There is no other state where water and economic development is so tight than in California.
Since the gold rush, water has been the engine that has promoted economic and social development in the state. Water is still a precious resource in California; however, by nature, the distribution of water and ecosystems across the state are highly variable, from glaciers in Mount Shasta and high snowfall in Northern California to almost no precipitation in the Mojave desert in Southern California. Furthermore, water infrastructure conveys water across different regions, connecting the resources and issues across the state.
This Virtual Tour will provide short presentations or Stops on the physical aspects and current issues for 16 regions as it relates to water in California. Click on the links below to view the presentations.
Calfornia's Water System - An Overview
Jay Lund, Director, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences
California Water Rights
Virginia Cahill, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences
Sierra Nevada Rivers
Sarah Yarnell, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences
Bay Area Ties to the Watershed
Jay Lund, Director, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences
Sacramento Valley Water - Too Much and Too Little
Jay Lund, Director, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences
San Joaquin and Tulare Basins - How Dry am I?
Jay Lund, Director, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences
The Lands of Change - The Delta and Yolo Bypass
Jay Lund, Director, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences
Overview of Groundwater in California's Central Valley
Grahram Fogg, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences
The Economics of Water in California
Richard Howitt, Faculty Emeritus, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences
Southern California Water - "Uphill towards money"
Jay Lund, Director, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences
The Colorado River and Imperial Valley
Josue Medellin, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences
Lake Tahoe: A Virtual Tour of Some Issues of Interest
Geoff Scholadow, Director, Tahoe Environmental Research Center
Hydropower in the Sierra Nevada
Sarah Yarnell, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences
Geological Determinism: The Klamath Basin
Jeff Mount, Faculty Emeritus, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences
Drought in California
Panel Discussion: Samuel Sandoval Solis, Jeff Mount, Richard Howitt and Jay Lund