Recognizing the ongoing drought's severity, Sacramento is set to adopt a new statewide conservation plan. But some say the regulations don't place enough pressure on California's agricultural sector.
Recent scattered rainstorms in California don't change the underlying reality. "The current drought encompassed the driest four-year spell in state history, devastating some rural communities and many native species."
From an article by KPCC, "Under the governor's order, state agencies [...] released the plan for a long-term water diet for California. They anticipate climate change to cause the Sierra Nevada snowpack — one of California's largest sources of water — to decline by half by the end of the century."
Much of the regulatory burden falls on California's cities. "The plan includes creating customized water-use limits for urban water districts, so that arid Palm Springs, for example, would have a different amount of water budgeted than foggy San Francisco."
Some critics accuse the plan of going light on the state's $47 billion agricultural industry. "California officials crafting a new conservation plan for the state's dry future drew criticism from environmentalists for failing to require more cutbacks of farmers, who use 80 percent of the water consumed by people." Industry groups insist that steady progress is being made to conserve water.
State officials expect the plan to be adopted in January.
FULL STORY: California's new water conservation plan focuses on cities
Californians Struggle To Cut Water Use
The state is slowly starting to curb water consumption, but progress has been ‘disappointingly slow’ as water supplies across the West diminish to historic lows.
Grant Program Will Pay California Farmers To Repurpose Fallow Land
A new state grant program will help California farmers convert idle land to new purposes in an effort to mitigate the environmental and economic effects of drought on the state's Central Valley.
California Governor Declares Statewide Drought Emergency
The declaration applies to all of California's 58 counties, with agencies and households urged to implement stricter conservation measures as the historic drought deepens.
Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
EPA Terminates $116 Million in Grants for Reducing Emissions from Construction Materials
C-MORE grants were earmarked for industry trade groups and universities.
BART Closes $35 Million Deficit
Cost control and revenue generation measures prevented service cuts.
The New Parisian Hearse is a Bicycle
Sleek, silent, and sustainable, a green trip to the graveyard has hit the streets of the French capital.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Piedmont, CA
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland