Managing California's Water: From Conflict to Reconciliation

For more than 30 years, California has struggled to manage its water effectively. Today, California faces diverse and growing demands for water supply quality and reliability, flood protection, and ecosystem health. Current water policies have not kept up with these demands and crises are brewing, waiting for the next drought, flood, or lawsuit to bring widespread or local catastrophe.

This book outlines an ambitious reform agenda to help put California water management on a more constructive and hopeful path. Bringing together perspectives from biology, economics, engineering, geology, and the law, the authors describe how California s water can be managed more comprehensively and more flexibly for the benefit of the economy and the environment. The reforms proposed here will not be easy, but with bold leadership the state can develop a sustainable, long-term strategy for one of its most critical resources.