising Shasta Dam illustrates that we are in a new era for considering water
- [Insights for California water policy from computer modeling](https://californiawaterblog.com/2012/02/09/insights-for-california-water-policy-from-computer-modeling/) - “All models are wrong, but some are useful.” G.E.P. Box By Jay R. Lund California has a very complex water system which is important to many often competing interests and purposes. Because of this, California’s water system will always be controversial. Nevertheless, decisions about managing California's water system will be made. How can we understand
- [A tribute to Alex Hildebrand ](https://californiawaterblog.com/2012/01/25/a-tribute-to-alex-hildebrand/) - One of the best minds of the Delta and its most devoted advocate has left us. Alex Hildebrand passed away Monday at the venerable age of 98. Alex cared deeply for the land and the water of the South Delta, living his life and tending his farm in sync with the rise and fall of
- [Delta science in a post-Wanger world](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/11/30/delta-science-in-a-post-wanger-world/) - Jeffrey F. Mount, Founding Director of the Center for Watershed Sciences, University of California – Davis The Chief Scientist for the Delta has retired. No, not Cliff Dahm. He’s the Lead Scientist for the Delta Science Program (although he is returning to the University of New Mexico). Rather, it is Oliver Wanger, the mercurial judge
- [Boldly approach the Delta’s future](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/10/19/boldly-approach-the-delta’s-future/) - By Jay R. Lund and Ellen Hanak Policy decisions on how to manage the lands and waters of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta are unavoidably controversial. The Delta Stewardship Council’s first Delta Plan, now under development, presents a rare opportunity to establish bold state policy directions on the Delta’s many controversies. Such bold action is needed
- [Coho in Crisis, Part 2: Saving coho, saving salmon, restoring streams](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/10/12/coho-in-crisis-part-2-saving-coho-saving-salmon-restoring-streams/) - By Peter Moyle In my last blog, I provided evidence that coho salmon were headed for extinction in California. Here I discuss why and what we can do about it. The over-riding cause of coho decline is 150 years of land abuse in fragile coastal watersheds. This abuse is from logging, farming, grazing, mining, urbanization,
- [Coho in Crisis, Part 1: The decline toward extinction in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/10/12/coho-in-crisis-part-1-the-decline-toward-extinction-in-california/) - By Peter Moyle In case you hadn’t noticed, one of California’s most spectacular fish is leaving us. The coho salmon, silvery favorites of fishermen and essential components of our coastal rainforest ecosystems, are headed for extinction in the state. This projection was made abundantly clear, at least to me, in a recent (August 16) State
- [The benefits of floodplain reconnection](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/08/11/the-benefits-of-floodplain-reconnection/) - By Jeffrey Mount For more than a century, California has sought to separate floodplains from rivers. An elaborate array of levees and dams usually confine, divert or capture winter floods, supporting agriculture on rich floodplain soils and unreliably protecting urban growth in flood-prone areas. Nowhere is this approach more evident than the Central Valley. One
- [Benefits of growing up in a spring stream](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/08/04/benefits-of-growing-up-in-a-spring-fed-stream/) - Juvenile coho salmon feeding on invertebrates drifting in the water column. The material floating down also consists of plant material that invertebrates use as a food resource. Video by Carson Jeffres By Carson Jeffres and Jeffrey Mount When ecologists talk about improving habitat for native fishes, they often focus on enhancing food webs and their productivity.
- [The future of Suisun Marsh](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/07/28/the-future-of-suisun-marsh/) - By Peter MoyleIf you have taken Amtrak from Sacramento to the Bay Area, you have seen Suisun Marsh. Going west, as the train pulls out of Suisun City, you are suddenly riding through a huge wetland, with ponds full of waterfowl. If you are lucky, you will see a flight of white pelicans taking off
- [An uncertain future for whitewater boating under climate change](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/07/14/an-uncertain-future-for-whitewater-boating-under-climate-change/) - Scott Ligare, Graduate Student Researcher, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, UC DavisJoshua Viers, Associate Research Scientist, Department of Environmental Science & Policy, UC Davis Summer arrived belatedly in northern California and high snowmelt runoff is attracting adrenaline junkies seeking to raft and kayak Sierra Nevada rivers. With its many large rivers, the west slope of
- [Frolicking fat floodplain fish feeding furiously](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/06/02/frolicking-fat-floodplain-fish-feeding-furiously/) - By Carson JeffresSpring is here, temperatures are warming, and juvenile salmon have filled the floodplains—a link for them between the gravel bedded rivers where they hatched and the ocean where they will spend the next one to five years. Although salmon may only use the floodplain for a month or two, this could mean the
- [Reconciliation or extinction—the future of California?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/02/08/reconciliation-or-extinction/) - By Peter MoyleIt is easy to be pessimistic about the future of familiar life on this planet, especially here in California. We face an ever-growing human population, the rise of consumerism, and the refusal of most Americans to recognize that their life style is a major contributor to the problem. Climate change also threatens to
- [Water to the sea isn't wasted](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/03/01/water-to-the-sea-isnt-wasted/) - By Jeffrey Mount In December of 2010 we had a remarkable set of storms. Relentless rain and snowfall hit both southern and northern California. The news reports about these events followed a predictable pattern, including the inevitable articles that bemoan floodwaters as “wasted” because they discharge to the sea. This generalization about floodwaters or any
- [Striped bass control: cure worse than disease?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/01/31/striped-bass-control-the-cure-worse-than-the-disease/) - By Peter B. Moyle and William A. Bennett Seven species of fish in the Delta are listed as threatened or endangered, including Delta smelt, salmon and steelhead. Although the ultimate cause of decline in these species is adverse water management throughout the Central Valley, there is a constant search for ways to increase their numbers
- [Delta "chicken" - A tragedy](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/02/15/playing-game-of-delta-chicken/) - Jay Lund, UC Davis, Ray B. Krone Professor of Environmental Engineering Few dispute the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta’s poor and deteriorating condition—for native fishes, many landowners, and water users locally and statewide—and the subsequent need for major changes in Delta policy. Most parties understand that without a credible comprehensive solution, continued deterioration will become more costly,
- [Water and California’s Economy](https://californiawaterblog.com/2012/05/30/water-and-californias-economy/) - Ellen Hanak, Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), San Francisco, CA Jay Lund, Center for Watershed Sciences, University of California – Davis Buzz Thompson, Stanford School of Law Today, PPIC released “Water and the California Economy,” a report that presents the consensus view of 15 experts* on the role of water in California’s economy, key
- [When Good Fish Make Bad Decisions](https://californiawaterblog.com/2012/04/16/when-good-fish-make-bad-decisions/) - Carson Jeffres, Staff Research Associate, Center for Watershed Sciences Restoration of degraded habitat is generally considered to be a no-brainer. But, what if by “restoring” the habitat, you inadvertently create a habitat that causes either the target species or other important non-target species to spiral towards extinction—that is, a place that looks good on the
- [Extinction is a sustainable condition](https://californiawaterblog.com/2012/02/02/extinction-is-a-sustainable-condition/) - Jay R. Lund, The Ray B. Krone Chair of Environmental Engineering, University of California – Davis Sustainability is favored by everyone, but, people and groups view and use sustainability differently. Alas, as Keynes observed, “In the long run we are all dead,” and achieve the same sustainable end. As illustrated above, the word “sustainable” seems
- [Recent News Stories You May Have Missed--A Compilation](https://californiawaterblog.com/2012/03/31/recent-news-stories-you-may-have-missed-a-compilation/) - State Budget Gap Solved by Sale of Department of Water Resources It was announced today that the Department of Water Resources (DWR) has been formally sold to the State and Federal Water Contractors Association. The $5 billion price will substantially reduce this year’s state budget deficit and the merger will remove much lingering public confusion.
