From the Office of the Governor:
In anticipation of a multi-day, significant atmospheric river in Northern California, Governor Gavin Newsom today issued an executive order that would make it easier to divert and store excess water from incoming winter storms. The Governor signed the order after he received a briefing on the latest forecast for the storm.
The executive order also directs the Department of Water Resources and other state agencies to take action to maximize diversion of those excess flows to boost the state’s water storage in Northern California, including storage in San Luis Reservoir south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. These actions will help California replenish above-ground and groundwater storage that remains depleted in many parts of the state following multi-year droughts.
“It is more important than ever that we maximize every opportunity to recharge our groundwater supplies. As we anticipate rain and snow in Northern California, we are also preparing to use every last drop to boost our water supply for communities and farms throughout the state. By storing these stormwaters, we are creating a literal rainy day fund to help us recover from a multi-year drought and prepare for our hotter, drier future,” said Governor Newsom.
The National Weather Service is forecasting a moderate to strong atmospheric river to begin Friday and continue into next week. Prolonged periods of rain and mountain snow are expected, with the potential for flash flooding and rising creeks, rivers, and streams.
Recent above-average water years in 2023 and 2024 helped replenish the state’s reservoirs, but multi-year drought conditions continue to have significant impacts on communities with vulnerable water supplies, agriculture, and the environment. The latest science indicates that hotter and drier weather conditions could reduce California’s water supply by up to 10% by the year 2040. The frequency of extreme weather, including wildfires, in California demonstrates the need to continually adapt to promote resiliency in a changing climate. And today, the Department of Water Resources conducted the second snow survey of the season, which showed a snowpack well below average.
Governor Newsom is taking action now to ready the state and maximize the use of anticipated stormwater flows to help continue to boost the state water supply. Today’s executive order:
Makes it easier for local and regional agencies to use existing state laws to maximize groundwater recharge. This builds on the Governor’s 2023 executive orders to support groundwater-recharge efforts in the context of that year’s unusually strong winter storms, as well as subsequent legislation codifying those efforts in state law.
Ensures the Department of Water Resources and other state agencies are taking full advantage of upcoming winter storms. Although reservoirs in Southern regions remain at historic capacity levels, this action allows for more water to be stored in other reservoirs statewide and helps replenish aquifers for water use.
More groundwater, more water storage
California has invested more than $9 billion to boost California’s water supplies over the past three years, taking aggressive action to prepare for the impacts of climate-driven extremes in weather on the state’s water supplies. In 2024, for the first time since 2019, California’s groundwater storage increased – a direct result of state and local actions to capture and store more water underground during last year’s historic wet season.
Today’s announcement continues the effective work of prior years. Since 2019, the Governor has allocated $1.6 billion for flood preparedness and response, part of the historic $7.3 billion investment package and to strengthen California’s water resilience. During previous wet seasons, Governor Gavin Newsom and the state have taken strong action to help local communities, expanding groundwater recharge by 1.6 million acre-feet through:
Executive orders and legislation to capture more water. Governor Newsom signed executive orders to expand groundwater recharge by 400,000 acre-feet, as well as signing legislation to build more infrastructure.
Fast-tracking groundwater recharge projects. The state streamlined groundwater recharge permits to allow for 1.2 million acre-feet of groundwater recharge, as well as investing in groundwater recharge projects.
Maximizing stormwater capture. Investing millions for 67 stormwater projects to take advantage of major storm events.
Ambitious goals. Setting the statewide goal to expand average annual groundwater recharge by at least 500,000 acre-feet as outlined in the Water Supply Strategy.
Modernizing infrastructure. The state is advancing new projects to protect communities in the face of extreme droughts and floods. This includes the Sites Reservoir project, which will capture water during wet seasons and store it for use during drier seasons – holding up to 1.5 million acre-feet of water, as much as 3 million households’ yearly usage, and the Delta Conveyance Project, which will help protect water access, improve the capture and movement of water, and provide access to clean drinking water for 27 million Californians. Find more critical water infrastructure projects at build.ca.gov.
Launching new data and innovative tools for tracking recharge action. The state has conducted 16,000 miles of geophysical surveys and developed new models and dashboards to deliver up-to-date data on California’s groundwater basins. These resources help local communities better understand their aquifer systems, identify fast paths for recharge, and support both local and statewide groundwater management efforts.
Preparing the state for storms
Governor Newsom is deploying resources and thousands of personnel to communities throughout Northern California in anticipation of the storm system.
Newly deployed resources include swift water rescue crews and fire engines in El Dorado County and Nevada County, as well as fire engines in Glenn County, added overnight. More resources will be deployed to further help protect communities.
Yesterday, Governor Newsom directed the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) to coordinate state and local partners to deploy emergency resources to support impacted communities. State officials are urging people to take precautions now before the storm arrives, and to stay informed.
