California Water Plan

California Water Plan
Name	California Water Plan
Country	United States
State	California
Agency	Department of Water Resources
First release	1957
Latest release	2018 (Update 2018)
Purpose	Statewide water planning

Contents

California Water Plan The California Water Plan is the State of California's strategic reservoir of statewide water planning guidance produced by the California Department of Water Resources, designed to inform water management across urban, agricultural, tribal, and environmental sectors. It aims to coordinate actions among agencies such as the State Water Resources Control Board, the California Natural Resources Agency, and the California Environmental Protection Agency, and to align with laws including the California Water Code, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, and the Central Valley Project Improvement Act.

Overview and Purpose

The Plan provides an integrated framework for investments in systems like the State Water Project, the Central Valley Project, and regional projects tied to the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, Los Angeles Aqueduct, and the Colorado River Aqueduct, supporting users including the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the Imperial Irrigation District, and municipal providers such as San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and East Bay Municipal Utility District. It synthesizes data from agencies including the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the United States Geological Survey, and the California Energy Commission to guide decisions under statutes such as the California Environmental Quality Act and programs like the Integrated Regional Water Management. The Plan's components encompass surface water, groundwater, water quality, flood management, and ecosystem restoration in contexts like the San Joaquin River Restoration Program and Klamath River negotiations.

Origins trace to postwar infrastructure planning influenced by projects such as the Oroville Dam construction and the evolution of federal initiatives like the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program and the Boulder Canyon Project Act. Early editions reflected priorities similar to the Central Valley Project era while later updates incorporated lessons from events including the 1991 California drought, the 2012–2016 North American drought, and legal decisions such as Natural Resources Defense Council v. Patterson and Friends of the River v. East Bay Municipal Utility District. Stakeholders over time ranged from the California Farm Bureau Federation and National Audubon Society to tribal nations like the Middletown Rancheria and advocacy groups involved in Delta Reform Act of 2009 deliberations.

Governance centers on the California Department of Water Resources working with the State Water Resources Control Board, regional entities such as the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority, and federal partners like the Bureau of Land Management. Implementation draws on authorities including the California Coastal Commission for coastal resources and collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for species protections listed under the Endangered Species Act. Financing and policy coordination involve the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank, the Legislature of California, the Governor of California, and local bond measures such as those modeled after Proposition 1 (2014). Legal and regulatory frameworks include water rights adjudications like Kern County Water Agency v. Kern County proceedings and court-supervised groundwater management exemplified in Judgment of the San Joaquin River cases.

The Plan catalogs infrastructure including major reservoirs like Shasta Lake, Lake Oroville, Millerton Lake, and conveyance systems such as the California Aqueduct and the Los Angeles Aqueduct, while addressing groundwater basins including the Central Basin (Los Angeles County), the Tulare Basin, and the Santa Clara Valley. It assesses ecosystems across the Sacramento River, San Francisco Bay, Mono Lake issues, and coastal systems impacted by projects like the Pajaro River flood control works. Integration with energy systems references links to the California Independent System Operator and hydropower facilities such as Trinity Dam and Folsom Dam.

Planning employs analytical tools and models developed with partners like the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. Public engagement processes include consultations with entities such as the California Native American Heritage Commission and stakeholder forums like the Delta Stewardship Council convenings. Funding and project delivery utilize mechanisms including Proposition 68 (2018), federal appropriations via the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, and regional financing through agencies like the Santa Clara Valley Water District and Orange County Water District. Monitoring and data integration rely on networks including the California Data Exchange Center and collaborations with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for remote sensing.

The Plan evaluates impacts on species and habitats including Sacramento splittail, Delta smelt, Central Valley steelhead, and riparian systems in the Mokelumne River and Tuolumne River watersheds, and considers social equity for communities in the Central Valley (California), the Salton Sea region, and the Imperial Valley. It addresses water quality issues tied to contaminants monitored by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment and regulatory responses under the Safe Drinking Water Act and state safe potability programs administered by the California Department of Public Health. Cultural resource concerns engage agencies such as the California Historical Resources Commission and tribal heritage protections linked to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.

Future revisions emphasize resilience to climate signals projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, sea-level rise scenarios from the National Research Council, and regional projections by the California Climate Change Center. Strategies incorporate nature-based solutions promoted by the Natural Resources Defense Council, conjunctive use exemplified in the Orange County Groundwater Replenishment System, and demand management practices used by entities like San Diego County Water Authority. Cross-jurisdictional coordination will involve collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on flood risk reduction, federal-state partnerships with the Environmental Protection Agency, and integration with agricultural programs administered by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Category:Water resources management in California