- [Can solid flood planning improve all California water planning?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2012/03/27/can-solid-flood-planning-improve-all-california-water-planning/) - 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. In December, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) released their new Central Valley flood
- [Wanted: An integrated strategy for recovery of Central Valley salmon](https://californiawaterblog.com/2012/03/19/wanted-an-integrated-strategy-for-recovery-of-central-valley-salmon/) - Jacob Katz, Ph.D. Candidate, Center for Watershed Sciences Peter Moyle, Professor of Fish Biology, University of California – Davis Historically, the rivers of the Central Valley had seasonally variable stream flows and diverse habitats. Rivers tended to flood in winter, with low flows in summer. Salmon used in-channel gravel beds for spawning, deep in-channel pools
- [Whither the Delta economy?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2012/01/10/whither-the-delta-economy/) - Josue Medellín-Azuara, Richard Howitt, Jay Lund - University of California, Davis Ellen Hanak - Public Policy Institute of California, San Francisco Today, PPIC and UC Davis released a new report on the economy of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. “Transitions for the Delta Economy” explores how the Delta’s economy has evolved since the early 1990s and
- [Israel’s Delta – The Hula Valley](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/12/14/israels-delta-the-hula-valley/) - Jay R. Lund, The Ray B. Krone Chair of Environmental Engineering, University of California – Davis History has many cases of deltas, lakes, and marshlands which have been “reclaimed” for agriculture, then as agriculture became uneconomical, have been returned to the environment (Mostert 2011). In far northern Israel is Hula Valley, about 44,000 acres of
- [Has human water use peaked in California?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/12/06/has-human-water-use-peaked-in-california/) - 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 assumed perpetual increases in water demands for agricultural and urban uses. Of course, nothing can
- [Multiple stressors – funding the Delta like a public sewer](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/11/09/multiple-stressors-–-funding-the-delta-like-a-public-sewer/) - Jay R. Lund, The Ray B. Krone Chair of Environmental Engineering, University of California – Davis “There once was a woman who lived in a shoe. She had so many children, she didn’t know what to do.” It has become trite to observe that many environmental problems are caused by “multiple stressors.” Multiple historical and
- [The UnDammed](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/11/02/the-undammed/) - Jeffrey F. Mount, Founding Director of the Center for Watershed Sciences, University of California – Davis I had the great pleasure of being up in the Olympic Peninsula for the Elwha Dam removal ceremonies a few weeks ago. With the Native American tribes singing songs to welcome the salmon back, and innumerable dignitaries pontificating and
- [The Stockholm Syndrome in Water Planning in California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/09/27/the-stockholm-syndrome-in-water-planning-in-california/) - Jeffrey F. Mount, Founding Director of the Center for Watershed Sciences, University of California - Davis “…plans are nothing, planning is indispensable” - Dwight D. Eisenhower “If planning is everything, maybe it’s nothing” – Aaron Wildofsky. We all know the Stockholm Syndrome: the hostage falls in love with the hostage taker. Well, for those of
- [Conserving fish, conserving water, conserving California](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/08/31/conserving-fish-conserving-water-conserving-california/) - Peter Moyle, Professor of Fish Biology, UC Davis California has a remarkable collection of native freshwater fishes, many of them found only in the state. To me, these native fishes define the unique regions of the California mosaic. Southern steelhead persist in the face of extreme urbanization in southern California. Various pupfish species thrive in
- [Adaptive management and experimental island flooding in the Delta ](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/08/24/adaptive-management-and-experimental-island-flooding-in-the-delta-2/) - Robyn J. Suddeth, Hydrology Graduate Student, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences Like many of the world’s deltas, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is in transition. A deteriorating native ecosystem, conflicting water quality objectives, and a fragile levee system are all threatened by climate change and potential levee failures from a major earthquake or flood. Studies
- [Dammed fish? Call 5937.](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/03/22/dammed-fish-call-5937/) - Peter Moyle, Professor of Fish Biology, UC Davis Brian Gray, Professor of Law, UC Hastings School of Law “The owner of any dam shall allow sufficient water at all times to pass over, around, or through the dam, to keep in good condition any fish that may be planted or exist below the dam.” California
- [What if the worst drought hit California today?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/04/12/mega-drought/) - "And it never failed that during the dry years the people forgot about the rich years, and during the wet years they lost all memory of the dry years. It was always that way." — John Steinbeck Jay R. Lund, Ray B. Krone Professor of Environmental Engineering, University of California – Davis California has been
- [Suction dredging is bad for fish](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/06/17/suction-dredging-is-bad-for-fish/) - Peter B. Moyle, Professor of Fish Biology, UC Davis Suction dredging seems like a fairly innocent pastime. A few folks go to a stream on a nice summer day with a portable device to suck tiny amounts of gold out of a stream bottom. The device basically is a floating sluice box equipped with a
- [ Adaptive management means never having to say you’re sorry    ](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/07/21/adaptive-management-means-never-having-to-say-you’re-sorry/) - Jay R. Lund, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California – DavisEllen Hanak, Public Policy Institute of CaliforniaBrian Gray, University of California – Hastings, College of the Law The words “adaptive management” appear in almost every planning and policy document for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Indeed, under state law, habitat conservation plans such as
- [Managing for multiple stressors in the Delta](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/07/07/managing-for-multiple-stressors-in-the-delta-2/) - Ellen Hanak1, Jay Lund2, Peter Moyle3, Jeffrey Mount4, Brian Gray5 and Barton “Buzz” Thompson6 Across California, native fish populations are in sharp decline, despite decades of well-intentioned efforts to reverse the effects of harmful water and land management policies (Hanak et al., 2011). As more fish species have been listed under the federal and state
- [Woodman, spare that levee?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/06/30/woodman-spare-that-levee/) - Jay Lund, the Ray B. Krone Professor of Environmental Engineering, University of California - Davis Policy debates sometimes seem to tragically miss the big picture. The current debate on levee vegetation in California is an example. Both sides assert noble and worthy causes—environmental and recreation interests favor trees and bushes on levees and public safety demands
- [No going back for the Delta, but which way forward?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/06/22/no-going-back-for-the-delta-but-which-way-forward/) - Jay Lund, Professor of Environmental Engineering, University of California – DavisPeter Moyle, Professor of Fish Biology, University of California – DavisEllen Hanak, Senior Fellow, Public Policy Institute of California, San FranciscoJeffrey Mount, Professor of Geology, University of California - Davis “Restore” is a common cry for environmental problems. For the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, those calling for
- [The Delta, in 3-D](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/05/19/the-delta-in-3-d/) - Jay Lund, UC Davis Professor of Engineering Time and tide wait for no man, and change in the Delta won’t wait for a computer model either. Continued land subsidence and sea level rise, increasing likelihood of a major earthquake, and rising chances of major floods all pose serious threats to subsided islands in the central and
- [New Life for the Delta Ecosystem](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/04/21/new-life-for-the-delta-ecosystem/) - Peter Moyle, Professor of Fish Biology, University of California-Davis The Delta and Suisun Marsh were once part of a continuous, enormously productive aquatic ecosystem that supported dense populations of fish from Sacramento perch to salmon, huge flocks of wintering waterfowl, and concentrations of mammals from beaver to tule elk. This amazing ecosystem is gone and
- [Stressed Out—Dealing with the Delta's non-native landscape](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/04/06/stressed-out—dealing-with-the-deltas-non-native-landscape/) - Jay R. Lund, Ray B. Krone Professor of Environmental Engineering, University of California – Davis Peter Moyle, Professor of Fish Biology, University of California – Davis Jeffrey Mount, Professor of Geology, University of California – Davis Ellen Hanak, Public Policy Institute of California William Fleenor, Research Engineer, University of California – Davis The Delta’s
- [Taking agricultural conservation seriously](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/03/15/taking-agricultural-conservation-seriously/) - 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 assumed that farms are the obvious places to save water. Our recent book, Managing California’s Water:
- [Sea level rise and Delta subsidence—the demise of subsided Delta islands](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/03/09/sea-level-rise-and-delta-subsidence—the-demise-of-subsided-delta-islands/) - Jay R. Lund, the Ray B. Krone Professor of Environmental Engineering, University of California - Davis Periodically, scientists point to the weaknesses of levees in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The press and policy makers respond with astonishment, followed by local assertions of levee sustainability and pleas for greater subsidies. This cycle has recurred several times
