Managing California’s Water: Managing California s Water: From Conflict to Reconciliation

A Collaborative Effort by an Interdisciplinary TeamInterdisciplinary Team

Biologist:Peter Moyle UC DavisPeter Moyle, UC DavisEconomists:Ellen Hanak, PPIC*Ariel Dinar, UC RiversideRichard Howitt, UC DavisEngineer:Engineer:Jay Lund, UC Davis*Geologist:Jeffrey Mount UC DavisJeffrey Mount, UC DavisLawyers:Brian Gray, UC HastingsB Thompson Stanford

Supported with funding fromS.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Pisces

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Buzz Thompson, Stanford*Lead authors

Foundation, Resources Legacy Fund, Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority

OutlineOutline

C lif i ’ California’s water systemThe ecosystem crisisP i i t t iPromising strategies

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A Highly Engineered Water SystemA Highly Engineered Water System

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A Precarious Supply HubA Precarious Supply Hub

F il lFragile leveesImperiled ecosystem

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Agriculture 75%, Urban 25% of Supplies for Human UsesSupplies for Human Uses

45

30

35

40

s)

Total

20

25

30

-feet

(Mill

ions

Agriculture

10

15 Acre

-

5

1960 1967 1972 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Urban

Source: Authors’ calculations using Dept of Water Resources data on applied water use

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OutlineOutline

C lif i ’ California’s water systemThe ecosystem crisisP i i t t iPromising strategies

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The Fish Are LosingThe Fish Are Losing

100%D it d d f

California’s freshwater fishes

4438

22

80%

90%Despite decades of well-intentioned effortsEfforts now threaten

6960%

70% Reasonably Secure

Special

Efforts now threaten water supply reliability and flood protection

5053

30%

40%

50% Concern

Listed

Extinct

Conditions will worsen with climate warming, more invasive species

14 1831

10%

20%

30% Extinct more invasive species

7 7 70%

1989 1995 20108

Dams and Diversions Are Major FactorsFactors

Bl k f t Blockage of upstream habitatAlteration of Alteration of downstream habitatDisturbance of natural flow patterns

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So Are Losses of Floodplains and WetlandsWetlands

H bit t d li f Habitat declines from water and land developmentp

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And Water Quality Is Still a Major ConcernConcern

Cl W t l h Clean Water laws have reduced “point” source pollutionpBut runoff from farms, cities still not well

g dmanagedAnd few controls on new chemicalsnew chemicals

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OutlineOutline

C lif i ’ California’s water systemThe ecosystem crisisP i i t t iPromising strategies

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Shift to Ecosystem Reconciliation ApproachesApproaches

Use natural flow regimesSet back, remove lleveesReduce contaminantsLimit new invasivesLimit new invasivesRe-operate, retire dams

Matilija Dam

Improve hatcheriesSpecialize some streams

13Yolo Bypass

Multiple Benefits Possible with Shift in Flood ManagementShift in Flood Management

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Much Can Be Done Within Existing Environmental LawEnvironmental Law

E d d S i A ll hif i fEndangered Species Act allows shift in focus– From single species to ecosystems

From single stressor to multiple stressors– From single stressor to multiple stressorsOver time, more flexible implementation rules may be neededmay be needed

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Treat Water As a Public Commodity: Balance & FlexibilityCommodity: Balance & Flexibility

Build on “reasonable use” and “public trust” Build on reasonable use and public trust doctrines– Manage groundwaterManage groundwater– Promote conservation & water market– Reallocate some supplies to environment

Fund public management aspects– Public goods chargeg g– Special mitigation fees

Improve adaptive capacity– Review contract, license, & permit terms

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Address Coordination FailuresAddress Coordination Failures

Decentralized “adhocracy” misses adhocracy misses opportunitiesCoordination also a problem for state, federal agencies

A simplified “conceptual model”

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A simplified conceptual model of state and federal agency roles

Integrate Within Large Watersheds: Supply Quality Floods HabitatSupply, Quality, Floods, Habitat

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Proposed regional stewardship authorities

Current integrated regionalwater management areas

Use Cooperative Approaches to Reduce CostsReduce Costs

State, feds set goals, standards, deadlinesLocals jointly develop implementation and

f lenforcement plans– Groundwater basins

Water quality– Water quality– Environmental flows– Flood protectionFlood protection– Integrated watershed management

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For More InformationFor More Information

Book Book – Free pdf from ppic.org– E-reader and paperback from amazon.com

Executive summary – Free from ppic.org

Interview appendix – Free from ppic.org

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Managing California’s Water: Managing California s Water: From Conflict to Reconciliation

Notes on the use of these slidesNotes on the use of these slides

Th lid t d t These slides were created to accompany a presentation. They do not include full documentation of sources, data samples, methods, and interpretations. To avoid misinterpretations, please contact:

Ellen Hanak: 415-291-4433, hanak@ppic.org

Thank you for your interest in this work.

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