The California Water Plan is a strategic blueprint to guide water resource management and inform legislative and planning decisions. It is developed by the Department of Water Resources with comprehensive input from a wide range of stakeholders, including government agencies, nonprofits, NGOs, Tribes, and various interest groups.
The California Water Plan is the state’s long-term strategic plan for guiding the management and development of water resources. Updated every five years, the development of the California Water Plan is led by the Department of Water Resources with extensive stakeholder involvement from other government agencies, nonprofits, NGOs, Tribal, regional, and local interests, as well as environmental, agricultural, and urban stakeholders. The Plan is intended to inform legislative action, planning processes, and decision-making at all levels of government.
However, the California Water Plan doesn’t mandate actions or authorize spending for specific actions, nor does it make project or site-specific recommendations. Implementing the actions recommended in the California Water Plan requires decision-makers to take definitive steps to authorize the specific actions proposed in the Plan and provide the appropriate funding needed for their implementation.
Update 2023 focuses on the innovation and investments in California’s watersheds, water systems, and communities needed for a resilient and equitable future under climate change. Equity is woven throughout and includes a chapter on California Native American Tribes that Tribal representatives co-authored.
The California Water Plan Update 2023 has seven objectives to enhance the state’s overall water resilience. It emphasizes supporting watershed resilience planning to aid local climate adaptation efforts, improving the resiliency of both built and natural ‘backbone’ infrastructures, and advancing equitable water management to address existing inequities. The Plan also underscores the importance of learning from Tribal water management practices, recognizing the wealth of knowledge and experience they hold, increasing the flexibility of regulatory systems to adapt to changing hydrology, and ensuring sustainable resources for implementing water resilience actions. These objectives collectively aim to create a more robust and inclusive water management framework for California.
For more information on California Water Plan Update 2023, click here.
California Water Plan Update 2023This page was updated on August 17, 2024.
