Dear Deeply Readers,
Welcome to the archives of Water Deeply. While we paused regular publication of the site on November 1, 2018, we are happy to serve as an ongoing public resource on water resilience. We hope you’ll enjoy the reporting and analysis that was produced by our dedicated community of editors and contributors.
We continue to produce events and special projects while we explore where the on-site journalism goes next. If you’d like to reach us with feedback or ideas for collaboration you can do so at [email protected].
Community opinion pieces, Q&As, expert insight and more about water issues in California and the American West.
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Our ‘Water Works’ series goes behind the scenes with the leading voices in California water management. We talk to Sue Sims at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the giant supplier.
Juliet Christian-Smith Climate Scientist and California Water Expert, Union of Concerned Scientists
We should spend less time worrying about El Niño or La Niña weather patterns and more time dealing with the fact that climate change will be the biggest force in the state’s water future, writes scientist Juliet Christian-Smith.
Energy and climate issues factor hugely in California’s water future. In the fifth installment of Water Deeply’s “Experts to Watch” series, we highlight leaders at the crucial nexus of water, energy and climate.
Meghan Hertel Interim State Codirector and Director, Land and Water Conservation at Audubon California
A water recycling plant in the Central Valley will provide water to farmers and wildlife refuges. The water comes at a critical time for waterfowl, which have suffered during California’s five-year drought, says wildlife expert Meghan Hertel.
In the first of our “Water Works” series canvasing leading voices in California water management, Mehul V. Patel, director of water production for the pioneering Orange County Water District, talks about why lawmakers are finally catching up with the drought.
California’s prolonged drought has been an opportunity for the state to address critical water issues, but there is still more than can be done. Water Deeply asked four water experts about what the state should tackle next.
Doug Obegi Senior Attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council
A biological assessment for the twin tunnels plan for new conveyance of California water shows that several native fisheries could be pushed even further toward extinction, says Doug Obegi, a senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
In the fourth installment of our “Experts to Watch” series, meet nine experts helping California increase conservation and efficiency through water reuse technology, policy and regulations.
Jason Peltier Executive Director, San Luis & Delta Mendota Water Authority
We don’t need “more of the same” efforts to save delta smelt with increased river flows, says Jason Peltier, executive director of the San Luis & Delta Mendota Water Authority, who calls for a comprehensive strategy.
Kim Delfino Program Director, Defenders of Wildlife’s California Program
Environmental groups are calling on the California State Water Resources Control Board to increase freshwater flows to help critically endangered delta smelt. Kim Delfino of Defenders of Wildlife explains why.
Peter Gleick President Emeritus and Chief Scientist , Pacific Institute in Oakland
After more than four years of drought, Californians may be tired of hearing about their water problems, but the state still faces a future where water stress is likely to be a permanent problem, writes Peter Gleick of the Pacific Institute.
If you want to know if taxpayer dollars are well spent on river restoration projects, it can be hard to tell. Sara Aminzadeh of California Coastkeeper Alliance and Konrad Fisher of Klamath Riverkeeper explain why.
In the third installment of our “Experts to Watch” series, meet 11 experts helping us understand the important issues involved in water rights in California.
Kirsten James Oversees the California Policy Program, Ceres
Legislators will soon vote on whether to extend Senate Bill 32, the state’s Global Warming Solutions Act. Kirsten James of Ceres argues why passing the bill is crucial for water security.
Timothy Quinn Executive Director, ACWA
Now that there is no longer a conservation mandate, many California water agencies have set themselves new rules on efficient usage. Timothy Quinn, executive director of the Association of California Water Agencies, explains the benefits.
Nick Hansen Runs the Recycled Water Blog, Recycled H2O
Delta Diablo, a wastewater recovery center in Antioch, California has become a showcase for how to save water and energy, while turning 12 million gallons a day of wastewater into something usable.
Robb Barnitt Founder and CEO, Dropcountr
If California wants an informed and water-conscious public, then it should not be acceptable that water agencies have no conservation goals at all, writes Robb Barnitt, the CEO at water analytics company Dropcountr.
Dave Puglia Executive Vice President, Western Growers
California voters approved $2.7 billion in funds for new storage projects after passing a 2014 water bond. No new dams have been approved yet, but there is good reason for that, writes Dave Puglia, executive vice president of Western Growers.
Kirsten James Oversees the California Policy Program, Ceres
As exciting as it was to learn of deep groundwater reserves in California, the state’s efforts now are better spent pursuing more cost-effective solutions already at our fingertips, writes Kirsten James of Ceres.