- [What's next for California water?](https://californiawaterblog.com/2011/02/23/whats-next-for-california-water/) - Jay Lund, UC Davis, Ray B. Krone Professor of Environmental Engineering California faces yet another period of transition in water management, with attendant turmoil and uncertainties. Since statehood, California’s landscape, society, economy, government, and environment have undergone a series of great changes. So going through another shift, while dramatic, is not especially shocking. Water management

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- [Reid Bryson](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/reid-bryson/)
- [floodwaters](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/floodwaters/)
- [Jacob Katz](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/jacob-katz/)
- [water planning](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/water-planning/)
- [Chinook salmon](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/chinook-salmon/)
- [water demand](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/water-demand/)
- [NFIP](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/nfip/)
- [Bruce Cain](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/bruce-cain/)
- [Bill Brewster](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/bill-brewster/)
- [Moyle](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/moyle/)
- [species of special concern](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/species-of-special-concern/)
- [evapotranspiration](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/evapotranspiration/)
- [Dave Owen](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/dave-owen/)
- [direct potable reuse](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/direct-potable-reuse/)
- [Ben Lord](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ben-lord/)
- [Tim Parker](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/tim-parker/)
- [California drought](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/california-drought/)
- [Chris Bowman](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/chris-bowman/)
- [California Department of Water Resources](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/california-department-of-water-resources/)
- [Putah Creek](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/putah-creek/)
- [Nicholas Pinter](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/nicholas-pinter/)
- [suction dredging](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/suction-dredging/)
- [water bond](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/water-bond/)
- [Nicholas Santos](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/nicholas-santos/)
- [Andrew Fisher](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/andrew-fisher/)
- [Richard Frank](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/richard-frank/)
- [Daniel Wilson](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/daniel-wilson/)
- [Aquafornia](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/aquafornia/)
- [Andrew Nichols](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/andrew-nichols/)
- [groundwater recharge](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/groundwater-recharge/)
- [Elwha River](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/elwha-river/)
- [Malakoff Diggins State Park](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/malakoff-diggins-state-park/)
- [Lembert Dome](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/lembert-dome/)
- [fish biology](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/fish-biology/)
- [Daniel Sumner](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/daniel-sumner/)
- [Tim Ginn](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/tim-ginn/)
- [Proposition 3](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/proposition-3/)
- [Timothy Nelson](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/timothy-nelson/)
- [sediment removal](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sediment-removal/)
- [fish migration](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/fish-migration/)
- [James Hobbs](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/james-hobbs/)
- [Wesley Walker](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/wesley-walker/)
- [Pauline Davis](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/pauline-davis/)
- [California Department of Fish and Game](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/california-department-of-fish-and-game/)
- [Sacramento splittail](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sacramento-splittail/)
- [severe drought](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/severe-drought/)
- [Eric Chapman](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/eric-chapman/)
- [Big Springs Creek](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/big-springs-creek/)
- [Kyle Phillips](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/kyle-phillips/)
- [Wild and Scenic rivers](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/wild-and-scenic-rivers/)
- [factcheck.org](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/factcheck-org/)
- [Peter Moyle](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/peter-moyle/)
- [Richard Howitt](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/richard-howitt/)
- [Nick Santos](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/nick-santos/)
- [irrigation efficiency](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/irrigation-efficiency/)
- [Suisun Marsh](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/suisun-marsh/)
- [Westlands Water District](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/westlands-water-district/)
- [Sean O'Rourke](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sean-orourke/)
- [Friant Dam](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/friant-dam/)
- [John Durand](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/john-durand/)
- [U.S. Bureau of Reclamation](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/u-s-bureau-of-reclamation/)
- [North Fork American River](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/north-fork-american-river/)
- [water marketing](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/water-marketing/)
- [William Bennet](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/william-bennet/)
- [water conservation](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/water-conservation-2/)
- [fish](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/fish-2/)
- [sustainability](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sustainability-2/)
- [restoration](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/restoration-2/)
- [Shasta River](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/shasta-river/)
- [Scott River](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/scott-river/)
- [Emma Freeman](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/emma-freeman/)
- [John Reber](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/john-reber/)
- [groundwater](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/groundwater-2/)
- [Yolo Bypass](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/yolo-bypass/)
- [pikeminnow](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/pikeminnow/)
- [Ellen Hanak](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ellen-hanak/)
- [South Yuba](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/south-yuba/)
- [multiple stressors](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/multiple-stressors/)
- [Sierra fish](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sierra-fish/)
- [Cosumnes River](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/cosumnes-river/)
- [UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/uc-davis-center-for-watershed-sciences/)
- [Jay Lund](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/jay-lund/)
- [tidal marsh habitat](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/tidal-marsh-habitat/)
- [flow restoration](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/flow-restoration/)
- [export reduction](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/export-reduction/)
- [San Francisco Estuary](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/san-francisco-estuary/)
- [striped bass control](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/striped-bass-control/)
- [Mississippi silverside](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/mississippi-silverside/)
- [Delta island](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/delta-island/)
- [levee policy](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/levee-policy/)
- [levee sustainability](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/levee-sustainability/)
- [net water savings](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/net-water-savings/)
- [California Fish and Game Code § 5937](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/california-fish-and-game-code-§-5937/)
- [fish protection laws](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/fish-protection-laws/)
- [Jeanette Howard](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/jeanette-howard/)
- [Rim Fire](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/rim-fire/)
- [Hurricane Sandy](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/hurricane-sandy/)
- [California water](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/california-water-2/)
- [flow requirements](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/flow-requirements/)
- [Andrew Fahlund](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/andrew-fahlund/)
- [hydrodynamic modeling](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/hydrodynamic-modeling/)
- [flooded islands](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/flooded-islands/)
- [Tasha Thompson](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/tasha-thompson/)
- [Jeffrey Mount](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/jeffrey-mount/)
- [whitewater recreation](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/whitewater-recreation/)
- [Jeff Laird](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/jeff-laird/)
- [Daniel Prince](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/daniel-prince/)
- [spring-fed systems](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/spring-fed-systems/)
- [Delta islands](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/delta-islands/)
- [native fish species](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/native-fish-species/)
- [fish life history](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/fish-life-history-2/)
- [nitrate](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/nitrate-2/)
- [CA State Water Project](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ca-state-water-project/)
- [Virtual hike](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/virtual-hike/)
- [Steven Culberson](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/steven-culberson/)
- [Dean Misczynski](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/dean-misczynski/)
