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Issues: U.S. Law and Policy

The Whole Enchilada - A Summary of the Water Bills

November 6, 2009

Posted by Barry Nelson in U.S. Law and Policy

Here is an excellent summary of the water reform package passed by the state legislature on Nov. 4, as well as a summary of the water bond – with links to the final language.  My colleagues and I will be...

On Leadership and the Water Package

November 6, 2009

Posted by Barry Nelson in U.S. Law and Policy

Tags:
baydelta, california, california assembly, californiasenate, darrellsteinberg, jaredhuffman, waterlegislation, waterpolicy, waterreform

A great deal has been written about the substance of the water reform bills that was passed by the legislature in the wee hours Wednesday.  Here’s NRDC’s statement on the three key bills.  And here’s a thoughtful editorial from the Los Angeles...

Why do some water users object to the state constitution?

October 28, 2009

Posted by Barry Nelson in U.S. Law and Policy

Tags:
california, californiaconstitution, legislation, waterconservation, waterpolicy

In general, the direction of the legislation currently under consideration in the state legislature is encouraging. However, in addition to the positive developments, a remarkable debate is taking place in the legislature today. Some water users and legislators have asked...

Responding to California’s Drought

February 20, 2009

Posted by Barry Nelson in U.S. Law and Policy

Tags:
bureauofreclamation, california, centralvalleyproject, drought, virtualriver, waterdelivery, waterprogram

Today, the federal Bureau of Reclamation announced  that the Central Valley Project's initial water supply delivery allocations would be extremely low.  When faced with a crisis, a community can pull together or pull apart.  We believe that the water crisis...

Stimulus for the Virtual River

February 17, 2009

Posted by Barry Nelson in U.S. Law and Policy

Tags:
california, drought, stimulus, urbanstormwatermanagement, virtualriver, wastewaterrecycling, waterprogram, wateruseefficiency

  Today, President Obama signed a $787 billion economic stimulus package.  NRDC staff worked hard to ensure that the final package includes funding for cutting edge water solutions to help California meet its needs during the current drought and prepare...

Duct Tape, Baling Wire and Adaptive Management

February 14, 2009

Posted by Barry Nelson in U.S. Law and Policy

Tags:
adaptivemanagement, biologicalopinion, deltasmelt, deltavisiontaskforce, sanfranciscobaydelta, water

Adaptive management – it has become a popular term among those of us who debate the future of the complex San Francisco Bay-Delta ecosystem.   This flexible approach to resource management allows for the testing of hypotheses in complex systems and,...

The Virtual River - Fueling California's Economic Growth with Water

February 3, 2009

Posted by Barry Nelson in U.S. Law and Policy

Tags:
ab49, californiaeconomy, efficiency, recoverypackage, sanfranciscobaydelta, sanjoaquinsacramentodelta, virtualriver, water, waterconservation, watersupply

Yesterday, the Senate began debating a recovery package to strengthen the nation's economy.  During this discussion, the Senate should look to water as a key area for investment - across the nation, and especially in California.     Water is one of...

Barry Nelson
Barry Nelson
Senior Policy Analyst, Water Program
San Francisco
During the week, I’m the director of the California Vision Project for NRDC’s Water Program,...
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