Preserving California’s groundwater supply is crucial to the state’s future. In the second installment of our “Experts to Watch” series, meet seven experts broadening our understanding of the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Michael Kiparsky Director, Wheeler Water Institute, Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, University of California, Berkeley
Our water systems need innovation, but the task of bringing new ideas to fruition falls on a sector that is regarded as conservative and risk averse, writes Michael Kiparsky, director of the Wheeler Water Institute.
Max Gomberg Water Conservation and Climate Change Manager, State Water Resources Control Board
Officials and regulators need to work together to help water managers face new challenges, says Max Gomberg, water conservation and climate change manager at the State Water Resources Control Board.
The state is currently investigating whether it is feasible to develop standards for direct potable reuse, which would allow treated wastewater to be sent direct to customers for drinking without first being stored in a reservoir or aquifer.
Graham Fogg PROFESSOR OF HYDROGEOLOGY AND HYDROGEOLOGIST, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS
California can stave off a water crisis if it learns to manage both surface water and groundwater, which hasn’t happened yet. A better understanding is also needed of what’s at stake if overdrafts in groundwater are ignored.
Mark W. Cowin Director, California Department of Water Resources
California’s highly engineered water system struggles to serve its 39 million people and the environment. But there a numerous things we can do to better plan for the future, writes Mark Cowin, director of the Department of Water Resources.
Juliet Christian-Smith Climate Scientist and California Water Expert, Union of Concerned Scientists
After the announcement of large amounts of groundwater under California’s Central Valley, the Union of Concerned Scientists’ Juliet Christian-Smith explains why the cost of extraction and wider environmental priorities mean we’re better off leaving it where it is.
California faces a host of water issues, which is why good policy leaders are important. In the first installment of our “Experts to Watch” series, here are nine people who are contributing to policy solutions in the state.
Newsha K. Ajami Director, Urban Water Policy with Stanford University’s Water in the West and NSF-ReNUWIt Initiatives
The state has an opportunity to be a real leader but would need devote more resources to funding innovation and research, and diversifying its portfolio with more water reuse, greywater, stormwater capture, efficiency and conservation.
Using new snowpack data collected by satellites, we now have a better view of California’s water deficit, and it is not a pretty picture. Steven Margulis of UCLA explains just how deep the problem is.
Researchers from Stanford surveyed groundwater professionals to better understand the biggest data challenges to implementing California’s groundwater law. We talk with the report’s lead author, Tara Moran, about the findings.
There are an estimated 66 million dead trees in the southern Sierra Nevada. Jeffrey Moore of the Forest Service explains what it means for the region in the latest story in our series, Summer of Fire, on the state of California’s forests.
Kirsten James Oversees the California Policy Program, Ceres
Coca-Cola is backing efforts to help restore key watersheds in southern California, signaling a new era in corporate water stewardship, writes Kirsten James, who oversees the California policy program at Ceres.
Overhead irrigation technology, typically used in center-pivot irrigation, has been common for decades all across North America. It’s slowly being embraced in California as a relatively affordable water-saving tool.
California officials this month adopted streamlined permitting for nonpotable water recycling projects. By the end of this year, they’re expected to do the same for potable water recycling. Jennifer West of WaterReuse California explains what’s ahead.
Kate Poole Senior Attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council
Should more water be diverted from the Delta? The state already decided this years ago with the Delta Plan, writes Kate Poole, senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Hydroclimatologist Bruce Daniels has analyzed 85 years of rainfall data collected all over California. He talks to Water Deeply about what he’s found and what it means for the state’s groundwater.
Six years ago the Delta Stewardship Council kicked off, headed by Phil Isenberg, an attorney and former state assembly member. Isenberg talks to Water Deeply about the council’s Delta Plan, its legal challenges and the near future.
Holly Doremus James H. House and Hiram H. Hurd Professor of Environmental Regulation, University of California, Berkeley
Michael Kiparsky and Holly Doremus of the Wheeler Water Institute at U.C. Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy and the Environment lay out what’s needed for California’s groundwater agencies to successfully manage a critical resource.
California Tribal Policy Advisor Anecita Agustinez explains how Native American communities are impacted by some of the state’s most pressing water issues.
Stanford University recently hosted a diverse roundtable discussion to explore whether seawater desalination can resolve California’s water problems. Leon Szeptycki, one of the organizers, helps us understand why the potential is limited.
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