- [water modeling](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/water-modeling/)
- [Maurice Hall](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/maurice-hall/)
- [Buzz Thompson](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/buzz-thompson/)
- [Sagehen Creek](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sagehen-creek/)
- [Thomas Harter](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/thomas-harter/)
- [Devon Lambert](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/devon-lambert/)
- [Ryan Peek](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ryan-peek/)
- [Megan Nguyen](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/megan-nguyen/)
- [Little Shasta](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/little-shasta/)
- [Kathy Schaefer](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/kathy-schaefer/)
- [Patricia Holden](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/patricia-holden/)
- [groundwater sustainability](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/groundwater-sustainability/)
- [Anna Sturrock](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/anna-sturrock/)
- [Patrick Samuel](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/patrick-samuel/)
- [Mimi Jenkins](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/mimi-jenkins/)
- [Anna Steel](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/anna-steel/)
- [Peter Moye](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/peter-moye/)
- [Martis Creek](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/martis-creek/)
- [water markets](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/water-markets-2/)
- [Mill creeks](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/mill-creeks/)
- [Clavey River](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/clavey-river/)
- [Kurt Schwabe](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/kurt-schwabe/)
- [Wim Kimmerer](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/wim-kimmerer/)
- [Brett Milligan](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/brett-milligan/)
- [Modoc sucker](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/modoc-sucker/)
- [Bradley Arnold](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/bradley-arnold/)
- [WaterFix](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/waterfix/)
- [Daniel A. Sumner](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/daniel-a-sumner/)
- [Ruth Langridge](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ruth-langridge/)
- [Katherine Ransom](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/katherine-ransom/)
- [California Water Action Plan](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/california-water-action-plan/)
- [groundwater banking](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/groundwater-banking/)
- [Hurricane Harvey](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/hurricane-harvey/)
- [Kenneth Baerenklau](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/kenneth-baerenklau/)
- [Parson Springs](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/parson-springs/)
- [Rui Hui](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/rui-hui/)
- [Kathleen Stone](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/kathleen-stone/)
- [Ted Grantham](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ted-grantham/)
- [Michelaina Johnson](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/michelaina-johnson/)
- [Carson Jeffres](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/carson-jeffres/)
- [Joshua Viers](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/joshua-viers/)
- [Kaveh Madani](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/kaveh-madani/)
- [Ann Willis](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ann-willis/)
- [Robyn Suddeth](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/robyn-suddeth/)
- [Anthony Saracino](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/anthony-saracino/)
- [Robert Lusardi](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/robert-lusardi/)
- [groundwater security](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/groundwater-security/)
- [Greg Gartrell](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/greg-gartrell/)
- [Tina Cannon Leahy](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/tina-cannon-leahy/)
- [Rebecca M. Quiñones](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/rebecca-m-quinones/)
- [Sarah Yarnell](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sarah-yarnell/)
- [Amber Manfree](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/amber-manfree/)
- [Elizabeth Stryjewski](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/elizabeth-stryjewski/)
- [Josué Medellín-Azuara](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/josue-medellin-azuara/)
- [Duncan MacEwan](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/duncan-macewan/)
- [Vicki Kretsinger Grabert](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/vicki-kretsinger-grabert/)
- [Caitrin Chappelle](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/caitrin-chappelle/)
- [Deam Misczynski](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/deam-misczynski/)
- [James Nachbaur](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/james-nachbaur/)
- [Sarah Null](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sarah-null/)
- [UC Drought Summit](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/uc-drought-summit/)
- [Katrina Jessoe](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/katrina-jessoe/)
- [Leon Szeptycki](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/leon-szeptycki/)
- [Wouter Jan Klerk](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/wouter-jan-klerk/)
- [Ties Rijcken](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ties-rijcken/)
- [SimBethel](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/simbethel/)
- [William Fleenor](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/william-fleenor/)
- [Graham Fogg](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/graham-fogg/)
- [Molly Ogaz](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/molly-ogaz/)
- [C.-Y. Cynthia Lin](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/c-y-cynthia-lin/)
- [Samuel Sandoval Solis](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/samuel-sandoval-solis/)
- [Jerry Orlob](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/jerry-orlob/)
- [California's water sector](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/californias-water-sector/)
- [The Cornell Plan](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/the-cornell-plan/)
- [The Reber Plan](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/the-reber-plan/)
- [The 1957 California Water Plan](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/the-1957-california-water-plan/)
- [Sierra frogs](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sierra-frogs/)
- [Alison Whipple](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/alison-whipple/)
- [water remodel](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/water-remodel/)
- [Ellen Hanak Brian Gray](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ellen-hanak-brian-gray/)
- [Jenny Ta](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/jenny-ta/)
- [Helen Dahlke](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/helen-dahlke/)
- [Toby O’Geen](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/toby-ogeen/)
- [Sam Sandoval Solis](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sam-sandoval-solis/)
- [Nestle J. Frobish](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/nestle-j-frobish/)
- [Rob Gailey](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/rob-gailey/)
- [spring-fed streams](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/spring-fed-streams-2/)
- [Stephen Maples](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/stephen-maples/)
- [Erik Porse](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/erik-porse/)
- [Longfin smelt](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/longfin-smelt-2/)
- [Philip Bachand](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/philip-bachand/)
- [William Horwath](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/william-horwath/)
- [Denise De Carion](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/denise-de-carion/)
- [Belize Lane](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/belize-lane/)
- [Jason Baumsteiger](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/jason-baumsteiger/)
- [K. Martin Perales](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/k-martin-perales/)
- [ecogeomorphology](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ecogeomorphology/)
- [Nathaniel Homan](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/nathaniel-homan/)
- [Corentin Girard](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/corentin-girard/)
- [Heidi Chou](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/heidi-chou/)
- [Prudentia Zikalala](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/prudentia-zikalala/)
- [Bill Bloomquist](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/bill-bloomquist/)
- [Andrew Sih](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/andrew-sih/)
- [Jeanette Newmiller](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/jeanette-newmiller/)
- [Gus Tolley](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/gus-tolley/)
- [Tyler Goodearly](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/tyler-goodearly/)
- [Miranda Tilcock](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/miranda-tilcock/)
- [Alejo Kraus-Polk](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/alejo-kraus-polk/)
- [Andrew Rypel](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/andrew-rypel/)
- [delta shadow puppet](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/delta-shadow-puppet/)
- [Chad Whittington](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/chad-whittington/)
- [Karrigan Bork](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/karrigan-bork/)
- [Amanda Fencl](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/amanda-fencl/)
- [Fandi P. Nurzaman](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/fandi-p-nurzaman/)
- [Christina Buck](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/christina-buck/)
- [Mollie Ogaz](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/mollie-ogaz/)
- [Gabrielle Boisrame](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/gabrielle-boisrame/)
- [Corey Phillis](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/corey-phillis/)
- [Andrew Tweet](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/andrew-tweet/)
- [Reed Thayer](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/reed-thayer/)
- [Quinn Hart](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/quinn-hart/)
