The launch of Cal WATRS—California Water Accounting, Tracking, and Reporting System—marks a new era in water rights management in California. Replacing the outdated eWRIMS platform, this state-of-the-art system delivers faster, more transparent, and more efficient tools for both water rights holders and the State Water Board. For the first time, water rights holders will file their annual reports through Cal WATRS this year, marking a significant milestone in the system’s rollout.
Building the system in just two years
The UPWARD project (Updating Water Rights Data) began with a pressing need: the State Water Board required faster, more accurate, and more transparent data to make informed decisions. This urgency was amplified by the challenges of managing water rights during droughts, where curtailments demanded swift action and reliable information. However, the Board faced three major hurdles: a century’s worth of physical and digital records, an outdated data infrastructure built in 2005-2006 that had reached the end of its lifecycle, and the ever-changing conditions of California’s water landscape.
Recognizing the critical need for modernization, the project secured funding in 2021 and 2022. This funding enabled the creation of a dedicated Data Governance Team, the expansion of the Division of Information Technology, and the establishment of partnerships with contractors. Gartner provided project management and contracting support, while Deloitte was awarded a $43 million contract to build the new system.
The modernization effort aimed to replace the antiquated eWRIMS system with a cutting-edge platform, Cal WATRS, designed to streamline the management of water rights data. A key component of this transformation is the digitization of historical records, a massive undertaking that will continue over the next seven years. As these records are digitized, they will become accessible through Cal WATRS, enhancing transparency and usability for both State Water Board staff and the public.
Jeff Parks, Senior Water Engineer at the State Water Resources Control Board, emphasized the dual nature of the project: “It’s not just about building this project, but maintaining it and continuing it forward. In a lot of ways, we just completed a thing, and in another way, we’re just at the start of a thing at the same time.”
The project officially launched in March 2023, and by July 2025, the new system was live and ready for use. For the first time, water rights holders will report using the modernized system this year, marking a significant milestone in the State Water Board’s journey toward a more efficient and transparent future.
“This contract was on time and under budget, which is no small feat for any state office, but it took a lot of time and management for everyone here to maintain that, and we were able to apply those cost savings back to the project to provide enhancements,” he said.
New capabilities for water rights holders and the public
For the first time, water rights reporters have access to a centralized platform where they can log in with their own account to view all their records in one place and manage their interactions with the Division of Water Rights. When users create an account, the system links them to everything related to their water rights, providing a single location to file changes of ownership, submit annual reports, and contact the division directly. This level of integration and convenience was previously unavailable.
The system also introduces a significantly improved search function, featuring an updated GIS interface. Users can search for water rights by owner, APN number, or by exploring a specific area on the map. This enhanced database and search capability saves time for both staff and the public. Within the GIS interface, users can view detailed information about a water right, including a graph of reported data for any given year. Previously, accessing this level of detail required manually sifting through flat files and creating visualizations. Now, the data is readily available and can be downloaded directly from the system.
For water rights holders or applicants, the platform includes tools to update geospatial features of their water rights. Users can plot details such as diversion points, places of use, and other features directly within the system. This improvement not only streamlines the process for users but also allows the division to review and modernize outdated regulations. By enabling users to input this information themselves, the system reduces the need for hiring surveyors and simplifies the process.
The platform also provides access to a growing repository of digitized documents. While creating an account is not required to search for and view these records, the system already includes approximately a quarter million digitized documents, with more being added over the next few years. These documents are both viewable and downloadable, offering the public a more convenient alternative to traditional Public Records Act requests. While the system is not intended to replace PRA requests entirely, it significantly reduces the need for them by making many documents easily accessible online, eliminating the need for trips to Sacramento or formal records room requests.
New features for staff
The new system introduces a range of features designed to boost staff efficiency and improve operational efficiency. Every email sent to the help email system is now automatically converted into a case within the system. This ensures that no help requests are lost—they are logged as official records, assigned to staff for resolution, and tracked by managers. Managers can oversee the status of each case, review responses, and ensure timely follow-ups. This enhanced tracking capability provides staff and managers within the Division of Water Rights with a new level of visibility and accountability, paving the way for significant operational improvements in the future.
