Pacific Institute Report on the Recent CA Drought

The report, Impacts of the California Drought from 2007 to 2009:Surprising Outcomes for California's Agriculture, Energy, and Environment,  , analyzes the impact of the drought on the farming community, the environment and hydroelectric power. A quick read indicates that the impact on Central Valley Farming was less than expected, the impact on the environment (including the Delta region), was as bad or worse than most observers thought, and that Californians paid more for power because of the drought. 


Many of these issues are covered in Delta Blues (which is scheduled for release on DVD this summer), and Peter Gleick, the President of the Pacific Institute, is one of the primary characters in the documentary. 


Click on the link above for a copy of the full report or an executive summary.  

More with Less: California Agriculture Can Thrive While Conserving Water

Here's the report from the Pacific Institute calling for more conservation from California farmers. It's a strong argument, but having spent some time with Central Valley farmers over the last month filming for the documentary - they're not going to go for it. The Ag folks I've talked to say they've already spent lots of time and money making their irrigation systems as efficient as possible and they can't do much more.

As with all the arguments related to the Delta there is truth on all sides