- [Julia Pavicic](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/julia-pavicic/)
- [Jon Burau](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/jon-burau/)
- [Jim Cloern](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/jim-cloern/)
- [Jesse Jankowski](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/jesse-jankowski/)
- [Emily Jacinto](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/emily-jacinto/)
- [Guest species](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/guest-species/)
- [Kristin Dobbin](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/kristin-dobbin/)
- [Teejay O'Rear](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/teejay-orear/)
- [Aston Tennefoss](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/aston-tennefoss/)
- [Dylan Stompe](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/dylan-stompe/)
- [functional flows](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/functional-flows/)
- [reconciliation](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/reconciliation/)
- [In Memoriam](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/in-memoriam/)
- [April Fools' Day](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/april-fools-day/)
- [Tuolumne River](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/tuolumne-river/)
- [El Niño](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/el-nino/)
- [San Joaquin River](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/san-joaquin-river/)
- [Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sacramento-san-joaquin-delta/)
- [stream temperature](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/stream-temperature/)
- [@PPICWater](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ppicwater/)
- [Ecosystems](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ecosystems/)
- [Flood-Mar](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/flood-mar/)
- [Freshwater Mussels](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/freshwater-mussels/)
- [conservation](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/conservation/)
- [Jonathan Walter](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/jonathan-walter/)
- [Scott Colborne](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/scott-colborne/)
- [Sturgeon](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sturgeon/)
- [MIgration](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/migration/)
- [Flow](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/flow/)
- [Telemetry](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/telemetry/)
- [soil](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/soil/)
- [Jeff Mount](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/jeff-mount/)
- [floodplains](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/floodplains/)
- [Andrea Schreier](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/andrea-schreier/)
- [Nann Fangue](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/nann-fangue/)
- [White Sturgeon](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/white-sturgeon/)
- [HABs](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/habs/)
- [food webs](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/food-webs/)
- [Science](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/science/)
- [serendipity](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/serendipity/)
- [ideas](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ideas/)
- [thinking fast and slow](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/thinking-fast-and-slow/)
- [system 1](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/system-1/)
- [system 2](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/system-2/)
- [Rusty Holleman](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/rusty-holleman/)
- [behavior](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/behavior/)
- [spring-run](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/spring-run/)
- [water](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/water/)
- [cost](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/cost/)
- [Josue Medellin-Azuara](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/josue-medellin-azuara-2/)
- [Rob Lusardi](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/rob-lusardi/)
- [equity](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/equity/)
- [Recovering America's Wildlife Act](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/recovering-americas-wildlife-act/)
- [RAWA](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/rawa/)
- [wildlife](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/wildlife/)
- [fisheries](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/fisheries/)
- [license sales](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/license-sales/)
- [Lauren Hitt](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/lauren-hitt/)
- [Mackenzie Miner](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/mackenzie-miner/)
- [community](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/community/)
- [nature-based solutions](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/nature-based-solutions/)
- [beavers](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/beavers/)
- [regenerative agriculture](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/regenerative-agriculture/)
- [NBS](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/nbs/)
- [novel ecosystems](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/novel-ecosystems/)
- [Derrick Alcott](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/derrick-alcott/)
- [Alex Wampler](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/alex-wampler/)
- [Jordan Colby](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/jordan-colby/)
- [Parsa Saffarinia](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/parsa-saffarinia/)
- [rice](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/rice/)
- [sutter bypass](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sutter-bypass/)
- [native fishes](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/native-fishes/)
- [gar](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/gar/)
- [suckers](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/suckers/)
- [bag limits](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/bag-limits/)
- [Gabriel Singer](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/gabriel-singer/)
- [hatcheries](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/hatcheries/)
- [JSATS](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/jsats/)
- [ecology](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ecology/)
- [stability](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/stability/)
- [space-time](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/space-time/)
- [FEMA](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/fema/)
- [risk rating](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/risk-rating/)
- [insurance](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/insurance/)
- [maps](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/maps/)
- [temperature](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/temperature/)
- [largemouth bass](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/largemouth-bass/)
- [invasive species](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/invasive-species/)
- [water clarity](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/water-clarity/)
- [the Delta](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/the-delta/)
- [field courses](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/field-courses/)
- [teaching](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/teaching/)
- [outreach](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/outreach/)
- [students](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/students/)
- [future generations](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/future-generations/)
- [Kim Luke](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/kim-luke/)
- [Christine Parisek](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/christine-parisek/)
- [Rachelle Tallman](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/rachelle-tallman/)
- [loons](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/loons/)
- [conservation plan](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/conservation-plan/)
- [statewide plan](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/statewide-plan/)
- [watershed management](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/watershed-management/)
- [roach\](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/roach/)
- [roach](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/roach-2/)
- [Cathryn Lawrence](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/cathryn-lawrence/)
- [ecosystem function](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ecosystem-function/)
- [secondary production](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/secondary-production/)
- [Malte WIllmes](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/malte-willmes/)
- [Levi Lewis](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/levi-lewis/)
- [otoliths](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/otoliths/)
- [rockfish](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/rockfish/)
- [ocean](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ocean/)
- [Pacific Ocean](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/pacific-ocean/)
- [kelp](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/kelp/)
- [evolution](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/evolution/)
- [biodiversity](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/biodiversity/)
- [reefs](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/reefs/)
- [public service](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/public-service/)
- [long-term data](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/long-term-data/)
- [collaboration](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/collaboration/)
- [UC Davis](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/uc-davis/)
- [infrastructure](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/infrastructure/)
- [safety](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/safety/)
- [Oroville](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/oroville/)
- [voluntary agreements](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/voluntary-agreements/)
- [endangered species](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/endangered-species/)
- [BiOps](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/biops/)
- [Brian Williamson](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/brian-williamson/)
- [carp](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/carp/)
- [fish food](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/fish-food/)