Another key advancement is the system’s requirement for an email address, which streamlines communication with water diverters. By leveraging email, the Board can communicate more quickly and cost-effectively. For example, instead of sending physical letters for late reports, the system can send email notifications the next day. This shift not only saves ratepayers and the general fund money but also represents a significant step forward in efficiency. Over time, this approach is expected to deliver substantial cost and time savings across the board.
System to be used for filing upcoming annual reports
The system officially went live in July 2025, allowing water rights holders to begin setting up their accounts. Annual reporting, which traditionally opens at the end of September, will soon follow, with reports due by the end of January the following year.
Once users have linked their records to their Cal WATRS accounts, they’ll be ready to file annual reports and access a range of online services provided by the State Water Board. To support this transition, public workshops and targeted outreach efforts are planned to guide users through the new system.
The development timeline for the system was remarkably fast—just two years, which is considered lightning speed for such a complex project. Every effort was made to deliver a robust and functional platform, but as with any new system, there may be bugs or areas that could be improved. Feedback from users will be instrumental in identifying problems or new features, and the contractor is in place to support ongoing updates and refinements over the next few years.
Promising new possibilities
Erik Ekdahl, Deputy Director of the State Water Board’s Division of Water Rights, said the new system opens doors to capabilities that were previously inaccessible. He pointed to recent legislation enacting Water Code Section 1242.1, which allows for the diversion of flood flows without requiring a traditional water right. However, there are many questions about when the trigger activates and when a diverter can divert under certain scenarios.
“There are a lot of nuances and kind of steps that occur at the local level before we would even be involved. But now, if we know that a flood emergency has been declared, we can do a stream trace. It’s one of the tools in the new system. We can identify every water right holder and their email downstream of that point within a certain reach, and we can email them that night and say, under 1242.1, there is an emergency flood declaration. You could potentially divert flood flows without a water right. So it gets much closer to a real-time water rights management system.”
“Again, it’s not going to happen this year, but maybe a year or two out, we’ll have a good, robust set of water rights,” continued Mr. Ekdahl. “We’ll have a good, robust set of emails. We don’t know that we’re going to have rain such the point where we get floods, but it at least gives us these tools that we can start to point to.”
Upcoming Cal-WTRS workshops
The State Water Board will hold public workshops and informational meetings to help users get started with CalWATRS.
CalWATRS Virtual Webinar – Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA)
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- Date: November 6, 2025
- Time: 11:00 AM
- Format: Online (Zoom)
- Hosted by ACWA, this webinar will feature a comprehensive walkthrough of CalWATRS. Register Here.
CalWATRS Virtual Public Workshop
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- Date: November 12, 2025
- Time: 1:00 PM
- Format: Online (Zoom)
- CalWATRS Public Workshop Notice
CalWATRS In-Person Meeting – Salinas, CA
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- Date: November 14, 2025
- Time: 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
- Location: Monterey County Farm Bureau at 1140 Abbott St., Ste. C., Salinas CA 93901
- Hosted by Monterey County Farm Bureau, this in-person meeting will include a presentation by the CalWATRS team and one-on-one assistance for water right holders navigating the new system. Open to the public and no registration required.
CalWATRS In-Person Meeting – Ukiah, CA
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- Date: November 19, 2025
- Time: 8:30 AM
- Location: Ukiah, CA
- Hosted by the Mendocino County Russian River Flood Control District and Mendocino County Farm Bureau, this in-person meeting will include a presentation by the CalWATRS team and one-on-one assistance for water right holders navigating the new system. Details will be posted soon on this page.
CalWATRS In-Person Office Hours – Modesto, CA
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- Date: December 3, 2025
- Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Location: Stanislaus County Farm Bureau Boardroom at 1201 L. Street, Modesto, CA 95354
- Hosted by Stanislaus County Farm Bureau, these in-person office hours will include one-on-one assistance for water right holders navigating the new CalWATRS system. Open to the public and no registration required.