Go to ready.ca.gov for tips to prepare for the incoming storm.
ACWA issues statement in support …
The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) issued the following statement from ACWA President Cathy Green regarding Executive Order N-16-25 issued today by Gov. Gavin Newsom:
“ACWA applauds the governor for his swift action to empower California water managers to blunt the destructive impact of flooding while quickly diverting excess water to recharge groundwater supplies. This Executive Order highlights the critical need for modernizing our water infrastructure along with our permitting process to better reflect the state’s ability to remain flexible in the face of climate change.”
While conservation groups say that action mimics Trump executive order …
Press release from Friends of the River, Restore the Delta, and San Francisco Baykeeper:
Today, Governor Newsom took a page from President Trump’s playbook and ordered state agencies to pump even more water to boost water supplies and override regulatory and institutional barriers to new diversions, threatening water quality, the environment and communities that depend on healthy rivers and aquatic ecosystems.
Specifically, Executive Order N-16-25 requires California water managers and regulators to “maximize diversions of excess flows that become available as a result of the anticipated winter storms, and other winter storms, to storage” and to “identify any obstacles that would hinder efforts to maximize diversions to storage of excess flows that become available as a result of the anticipated winter storms, to remove or minimize such obstacles wherever possible, and to promptly report to my office any additional statutory or regulatory barriers that should be considered for suspension.” The Governor also waived the requirement that certain local water agencies and governments have a flood-control plan in order to know when to safely divert flood flows for groundwater recharge. This essentially allows “Proclaimed Drought Counties” to divert an unknown amount of water without a water right, and – now – without a connection to critical flood-protection procedures.
Sound familiar? In his January 24 Executive Order, President Trump ordered federal agencies to “take actions to override existing activities that unduly burden efforts to maximize water deliveries” and “to deliver more water … notwithstanding any contrary State or local laws.”
California water and environmental regulators have long recognized that the current water quality standards and other environmental safeguards are not working – far too much water is being diverted from the state’s rivers and aquatic systems, resulting in frequent toxic algal blooms and other water quality problems, the potential extinction of numerous fish and wildlife species, and the destruction of the fishing industry, among other problems. That is why the state is in the process of updating the standards, and that is why many organizations had problems with the proposed SB 1390, which would have authorized higher diversions of flood flows. Flows that are in “excess” of inadequate requirements are critical to water quality, species survival, ecosystem health, and viable fisheries. Proposals to divert even more water from the system must be thoroughly analyzed and reviewed by the public, as the law requires, to ensure that proper terms and conditions are placed on new projects and changes to operations.
Newsom’s executive order short-circuits the public processes that protect California communities at risk from floods, poor water quality, and environmentally destructive water policies and projects. It provides no justification for eviscerating environmental safeguards, when reservoir storage levels are already high and the incoming storms promise to boost the Sierra snowpack substantially. It doesn’t create a coordinated floodplain restoration plan for the Central Valley or lead to priority efforts for enhanced levees to protect vulnerable communities and create restoration opportunities at the same time. Each of these risks – flood protection, water quality improvement, and sustainable water management – needs holistic planning, not piecemeal executive orders.
“Californians had been looking to Governor Newsom to defend them from the Trump Administration’s misguided attempt to force bad policy down the state’s throat,” said Gary Bobker, program director of Friends of the River. “Instead, this rushed and poorly thought out executive order goes against the interests of all those Californians who depend on clean water, thriving fisheries, and living rivers.”
“We have to have emergency flood protection for people,” said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta. “We also have to make sure that there is enough freshwater flow for the restoration of fisheries. This is where regulatory planning has to be set in place rather than executive orders mimicking federal executive orders, because not everything can be an executive order. Climate extremes are the new normal, and our response should not be ad hoc.”
“Waiving legal requirements that protect communities and public resources by executive order is not the leadership California needs. Last week, that was Trump’s tactic,” said Eric Buescher, managing attorney at San Francisco Baykeeper. “This week, it’s Newsom’s. Today’s executive order demonstrates that Governor Newsom’s promise to stand up to Trump on behalf of California does not extend to ensuring the health of our rivers, fisheries, San Francisco Bay, and communities who depend on them.
“This haphazard executive order is not only unnecessary but also deprioritizes vulnerable communities with high flood risk,” said Ashley Overhouse, water policy advisor for Defenders of Wildlife. “This is yet another political attack on the already minimum environmental protections governing our water management system and the wildlife that depend on it. If it is not Gov. Newsom’s intention to undermine state law and jeopardize species, then I urge the administration to make that clear.”
Follow these links for more information on Friends of the River | Restore the Delta | and San Francisco Baykeeper | Defenders of Wildlife
