June 2018

New Workshop Synthesis
Learning from California's experience with small water system consolidations 

When done right, consolidation can create economies of scale to help address persistent water system inadequacies in small and disadvantaged communities. More than 100 consolidation projects have been completed or are ongoing in California, and there is potentially room for many more. But whether and how to proceed with a consolidation is often unclear. 
 
CLEE facilitated a daylong workshop of thought leaders at UC Berkeley in March 2018. The workshop identified key lessons learned and emerging issues from California's experience with small water system consolidations.
 
Our  synthesis document memorializes key takeaways from the discussion, taking stock of consolidation efforts and drawing out key lessons. The goal is to help accelerate cost-effective solutions for near-term water needs and long-term water system resilience.




Access the full workshop synthesis here  or contact Nell Green Nylen for more information .
New Issue Brief
Improving California's stream flow monitoring system
 
 
Our new Issue Brief on stream flow monitoring provides context for the current conversation California legislators are having about the importance of stream flow gages. We highlight how important it is to connect stream monitoring to water management.
Stream flow data support day-to-day decisions about how to manage water and operate water infrastructure. In turn, those decisions have important implications for flood control and the water supplies upon which residential, industrial, agricultural, and environmental water users depend. As pressures on the state's water systems intensify, the need for accurate and timely stream flow information will continue to grow.
 
Improving the spatial coverage, timeliness, and accuracy of stream gaging data will enable more accurate and effective near-term decisions while empowering more robust long-term water planning.  

Access the full Issue Brief here or contact Katie Miller for more information.  

Faculty + Staff
In the News

Quoted in Undark Magazine, Holly Doremus emphasizes that we can't freeze nature: " For many systems, we can't have something that looks like the world of 1500. As we're forced away from that grounding, we need to articulate what our values are and what we're trying to achieve."
 

Ethan Elkind discusses the California Energy Commission's new solar mandate for new buildings with Mary Louise Kelly on All Things Considered. 

In a new op-ed in The Sacramento Bee, Claudia Polsky responds to industry and media spin after a preliminary court ruling that coffee sold in California must be labeled with a Prop 65 warning.


Mike Kiparsky and colleagues argue in the San Jose Mercury News, that now is the time to begin managing groundwater and surface water as interlinked resources.  
 
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