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Does More Storage Give California More Water?
Author(s) -
Nover D.M.,
Dogan M.S.,
Ragatz R.,
Booth L.,
MedellínAzuara J.,
Lund J.R.,
Viers J.H.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
jawra journal of the american water resources association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.957
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1752-1688
pISSN - 1093-474X
DOI - 10.1111/1752-1688.12745
Subject(s) - environmental science , water storage , climate change , hydrology (agriculture) , overdraft , water resource management , groundwater , surface water , water resources , environmental engineering , business , geology , oceanography , geotechnical engineering , finance , geomorphology , inlet , ecology , biology
Abstract Increasing reservoir storage is commonly proposed to mitigate increasing water demand and provide drought reserves, especially in semiarid regions such as California. This paper examines the value of expanding surface reservoir capacity in California using hydroeconomic modeling for historical conditions, a future warm‐dry climate, and California's recently adopted policy to end groundwater overdraft. Results show expanding surface storage capacity rarely provides sizable economic value in most of California. On average, expanding facilities north of California's Delta provides some benefit in 92% of 82 years modeled under historical conditions and in 61% of years modeled in a warm‐dry climate. South of California's Delta, expanding storage capacity provides no benefits in 14% of years modeled under historical conditions and 99% of years modeled with a warm‐dry climate. Results vary across facilities between and within regions. The limited benefit of surface storage capacity expansion to statewide water supply should be considered in planning California's water infrastructure.