California needs to start making smart choices now about how to get the most out of every drop of rainfall, University of California experts said during a state Capitol summit on the impacts and implications of the current drought — one the most severe dry spells on record. “We need to do a much better job of getting more ecological pop per drop,” said Joshua Viers of UC Merced. The UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences organized the public conference in the state Capitol, attended by about 250.

The daylong series of panels featured more than 30 speakers from across the UC system — including eight campuses, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the Office of the President and Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources — along with experts from other agencies, organizations and universities. The panelists put California’s current drought into perspective; discussed the challenges and opportunities it has created for agriculture, cities, the environment and government; and addressed the consequences for the economy, endangered species and state policy.