When we think about water, we often picture rivers, lakes, or storm‑filled skies. But one of the nation’s most important water resources lies out of sight, beneath our feet. Groundwater supplies drinking water for millions of people; supports agriculture and industry; and sustains rivers, wetlands, and ecosystems, yet it is often overlooked until wells run dry or contamination is
[…] prepared the EIR guiding the design and construction of new advanced water purification, pumping, and conveyance facilities, as well as upgrading existing facilities. Practice Director Shawn Shamlou, AICP, who managed the project, said, “The City’s Pure Water Program was a trailblazing project for water recycling in the United States and beyond. Dudek’s CEQA, NEPA, […]
Periods of prolonged droughts coupled with low humidity and high winds have created conditions that are more conducive to wildfires. During these periods of extreme fire weather, otherwise controllable ignitions have a high probability of becoming wildfires. The increased frequency of these conditions and the expanded times of year they are occurring have resulted in
Advancing Climate Resilience through Open Space Updates SB 1425 mandates that every city and county in California review and update their local open-space plans by January 1, 2026. General plan updates in consideration of SB 1425 must include plans and action programs that address: Equitable access to open space, considering social, economic, and racial
Community wildfire protection planning plays a key role in protecting the millions of homes throughout California located on land designated as Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI). The U.S. Forest Service defines the WUI as places where humans and their development come into contact with (within a half mile of) wildland fuel sources. With 32% of housing in
In 2024, more than 8.9 million acres burned because of 64,897 fires throughout the U.S. National Interagency Coordination Center Wildland Fire Summary and Statistics 2024 Annual Report, “In 2024, the reported number of wildfires and acres burned nationwide was noticeably higher than the 5- and 10-year averages.” The cause of so many wildfires? Ignition sources,
In 2014, in the middle of one of the worst droughts in recorded history, the California legislature passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) to safeguard the long-term sustainability of the state’s groundwater supply. Under SGMA, local groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) are tasked with developing groundwater sustainability plans (GSPs), which identify the sustainable management criteria
In California, the past 20 years have been the driest in over 1,000 years, but a deluge of storms in January and February 2023 brought more than 24.5 trillion gallons of water to the state. “In the past several years, we’ve said, ‘We welcome every drop we can get,’” Dudek hydrogeologist Jill Weinberger said. But
California state law requires jurisdictions to integrate considerations for climate change and associated risk into General Plans, Climate Adaptation Plans, and Local Coastal Programs. The law also incentivizes the integration of adaptation in Local and Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plans. Collectively, these plans guide the development of long-term community vision, infrastructure investments, community health and safety,
California has more federally recognized tribes than any other state—109 to be exact. Within the State of California, Tribes, Tribal Communities, and Underrepresented Communities face multiple challenges regarding water equity and access to clean, affordable, and sustainable groundwater and water resources, such as groundwater overdraft and groundwater basin contamination. The Public Policy Institute of California
