State of California Sea Level Rise Guidance

California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) | March 14th, 2018

The climate across California is changing, and the effects, such as rising average temperatures, shrinking mountain snowpack, more intense storms, and higher sea

The climate across California is changing, and the effects, such as rising average temperatures, shrinking mountain snowpack, more intense storms, and higher sea levels are expected to continue and worsen in the coming decades. Sea-level rise is caused by the thermal expansion of warming ocean water and melting of land ice as the Earth warms. It is one of the most obvious manifestations of the trend of climate change and is an immediate and real threat to lives, livelihoods, transportation, economies, and the environment in California. In April 2017, catalyzed by direction from Governor Brown and the need to ensure that best available science was informing sea-level rise planning decisions in California, a Working Group of the California Ocean Protection Council’s Science Advisory Team (OPC-SAT) released a report, entitled “Rising Seas in California: An Update on Sea-Level Rise.” The Rising Seas Report was prepared and peer-reviewed by some of the nation’s foremost experts in coastal processes, climate and sea-level rise science, observational and modeling science, the science of extremes, and decision-making under uncertainty. The report synthesized the current state of sea-level rise science, including advances in modeling and improved understanding of the processes that could drive extreme global sea-level rise as a result of ice loss from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. The report found that: Scientific understanding of sea-level rise is advancing at a rapid pace. The direction of sea-level change is clear; sea levels are rising. The rate of ice loss from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets is increasing, and California is particularly vulnerable to sea-level rise caused by ice loss from West Antarctica. New scientific evidence has highlighted the potential for extreme sea-level rise. Probabilities of specific sea-level increases can inform decisions. Current policy decisions are shaping our coastal future. Waiting for scientific certainty is neither a safe nor prudent option. The increased understanding of sea-level rise projections and polar ice sheet loss warranted an update to the State’s sea-level rise guidance document to ensure decisions were based on the best available science. Additionally, an increased policy focus requiring state and local governments to incorporate climate change into decision making merited an update to address the needs of both state and local audiences. This updated document, the “State of California Sea-Level Rise Guidance” (Guidance), provides a bold, science-based methodology for state and local governments to analyze and assess the risks associated with sea-level rise, and to incorporate sea-level rise into their planning, permitting, and investment decisions. This Guidance provides: 1. A synthesis of the best available science on sea- level rise projections and rates for California; 2. A step-by-step approach for state agencies and local governments to evaluate those projections and related hazard information in decision making; and 3. Preferred coastal adaptation approaches.

State of California Sea-Level Rise Guidance—2018 Update

Ocean Protection Council (OPC) | March 4th, 2018

This updated document, the “State of California Sea-Level Rise Guidance” (Guidance), provides a bold, science-based methodology for state and local governments to ana

This updated document, the “State of California Sea-Level Rise Guidance” (Guidance), provides a bold, science-based methodology for state and local governments to analyze and assess the risks associated with sea-level rise, and to incorporate sea-level rise into their planning, permitting, and investment decisions. This Guidance provides:  A synthesis of the best available science on sea-level rise projections and rates for California;  A step-by-step approach for state agencies and local governments to evaluate those projections and related hazard information in decision making; and  Preferred coastal adaptation approaches. 

State of the Estuary 2019 Update

San Francisco Estuary Partnership (SFEP) | October 22nd, 2019

The San Francisco Estuary is a large and diverse system. Hundreds of miles of coastline stretch from the wide valleys of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers to the stee

