PPIC Report Identifies Key Water Challenges

California faces growing water management challenges that will require difficult and costly tradeoffs as well as legal and political changes in the future, the Public Policy Institute of California says in a new report.

Instability in the Delta is the state’s biggest water challenge, with physical and ecological problems posing serious risks to the economies of the Bay Area, Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley, the report says. A peripheral canal or tunnel has the best potential for safeguarding the Delta’s environment while maintaining water supply reliability, though solid governance and finance policies are needed to ensure facilities are managed for environmental benefits and to address impacts on Delta landowners and residents.

The state also must decide how to pay for water investments and begin addressing the challenge of extreme flood risks, according to the report.

“California has the tools to help secure a safe and reliable water supply, improve conditions for aquatic species, and reduce flood risks," the report says. "In recent years, water managers have made significant progress toward these goals. But the challenges are increasing with population growth and climate change.”

The PPIC report on water is part of a briefing kit on some of the most pressing issues in the state, including the economy, the state budget, education and housing.