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132 Part i california Water (Glibert 2010). Such combat science has been noted in other basins outside California (White 1995). Combat science is an inevitable and occasionally useful aspect of California water management. Yet, the recent increase in political manipulation of sci- ence, which is highly effective from political and legal standpoints, is a sign of weak, ineffective governmental science programs. It inevitably leads to a loss of transparency and further loss of trust in the science needed to support effective decisionmaking. Weak governmental technical programs and strong combat science are major reasons why so many water management decisions are decided in the courts rather than at the negotiating table. A New Approach to Water System Science Improving the science to support decisionmaking, while reducing the influence of combat science in California water management, will require a sustained, integrated effort by the state and federal governments. This must begin with finding new ways to fund scientific infrastructure so that it is less vulnerable to economic and political cycles. In addition, the programs and agencies conduct- ing the research must increase, retain, and better employ in-house expertise and talent. The state must modernize how it tracks water quality and its ecosystem and human uses. Finally, the state needs more independent means to conduct scientific and technical synthesis, less subject to political influence. A model for a successful program might be the California Energy Commission’s Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) program (www.energy. ca.gov/research/index.html). Funded by ratepayers and overseen by a commit- tee chaired by a commissioner, this program has become the focus of energy- related research and monitoring to support policy throughout California. PIER projects focus on energy research projects unlikely to be funded by utilities or consultants because of the general nature of their results or the innova- tive technical questions addressed. It is structured as a research, development, and demonstration program, largely shielded from political influence, and has become the center of the state’s research regarding climate change adaptation. The PIER program is too new to allow a comprehensive assessment of its over- all effectiveness, but its climate change efforts have generated a critical mass of research to support climate change policy discussions. The California Air Resources Board also has an extensive scientific and technical program that may provide a model for the water sector (Little Hoover Commission 2009).