- [Green Sturgeon](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/green-sturgeon/)
- [Zeb Hogan](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/zeb-hogan/)
- [nitrogen](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/nitrogen/)
- [debt](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/debt/)
- [environmental debts](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/environmental-debts/)
- [ecological debts](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ecological-debts/)
- [speckled dace](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/speckled-dace/)
- [global](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/global/)
- [Community Ecology](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/community-ecology/)
- [water allocation](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/water-allocation/)
- [Josie Storm](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/josie-storm/)
- [Brian Williamshen](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/brian-williamshen/)
- [Caroline Newell](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/caroline-newell/)
- [Jake Shab](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/jake-shab/)
- [Erin Tracy](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/erin-tracy/)
- [DEI](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/dei/)
- [K-12](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/k-12/)
- [estuaries](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/estuaries/)
- [Alpine Lakes](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/alpine-lakes/)
- [Hiking](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/hiking/)
- [Backpacking](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/backpacking/)
- [Rafting](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/rafting/)
- [Golden Trout](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/golden-trout/)
- [zooplankton](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/zooplankton/)
- [detritus](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/detritus/)
- [fish growth](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/fish-growth/)
- [life-history](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/life-history/)
- [western pearlshell](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/western-pearlshell/)
- [mantle lure](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/mantle-lure/)
- [reproduction](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/reproduction/)
- [Sackett](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sackett/)
- [ecosystem services](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ecosystem-services/)
- [30x30](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/30x30/)
- [Nicholas Wright](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/nicholas-wright/)
- [trophic subsidies](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/trophic-subsidies/)
- [carbon](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/carbon/)
- [insects](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/insects/)
- [bats](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/bats/)
- [Eel River](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/eel-river/)
- [Mary Power](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/mary-power/)
- [cross-system](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/cross-system/)
- [nutrients](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/nutrients/)
- [marine-derrived nitrogen](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/marine-derrived-nitrogen/)
- [freshwater protected areas](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/freshwater-protected-areas/)
- [freshwater](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/freshwater/)
- [ESA](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/esa/)
- [genomics](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/genomics/)
- [Resilience](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/resilience/)
- [water use](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/water-use/)
- [per capita demand](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/per-capita-demand/)
- [restrictions](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/restrictions/)
- [Julie Zimmerman](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/julie-zimmerman/)
- [The Nature Conservancy](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/the-nature-conservancy/)
- [Drought Flows Monitor](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/drought-flows-monitor/)
- [Suman Jumani](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/suman-jumani/)
- [Lucy Andrews](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/lucy-andrews/)
- [Deadbeat Dams](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/deadbeat-dams/)
- [Structured Assessment Tools](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/structured-assessment-tools/)
- [Conservation Prioritization](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/conservation-prioritization/)
- [Dam Safety](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/dam-safety/)
- [SB 389](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sb-389/)
- [environmental law](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/environmental-law/)
- [Sophie Sanchez](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sophie-sanchez/)
- [Deep Sea FIshes](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/deep-sea-fishes/)
- [Viperfish](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/viperfish/)
- [Fangtooth](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/fangtooth/)
- [Hatchetfish](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/hatchetfish/)
- [Blackdragon](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/blackdragon/)
- [Keith Hirokawa](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/keith-hirokawa/)
- [Mitigation](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/mitigation/)
- [Law](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/law/)
- [Fish Ladders](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/fish-ladders/)
- [Performance Bonds](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/performance-bonds/)
- [Joshua Porter](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/joshua-porter/)
- [communities](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/communities/)
- [Eagle Lake](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/eagle-lake/)
- [Goose LAke](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/goose-lake/)
- [Alkali Lakes](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/alkali-lakes/)
- [Honey Lake](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/honey-lake/)
- [Walker Lake](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/walker-lake/)
- [Carson Lake](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/carson-lake/)
- [Pyramid Lake](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/pyramid-lake/)
- [Mono Lake](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/mono-lake/)
- [Owens Lake](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/owens-lake/)
- [Lake Tulare](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/lake-tulare/)
- [Salton Sea](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/salton-sea/)
- [Redband Trout](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/redband-trout/)
- [Salinity](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/salinity/)
- [Fabian Bombardelli](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/fabian-bombardelli/)
- [habitat management](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/habitat-management/)
- [water accounting](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/water-accounting/)
- [joint venture](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/joint-venture/)
- [world water](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/world-water/)
- [ecosystem experiments](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ecosystem-experiments/)
- [ecosystem ecology](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ecosystem-ecology/)
- [streamkeeper](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/streamkeeper/)
- [Two-way thinking](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/two-way-thinking/)
- [Agencies](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/agencies/)
- [New Year](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/new-year/)
- [Kallee Bareket-Shavit](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/kallee-bareket-shavit/)
- [Ryan Miller](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ryan-miller/)
- [Francisco Bellido-Leiva](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/francisco-bellido-leiva/)
- [Nicholas Corline](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/nicholas-corline/)
- [Chile](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/chile/)
- [Camila Boettiger](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/camila-boettiger/)
- [Roberto Oliva](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/roberto-oliva/)
- [Diego Rivera](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/diego-rivera/)
- [Minnow](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/minnow/)
- [California Roach](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/california-roach/)
- [Sandra Meraz](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sandra-meraz/)
- [Abigail Ward](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/abigail-ward/)
- [Peggy Harte](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/peggy-harte/)
- [Ellen Bruno](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ellen-bruno/)
- [Molly Bruce](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/molly-bruce/)
- [Tim Palmer](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/tim-palmer/)
- [David Dralle](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/david-dralle/)
- [Gabe Rossi](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/gabe-rossi/)
- [Jesse Hahm](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/jesse-hahm/)
- [Monica Blanchard](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/monica-blanchard/)
- [Daniella Rempe](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/daniella-rempe/)
- [Phil Georgakakos](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/phil-georgakakos/)
- [Bill Dietrich](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/bill-dietrich/)
- [Stephanie Carlson](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/stephanie-carlson/)
- [Critical Zones](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/critical-zones/)
- [Geology](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/geology/)
- [streamflow](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/streamflow/)
- [American Shad](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/american-shad/)
