US Water Alliance’s Post

The Public Review Draft of the California Water Plan Update 2023 has been released. This comprehensive plan is meant to guide water managers, including water districts, cities, counties, and Tribal communities to better prepare and plan for a future with climate extremes. Highlights of this version’s update include addressing the urgency of climate change, strengthening watershed resilience, and achieving equity in water management. To get an overview of what’s in the plan and how it can shape a resilient and equitable future for water in the Golden State, check out our digital article: https://lnkd.in/d_i8977W. This release marks the start of the public comment period from Sept. 20 - Oct. 19. To review the full draft and learn how to submit a comment visit: https://lnkd.in/dnAa2V_y #california #water #2023

Urban river governance: A pathway for cities to achieve climate goals Water resilience has become a key agenda for cities today, as most natural and climate-change induced disasters usually manifest through water, such as floods, storms, water-borne disease outbreaks, and droughts. Amid the climate change impacts, it is necessary that cities prioritize on improving the governance of its freshwater systems, including its rivers. https://lnkd.in/dcSDiG9s

In our latest study, we delve into how long-term stresses like climate change and the recent COVID-19 pandemic are shaping our communities, focusing on Maricopa County, Arizona. With rising urban temperatures and shifting work habits, we've taken a closer look at what factors influence residential electricity use. Stay informed and mindful of how our environments and policies affect our energy use as we navigate these changing times: https://lnkd.in/gcqGqiyt

💥 Take Action! 💥 There’s a serious threat to funding for natural resources and climate resilience as the Legislature and Administration try to reach an agreement on the 24-25 budget by June 15. We need your help! Learn more and take action: https://lnkd.in/gXgdR3mG CA's final budget agreement would cut at least $1.3 Billion in natural resource and climate resilience funding. The proposal cuts over $484 million from watershed climate resilience programs - including most reductions targeting the Cascade and High Sierra Upper Watershed Climate Resilience Program. These investments are critical for powering forest health in the Sierra and will set back years of work in building wildfire and water resilience in the Sierra landscapes 🏔️ Cutting or delaying spending on programs that help California adapt to climate change will exacerbate natural disasters. Extreme climate events such as wildfires severely impacting Sierra Nevada communities, local economies, and our beloved habitats will not wait. #SierraNevadaAlliance #SierraNevada #SavetheSierra #Sierra #Conservation #Stewardship #Community #Environment #Activism #ClimateAction #ClimateJustice #ClimateChange #30x30CA #ClimateBondNow #ProtectCalifornia #PowerInNature

How can you adapt your stormwater infrastructure to mitigate flooding from future climate change? Want to see how we at St. Anthony Falls Laboratory evaluated adaptation strategies for three Minnesota watersheds? Then check out the latest UPDATES Newsletter: Climate Change Adaptation of Urban Stormwater Infrastructure: Three Case Studies of Stormwater Infrastructure in Minnesota Watersheds. Click here for more:

I'm currently digging into Pathways to Prosperity's most recent report, "Building Climate Resilience." Did you know that West Virginia has one of the highest rates of average hours without electricity (17 hours)? Also, 1 in 5 West Virginia properties has an 80 percent or greater probability of flooding in the next 30 years. These are areas we can mitigate with support from federal funding programs starting at the community level, where our community members and leaders are the experts at what their community actually needs. https://lnkd.in/eDkx4E5v

Upper Midwest for the win! ;) This map underscores just how unequal climate outcomes are. It would be even more dramatic if we could see the disparity between the global north and south. This obviously challenges our politics and social infrastructure; doing the right thing is hard. The more we do voluntarily at the household and business level, the less difficult it all becomes. https://lnkd.in/gyNvyiqm

With all of the recent, extreme weather events coast-to-coast we thought it made sense to resurface this 2022 op-ed by #Environment Program Director Ed Miller in Crain's Chicago Business Forum examining whether the Midwest can be a climate refuge. What do you think? #GreatLakes “While we can’t know for certain whether this region will be a large-scale refuge for those fleeing climate disasters, we do know that with our abundant fresh water and insulation from sea-level rise, our region has the potential to provide relative security in a climate-destabilized future.” https://lnkd.in/gC8BjVWU

From severe, multi-year droughts to sudden flooding, California is experiencing the impacts of the intensifying climate crisis. To better prepare and plan for a future with climate extremes, DWR recently released the Public Review Draft of California Water Plan Update 2023. The comprehensive plan is meant to guide water managers, including water districts, cities, counties, and Tribal communities to better prepare and plan for a future with climate extremes. To get an overview of what's in the plan and how it can shape a resilient and equitable future for water in California, check out our digital article: https://lnkd.in/d_i8977W. If you want to learn more about this year’s update to the California Water Plan, you can still register to virtually join the plenary on October 3 and 4. Register at https://lnkd.in/g8Qf3Nwd and learn more about how you can review and provide input on the plan to manage water in California. NEW: Live Spanish interpretation will be provided for virtual attendees on Zoom. 

As New York faces flash flooding today, thinking about my reporting this spring on grassroots efforts to not only assess climate risks but find solutions. GreenRoots is an environmental justice organization in Chelsea, Massachussetts, a neighborhood similiarly facing inundation—and while their utility is trying to build more infrastructure in flood zones, city officials and community members have instead organized to build a microgrid that can keep critical services running when the grid goes down. Their efforts demonstrate the substantial hurdles the country will face in transitioning to a carbon-­free power sector by 2035. But they also show how neighborhoods can work together from the ground up to solve multiple problems at once. You can read more in Mother Jones' Climate Issue: https://lnkd.in/guCxrPCU (and, because language barriers were a big part of this story, it's also available in Spanish here: https://lnkd.in/gJwFjnDD)