The San Francisco Estuary is a large and diverse system. Hundreds of miles of coastline stretch from the wide valleys of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers to the steep headlands of the Golden Gate, with vast agricultural fields in the Delta and urbanized shorelines in Silicon Valley and many of the region’s cities. The complexity and scale of this system means it can take years to detect and assess changes. This interim State of the Estuary Report checks in on a few indicators of health and explores where the assessment should head over time. In the four years since the 2015 State of the Estuary Report, two issues have emerged as critical to how we assess the health of the estuarine ecosystem at the heart of the Bay Area and the Delta. First, the health of the Estuary and of the people who live near it and depend on it are inextricably linked. We need a healthy Bay and Delta to protect our shorelines from sea level rise, help keep our waters clean, provide food and habitat for fish and wildlife, and give people a place to enjoy nature. We also need to think more about human communities as we assess the health of natural communities. This focus means addressing environmental injustices that are deeply embedded in our culture and patterns of development. The second critical issue to emerge is the need for a greater focus on landscape resilience—how well the Bay and the Delta are equipped to respond to change—so that people and wildlife can thrive as climate change progresses. Taking these two ideas together, this report focuses on the nexus of social and ecological resilience as we look toward the future. The first section of the Report updates indicators of ecological health that span the entire extent of the San Francisco Estuary (Bay and Delta). Recent data show continued progress along the trajectories of the past decade. Tidal marsh restoration is proceeding at a brisk pace in the Bay and gaining traction in the Delta, while urban water conservation continues to meet mandated benchmarks, even during the drought. On the other hand, flows through the Estuary and across its floodplains continue to be well below levels that could increase and restore ecosystem health. Freshwater flows are a lynchpin of ecosystem processes that sustain physical habitats, fuel the food web, and regulate water quality. Creative approaches to using and re-using fresh water for environmental purposes are needed. Long-term trend analysis shows that fish communities in the Bay are declining. This analysis scores an index of 10 attributes of a healthy fish community. The index focuses on fish in offshore areas, and may not capture benefits to fish from near-shore wetland restoration projects. Despite this slow decline, fish communities in the saltier parts of the Estuary remain in good condition, while those in the brackish and freshwater areas are in poor condition. The next section of the report discusses three emerging indicators of Estuary health, offering options for how to assess resilience in future reports. Here, for the first time, the resilience of the Estuary’s shores is evaluated through the lens of subsidence and nature-based features. Elevation relative to sea level is a basic currency that must be tracked as the Pacific Ocean rises into the Estuary. The potential for the Estuary shore to be resilient to climate change and continue to provide benefits to people is related to how much of the shore zone is nature-based. The final emerging indicator, urban green space, is a first attempt to assess how access to nature is distributed across more and less advantaged communities. More work is needed to finalize all these emerging indicators before they can be included in any future quantitative assessment of the State of the Estuary. These emerging and updated indicators will help focus efforts to restore the Estuary’s health. In addition to continuing the successful aspects of restoration and conservation that this report describes, we need more investment in creative ways to use and restore flows for environmental health, to expand and build resilient shorelines and to weave considerations of social equity more strongly into efforts to improve environmental health. - J. Letitia Grenier, Lead Scientist

State Plan of Flood Control Descriptive Document (2010)

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | January 15th, 2010

This report provides an inventory and description of the existing flood control works (facilities), lands, programs, plans, conditions, and mode of operations and mainten

This report provides an inventory and description of the existing flood control works (facilities), lands, programs, plans, conditions, and mode of operations and maintenance (O&M) for the State-Federal flood protection system in the Central Valley of California. This flood protection system is composed of federally authorized project levees and related facilities for which the State has provided assurances1 of cooperation to the federal government. These State-provided assurances are an important distinction for what constitutes the State-federal flood protection system since other flood protection facilities in the Central Valley are not covered by State assurances and are not part of the State-federal system. Collectively, the facilities, lands, programs, conditions, and mode of O&M for the State-Federal flood protection system in the Central Valley are referred to as the State Plan of Flood Control (SPFC). This SPFC Descriptive Document is the first time that an inventory of the SPFC has been compiled or referenced in a single document. Until now, much of the information on the SPFC has been individually maintained for each of the many flood protection projects that constitute State-federal flood protection along the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and tributaries. For example, much of the information contained in sections of this report originates in 118 individual project (unit-specific) O&M manuals. The O&M manuals provide key information about each project and how it should be operated and maintained (see reference digital versatile disc (DVD) at the back of this report). In addition, since the individual projects for the system were implemented over almost a century, some information may have been lost or never obtained. In those cases, gaps exist in the information presented in this report and further research is required. It is important to note that the SPFC is only a portion of the larger system that provides flood protection for the Central Valley. The SPFC relies on many other features that do not meet the definition of the SPFC. For example, non-SPFC reservoirs provide substantial regulation of flows to levels that SPFC facilities can mostly handle. Private levees, locally operated drainage systems, and other facilities work in conjunction with SPFC facilities. Management practices such as emergency response, floodplain management, and other practices are part of the overall flood protection system. All parts of the system, including the SPFC, depend on other parts of the system to operate as a unit. This report is structured as a reference document for the SPFC. It includes narrative descriptions, tables, and figures, especially maps, to help the reader find information for this complex flood management system. Some sections include summary sections for readers who only need an overview of the subject. RELATED DOCUMENT: State Plan of Flood Control Descriptive Document 2016 Update