- [Rosemary Hartman](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/rosemary-hartman/)
- [Matt Young](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/matt-young/)
- [Dylan Chapple](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/dylan-chapple/)
- [Stacy Sherman](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/stacy-sherman/)
- [Dave Ayers](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/dave-ayers/)
- [Emma Mendonsa](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/emma-mendonsa/)
- [Elizabeth Brusati](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/elizabeth-brusati/)
- [Louise Conrad](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/louise-conrad/)
- [Ted Sommer](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ted-sommer/)
- [David Rosenberg](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/david-rosenberg/)
- [Albert Ruhi](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/albert-ruhi/)
- [flow regimes](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/flow-regimes/)
- [Red Hills Roach](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/red-hills-roach/)
- [Caleb Scoville](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/caleb-scoville/)
- [Sociology](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sociology/)
- [Lynette Williams Duman](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/lynette-williams-duman/)
- [Elsie Platzer](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/elsie-platzer/)
- [Bay-Delta Science Conference](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/bay-delta-science-conference/)
- [Delta Science Program](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/delta-science-program/)
- [Audrey Cho](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/audrey-cho/)
- [historical](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/historical/)
- [Garfield Kwan](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/garfield-kwan/)
- [J. Ryan Bellmore](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/j-ryan-bellmore/)
- [Jonathan Armstrong](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/jonathan-armstrong/)
- [Seth White](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/seth-white/)
- [Sean Naman](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sean-naman/)
- [Matthew Kaylor](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/matthew-kaylor/)
- [foodscape](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/foodscape/)
- [Spencer Cole](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/spencer-cole/)
- [groundwater wells](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/groundwater-wells/)
- [Black Bass](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/black-bass/)
- [Emily Mensch](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/emily-mensch/)
- [Lamprey](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/lamprey/)
- [Gislene Torrente Vilara](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/gislene-torrente-vilara/)
- [Jansen Zuanon](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/jansen-zuanon/)
- [Brazil](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/brazil/)
- [UC Davis Global Affairs](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/uc-davis-global-affairs/)
- [tainha](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/tainha/)
- [Universidade Federal de São Paulo Instituto do Mar](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/universidade-federal-de-sao-paulo-instituto-do-mar/)
- [LaFama](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/lafama/)
- [Interview](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/interview/)
- [Synchrony](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/synchrony/)
- [Mason Rogers](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/mason-rogers/)
- [Sacramento Perch](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sacramento-perch/)
- [panfish](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/panfish/)
- [Perch](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/perch/)
- [Indumati Roychowdhury](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/indumati-roychowdhury/)
- [Alice Tung](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/alice-tung/)
- [waterfowl](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/waterfowl/)
- [National Environmental Policy Act](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/national-environmental-policy-act/)
- [disaster aid](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/disaster-aid/)
- [Kathleen Schaefer](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/kathleen-schaefer/)
- [wish list](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/wish-list/)
- [Andrew Cohen](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/andrew-cohen/)
- [Golden Mussel](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/golden-mussel/)
- [Limnoperna fortunei](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/limnoperna-fortunei/)
- [Michael Mierzwa](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/michael-mierzwa/)
- [Jimmy Carter](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/jimmy-carter/)
- [floodplain management](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/floodplain-management/)
- [Water Year](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/water-year/)
- [severe flood](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/severe-flood/)
- [Ethan Baruch](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ethan-baruch/)
- [Sarah Bardeen](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sarah-bardeen/)
- [salmon fishery](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/salmon-fishery/)
- [Glass Half Full](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/glass-half-full/)
- [Glass Half Empty](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/glass-half-empty/)
- [researcher degrees of freedom](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/researcher-degrees-of-freedom/)
- [overlooked choices](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/overlooked-choices/)
- [policy](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/policy/)
- [Daniel Karp](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/daniel-karp/)
- [John Eadie](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/john-eadie/)
- [wildlife conservation](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/wildlife-conservation/)
- [ecological values](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ecological-values/)
- [Abby Deen](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/abby-deen/)
- [astrology](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/astrology/)
- [Brandi Goss](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/brandi-goss/)
- [Marissa Baskett](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/marissa-baskett/)
- [allogenic ecosystem engineer structures](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/allogenic-ecosystem-engineer-structures/)
- [Ecosystem Engineering](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ecosystem-engineering/)
- [Artificial Mimicry](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/artificial-mimicry/)
- [Aquatic Ecosystem Engineer Mimicry](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/aquatic-ecosystem-engineer-mimicry/)
- [Beaver Dam Analogs](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/beaver-dam-analogs/)
- [Nesting Box](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/nesting-box/)
- [artificial burrow](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/artificial-burrow/)
- [Pareto Principle](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/pareto-principle/)
- [Sarah Epstein](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sarah-epstein/)
- [Aquifer](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/aquifer/)
- [Dan Hermstad](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/dan-hermstad/)
- [ReNEM](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/renem/)
- [Mariah Meek](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/mariah-meek/)
- [Emilio Grande](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/emilio-grande/)
- [Ate Visser](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ate-visser/)
- [Jean Moran](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/jean-moran/)
- [Jory Lerback](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/jory-lerback/)
- [Tyanna Blaschak](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/tyanna-blaschak/)
- [Damon Goodman](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/damon-goodman/)
- [Jake Harm](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/jake-harm/)
- [Lauren Tolley-Mann](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/lauren-tolley-mann/)
- [Dylan O’Ryan](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/dylan-oryan/)
- [Valerie Muenker](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/valerie-muenker/)
- [Rollie Nearhood](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/rollie-nearhood/)
- [Amber Lukk](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/amber-lukk/)
- [Sarah Howe](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sarah-howe/)
- [volcanic substrate](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/volcanic-substrate/)
- [Hap Dunning](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/hap-dunning/)
- [Harrison "Hap" Dunning](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/harrison-hap-dunning/)
- [Bull Trout](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/bull-trout/)
- [McCloud River](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/mccloud-river/)
- [Endemic Species](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/endemic-species/)
- [Max Stevenson](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/max-stevenson/)
- [Blog Series: Where Are They Now](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/blog-series-where-are-they-now/)
- [Miranda Bell-Tilcock](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/miranda-bell-tilcock/)
- [microplastics](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/microplastics/)
- [SF Bay Delta](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sf-bay-delta/)
- [Delta Stewardship Council](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/delta-stewardship-council/)
- [Coastal Marine Sciences Institute (CMSI)](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/coastal-marine-sciences-institute-cmsi/)
- [Eric Edwards](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/eric-edwards/)
- [Leslie Sanchez](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/leslie-sanchez/)
- [Native American tribes](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/native-american-tribes/)
- [Tribal Water Rights](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/tribal-water-rights/)
- [Fiona Dyer](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/fiona-dyer/)
