Month: June 2022

Legislature approves audit of water management by DWR and SWRCB during 2021

~ Deirdre Des Jardins ~ 1 Comment

On Monday, June 27, the California Joint Legislative Audit Committee approved Assemblymember Adam Gray's request for an audit of the management of surface water by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the State Water Resources Control Board in 2021. The Acting State Auditor is also proposing to audit DWR's plan to uphold its contractual … Continue reading Legislature approves audit of water management by DWR and SWRCB during 2021

Tales from the Water Wars — Jonas Minton’s testimony on true collaboration

~ Deirdre Des Jardins ~ 2 Comments

Jonas Minton, the Senior Water Policy Advisor for Planning and Conservation League, passed away on June 22, 2022. He was 73. I had the privilege of serving on an expert panel with Jonas on April 2, 2018. We testified in the WaterFix Water Right Change Petition hearing for attorneys Bob Wright and Kyle Jones, representing … Continue reading Tales from the Water Wars — Jonas Minton’s testimony on true collaboration

Budget negotiations could determine the future of California’s Central Valley

~ Deirdre Des Jardins ~ Leave a comment

Modeling by the Department of Water Resources for the 2022 Central Valley Flood Protection Plan Update shows that peak flood flows on the San Joaquin River could more than double with climate change, and peak flows on the Sacramento could increase by 40%. In 2018, Daniel Swain, Baird Langenbrunner, and David Neelin found that there … Continue reading Budget negotiations could determine the future of California’s Central Valley

The State Water Project Delivery Reliability Report may have created systemic drought vulnerability

~ Deirdre Des Jardins ~ 1 Comment

On June 7, 2022, Adel Hagekhalil, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, issued the following statement: We are in an unprecedented situation, where our water supplies from the State Water Project are so limited by drought and climate change that they do not meet demands. Southern Californians must decrease their water … Continue reading The State Water Project Delivery Reliability Report may have created systemic drought vulnerability

Could California be at a social tipping point towards sustainability of water use?

~ Deirdre Des Jardins ~ 1 Comment

European Complex Systems scientists Ilona M. Otto et. al. published a conceptual model of the dynamics of social tipping points towards rapid decarbonization of the earth's economy.  The concepts are also applicable to the changes needed to transition to more sustainable resource use, including water. This figure from Otto's paper shows a series of social … Continue reading Could California be at a social tipping point towards sustainability of water use?