Ten Rivers in America's Future, No. 2. The Central Valley of California

U.S. Water Resources Policy Commission | July 1st, 1950

Tentative Ruling, Friant Water Authority vs. Eastern Tule Groundwater Sustainability Agency

Superior Court of California, County of Tulare | June 25th, 2024

Term 91: Stored Water Bypass Requirements

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | April 8th, 2012

Pursuant to numerous Board decisions (D-1485, D-1641, Order 2001-05), the Projects are required to release stored water to meet water quality standards in the Delta (incl

Pursuant to numerous Board decisions (D-1485, D-1641, Order 2001-05), the Projects are required to release stored water to meet water quality standards in the Delta (including flow and salinity standards) where natural flows are insufficient. The obligation was originally placed on the Projects as an interim measure pending future studies of how the obligation to meet water quality standards would be shared with other appropriators. In return for resolving Project protests on subsequent applications to appropriate water, Term 91 was developed and made a condition to permits issued after 1965. Term 91 prohibits diversions by these Permittees when natural and abandoned flows to the Delta are insufficient to meet the water quality standards and the Projects are supplementing such flows with previously stored water to meet the standards. The purpose of this report is to explore the enhanced use and more vigorous enforcement of diversion curtailments as a means to achieve flow standards. This subject matter is relevant to the Delta even through the Projects are under a present and legal obligation to meet existing flows standards.

Testimony of Mark Cowin at Little Hoover Commission on Integrated Regional Water Management

Little Hoover Commission | September 24th, 2009

As the Little Hoover Commission evaluates California’s water governance structure and forms recommendations for improving coordination, efficiency, transparency, and ac

As the Little Hoover Commission evaluates California’s water governance structure and forms recommendations for improving coordination, efficiency, transparency, and accountability, it will be valuable to consider the role of Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM). IRWM is the application of broader Integrated Water Management principles on a regional basis. IRWM integrates local agency responses to regional resource management issues and facilitates compliance with State laws and policies. Over the past decade, IRWM efforts have emerged across California as some local governments and agencies sought a path forward from long, debilitating law suits and many others responded to financial incentives offered by the State. As a consequence, many local governments and agencies are working more closely on a regional basis and better integrating their resource management decisions. This typically results in both more efficient and sustainable water management plans and better representation and transparency in water management decisions.

Testimony of Wade Crowfoot, California Secretary for Natural Resources House Natural Resources Committee Subcommittee on Water, Oceans and Wildlife

Salton Sea Authority | September 24th, 2020

Thank you, Chairman Huffman and members of the Subcommittee for the opportunity to testify today on how the federal government can partner with California to inve

Thank you, Chairman Huffman and members of the Subcommittee for the opportunity to testify today on how the federal government can partner with California to invest resources and efforts to improve and ultimately revitalize conditions at the Salton Sea. I serve as Secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA), which is charged with stewarding California’s natural, historical, and cultural resources for current and future generations. As part of that work and under the direction of Governor Gavin Newsom, our Agency is advancing projects at the Salton Sea to tackle pressing environmental issues and improve conditions for the people who live near the Salton Sea. As California’s largest body of water, the Salton Sea has served as a critical wildlife habitat for nearly 100 years, providing a key stopover spot for many special species of resident and migratory birds along the Pacific Flyway. Flows into the Salton Sea have declined in recent years, and the result is a shrinking, increasingly saline lake. As the Sea recedes, previously submerged lakebed is being exposed, reducing habitat and creating dust that can be hazardous as it dries and becomes airborne. These dust emissions present air quality issues that exacerbate public health challenges experienced by local communities in the region, which already has some of the highest childhood asthma rates.

Testing the Established Hydrogeologic Model of Source Water to the Amargosa River Basin, Inyo and San Bernardino Counties, California

Environmental Forensics (Taylor & Francis) | November 15th, 2015

The current conceptual hydrogeologic model established for source water to the Amargosa River was tested in order to help inform management decisions regarding the Amargo

The current conceptual hydrogeologic model established for source water to the Amargosa River was tested in order to help inform management decisions regarding the Amargosa River's Federal designation as Wild and Scenic through an Act of Congress. The limited availability of water in this region results in the critical need for effective management in the basin to maintain its Wild and Scenic attributes inclusive of habitat for several endangered and threatened species. The use of forensic tools and integration of multiple lines of geologic, hydrogeologic, geochemical, and stable isotopic evidence suggest that the simple historical model for primary groundwater transport through this region is incorrect and that a large supply of regional baseflow does not provide the hydrogeological foundation of the Amargosa River basin. Data collected is consistent with an alternative model requiring complex source mixing and shallow alluvial groundwater that supports river flow. This conclusion also suggests Wild and Scenic conditions in this basin are more precarious than previously understood.

The 1922 Compact is Now the Obvious Elephant in the Negotiating Room

John Fleck | October 6th, 2025

The 1976-1977 California Drought - A Review

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | May 1st, 1978

This is the fifth and final Department of Water Resources' report on the 1976-1977 California drought, the worst in the State's history, which saw 1976, the fourth-driest

This is the fifth and final Department of Water Resources' report on the 1976-1977 California drought, the worst in the State's history, which saw 1976, the fourth-driest year of record, give way to 1977, the driest ever.  These reports provide the most comprehensive documentation of a drought in history. The 1976-1977 drought has again shown the finite nature of our resourcees and our limited ability to control nature.  This report, prepared by the Department's Drought Information Center, updates the August 1977 report and places the entire two-year period in perspective.  It documents the impact of the drought and details the response by federal, State, and local governments and the public. This report also discusses lessons learned from the drought and suggest future actions to enable us to better use our State's limited water resources.

The 1976–1977 California drought: A review

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | May 1st, 1978

This is the fifth and final Department of Water Resources' report on the 1976-1977 California drought, the worst in the state's history, which saw 1076, the fourth driest

This is the fifth and final Department of Water Resources' report on the 1976-1977 California drought, the worst in the state's history, which saw 1076, the fourth driest year of record, give way to 1977, the driest ever. These reports provide the most comprehensive documentation of a drought in history.  

The 1991 Drought Water Bank

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | January 1st, 1991

This report, produced by the Department of Water Resources, provides a retrospective of the operations of the 1991 Drought Water Bank.

This report, produced by the Department of Water Resources, provides a retrospective of the operations of the 1991 Drought Water Bank.