- [Martin Thoms](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/martin-thoms/)
- [Melissa Parsons](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/melissa-parsons/)
- [International Society for River Science (ISRS)](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/international-society-for-river-science-isrs/)
- [International Symposium on River Science](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/international-symposium-on-river-science/)
- [Riverscape](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/riverscape/)
- [socioecological benefits](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/socioecological-benefits/)
- [Christopher Mouawad](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/christopher-mouawad/)
- [Sites Reservoir Project](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sites-reservoir-project/)
- [Permitting](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/permitting/)
- [Rachel Johnson](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/rachel-johnson/)
- [The Lorax](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/the-lorax/)
- [National Science Foundation](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/national-science-foundation/)
- [International Freshwater Management](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/international-freshwater-management/)
- [Lindsay Murdoch](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/lindsay-murdoch/)
- [Tom Taylor](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/tom-taylor/)
- [Blog Series: Resilient California Fishes](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/blog-series-resilient-california-fishes/)
- [Resilient California Fishes](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/resilient-california-fishes/)
- [Sacramento Sucker](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sacramento-sucker/)
- [Kelly Neal](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/kelly-neal/)
- [George Whitman](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/george-whitman/)
- [Walleye](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/walleye/)
- [Lake Cascade](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/lake-cascade/)
- [Sir Arthur Conan Doyle](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sir-arthur-conan-doyle/)
- [Sherlock Holmes](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sherlock-holmes/)
- [Claire Kouba](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/claire-kouba/)
- [Leland Scantlebury](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/leland-scantlebury/)
- [David Conrad](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/david-conrad/)
- [Ray Krone](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ray-krone/)
- [Jamie Anderson](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/jamie-anderson/)
- [Mike Deas](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/mike-deas/)
- [cohesive sediment transport](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/cohesive-sediment-transport/)
- [cohesive particle behavior](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/cohesive-particle-behavior/)
- [hydraulics](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/hydraulics/)
- [chemistry](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/chemistry/)
- [erosion](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/erosion/)
- [deposition](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/deposition/)
- [suspensions](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/suspensions/)
- [tidal marshes](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/tidal-marshes/)
- [International Fish Passage Conference](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/international-fish-passage-conference/)
- [California Water Rites](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/california-water-rites/)
- [Jono Tonkin](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/jono-tonkin/)
- [Felicia Marcus](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/felicia-marcus/)
- [Brian Chaffin](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/brian-chaffin/)
- [Blog Series: 12 Days of CWS](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/blog-series-12-days-of-cws/)
- [fish eye](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/fish-eye/)
- [Gulls](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/gulls/)
- [Pacific Aquatic Telemetry Hub (PATH)](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/pacific-aquatic-telemetry-hub-path/)
- [Rachel Alsheikh](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/rachel-alsheikh/)
- [Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology (MWFB)](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/museum-of-wildlife-and-fish-biology-mwfb/)
- [Kira Zalis Waldman](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/kira-zalis-waldman/)
- [Kim Evans](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/kim-evans/)
- [Danhong Ally Li](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/danhong-ally-li/)
- [Helen E. Dahlke](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/helen-e-dahlke/)
- [Lucia Levers](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/lucia-levers/)
- [aquatic insects](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/aquatic-insects/)
- [dobsonflies](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/dobsonflies/)
- [fishflies](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/fishflies/)
- [alderflies](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/alderflies/)
- [mayflies](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/mayflies/)
- [dragonflies](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/dragonflies/)
- [stoneflies](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/stoneflies/)
- [beetles](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/beetles/)
- [caddisflies](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/caddisflies/)
- [plecoptera](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/plecoptera/)
- [trichoptera](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/trichoptera/)
- [Odonata](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/odonata/)
- [Hemiptera](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/hemiptera/)
- [Coleoptera](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/coleoptera/)
- [Diptera](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/diptera/)
- [Megaloptera](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/megaloptera/)
- [Ephemeroptera](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ephemeroptera/)
- [streams](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/streams/)
- [creeks](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/creeks/)
- [lakes](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/lakes/)
- [ponds](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ponds/)
- [aquatic](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/aquatic/)
- [Dana Myers](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/dana-myers/)
- [Cases and Places field-based approach to teaching](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/cases-and-places-field-based-approach-to-teaching/)
- [transformative education](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/transformative-education/)
- [Giving](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/giving/)
- [Petrea Marchand](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/petrea-marchand/)
- [environmental stewardship](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/environmental-stewardship/)
- [Tule Perch](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/tule-perch/)
- [Becca VanArnam](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/becca-vanarnam/)
- [Miranda Lowe-Webb](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/miranda-lowe-webb/)
- [Spinning Salmon](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/spinning-salmon/)
- [Water Year Update](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/water-year-update/)
- [CWS Annual Report](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/cws-annual-report/)
- [Fremont Weir Big Notch](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/fremont-weir-big-notch/)
- [Sacramento River](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sacramento-river/)
- [Alexandra Chu](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/alexandra-chu/)
- [isotope](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/isotope/)
- [diet](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/diet/)
- [Dennis Baldocchi](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/dennis-baldocchi/)
- [Carlos Wang](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/carlos-wang/)
- [evaporation](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/evaporation/)
- [Sacramento pikeminnow](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sacramento-pikeminnow/)
- [Eliza Gregory](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/eliza-gregory/)
- [Crocker Art Museum](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/crocker-art-museum/)
- [flood-based ecosystem](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/flood-based-ecosystem/)
- [CSU Sacramento Bachelor's in Fine Arts Photography Program](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/csu-sacramento-bachelors-in-fine-arts-photography-program/)
- [science–art](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/science-art/)
- [Emily Chen](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/emily-chen/)
- [Katherine Lumahan](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/katherine-lumahan/)
- [Will Satterthwaite](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/will-satterthwaite/)
- [Kyle Greenspan](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/kyle-greenspan/)
- [snow drought](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/snow-drought/)
- [fish versus birds](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/fish-versus-birds/)
- [privatizing natural resources](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/privatizing-natural-resources/)
- [AI](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/ai/)
- [Christopher M. Dewees](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/christopher-m-dewees/)
- [Gyotaku](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/gyotaku/)
- [sculpin](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/sculpin/)
- [Madison Dunlap](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/madison-dunlap/)
- [Aidan Rafols](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/aidan-rafols/)
- [clams](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/clams/)
- [bivalve](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/bivalve/)
- [Lahontan Redside Shiners](https://californiawaterblog.com/tag/lahontan-redside-shiners/)