EXPLAINER: Where does California’s water come from?
Most of us remember learning about the water cycle, so we can understand easily enough that rain and snow are the ultimate sources of most of our water supply. But what most Californians might not realize is how vast the state’s water infrastructure is that irrigates the farmland and delivers the water to our faucets and how profoundly that infrastructure has remade the state as we know it today.
Click here for more on where California’s water comes from.
EXPLAINER: Delta Conveyance Project
The plan to build a canal or a tunnel to move water around the Delta instead of through it is nothing new. The roots of the idea go back to the 1970s. Though long sought by water interests, the project remains as controversial as ever.
Click here for the Delta Conveyance Project explainer.
EXPLAINER: California’s groundwater
Groundwater in California has been in the spotlight recently, and rightly so: we rely heavily on it. In fact, California’s groundwater usage is the highest in the United States, accounting for about 21% of the nation’s total groundwater extraction.
Click here to learn more about California’s groundwater.
EXPLAINER: Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
In September 2014, Governor Brown signed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), a three-bill legislative package to sustainably manage California’s groundwater basins. A key aspect of SGMA is the emphasis on local management, mandating the establishment of Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) to create and develop groundwater sustainability plans to achieve sustainability within a 20-year timeframe.
Click here to learn more about the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.
EXPLAINER: Statewide and Delta planning processes
A list of statewide water plans, Delta plans, flood management plans, and climate change plans.
Click here to learn more about statewide and Delta planning processes.
EXPLAINER: Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations
As California experiences more extreme swings between wet and dry periods, new strategies are needed to adapt. One strategy showing great promise is “Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations.”
Click here to learn more about Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations.
EXPLAINER: Mercury contamination in California’s waterways
Mercury contamination is a widespread problem, both in California and globally, and its serious effects on health are well known. In many areas of California, mercury is a legacy contaminant from Gold Rush mining, as abandoned mines still leach significant amounts of mercury into the environment.
Click here to learn more about mercury contamination.