State Plan of Flood Control Descriptive Document 2016 Update

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | December 14th, 2016

The November 2016 State Plan of Flood Control (SPFC) Descriptive Document Update (2016 Update) is intended to serve as a reference for flood management planners and opera

The November 2016 State Plan of Flood Control (SPFC) Descriptive Document Update (2016 Update) is intended to serve as a reference for flood management planners and operators at the local, State, and federal levels. It is not a stand-alone document; rather, it works in conjunction with the November 2010 SPFC Descriptive Document, builds upon information presented in the original report, and documents changes to the SPFC that have occurred between November 2010 and July 2016. The 2016 Update documents the inventory of flood control projects and works (facilities), lands, programs, plans, conditions, and mode of operations and maintenance for the State-federal flood management system in the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River watersheds of California, as well as informs the 2017 Central Valley Flood Protection Plan Update. In 2006 and 2007, California voters approved the Disaster Preparedness and Flood Prevention Bond Act of 2006 and the Central Valley Flood Protection Act of 2008 respectively. These acts defined the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River federal-State flood control projects as the SPFC, and required DWR to develop, and the Central Valley Flood Protection Board to adopt, a Central Valley Flood Protection Plan. The Central Valley Flood Protection Plan is broader than the SPFC, affecting the entire watersheds of the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys. A complex system of dams and reservoirs, levees, weirs, bypasses, and other features constructed piecemeal over the last 100 years protects urban and rural areas against most flooding. This system has prevented billions of dollars in damage in its lifetime. A portion of this complex flood protection system includes State and federally authorized projects for which the Central Valley Flood Protection Board or DWR has provided assurances of cooperation to the federal government, known as the SPFC. These statutory authorizations include provisions regarding responsibility for operation and maintenance of the flood control facilities. The California Legislature has authorized funding for numerous flood control projects throughout the Sacramento and San Joaquin River watersheds. As the SPFC evolves, updates to the SPFC Descriptive Document will be useful in determining funding eligibility for funding for facility improvements. RELATED DOCUMENT:  State Plan of Flood Control (2010)

State Water Project and Central Valley Project Drought Contingency Plan May 1, 2021 – September 30, 2021

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | May 28th, 2021

This Drought Contingency Plan (Drought Plan) is prepared by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) in an effo

This Drought Contingency Plan (Drought Plan) is prepared by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) in an effort to provide updated information about areas of potential concern given the current dry hydrology of 2021. DWR and Reclamation operate the State Water Project (SWP) and the Central Valley Project (CVP), respectively, to the 2020 Record of Decision (ROD) as analyzed in the 2019 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Biological Opinion and 2019 National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Biological Opinion on the Coordinated Long-Term Operation of the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project (Collectively the 2019 Biological Opinions), and DWR also operates the SWP to the 2020 California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Incidental Take Permit (ITP). This updated Drought Plan will be submitted by DWR to CDFW in response to Condition 8.21 of CDFW’s ITP. Concurrently, this plan will be shared with the Water Operations Management Team (WOMT) which includes representatives from DWR, Reclamation, USFWS, NMFS, CDFW, and the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) (collectively referred to as Agencies). This report was first drafted in February and subsequently updated in March, April, and May 2021.

State Water Project Delivery Reliability Report (2002)

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | May 1st, 2003

The Department of Water Resources is issuing this report to assist the contractors of the State Water Project in the assessment of the adequacy of the SWP component of th

The Department of Water Resources is issuing this report to assist the contractors of the State Water Project in the assessment of the adequacy of the SWP component of their overall water supplies. SWP delivery reliability is of direct interest to them and those they serve because it is an important element of their overall water supply. Local supply reliability is of key importance to local planners and government officials who have the responsibility to plan for future growth while assuring an adequate and affordable water supply is available for the existing population and businesses. This function is usually conducted in the course of preparing a water management plan such as the Urban Water Management Plans required by Water Code Section 10610. Information in this report may be used by local agencies in preparing or amending their water management plans and identifying the new facilities or programs that may be necessary to meet future water needs. Local agencies will also find this report useful in conducting analyses mandated by legislation authored by Senator Sheila Kuehl (SB 221) and Senator Jim Costa (SB 610). These laws require water retailers to demonstrate the sufficiency of their water supplies for certain proposed subdivisions and development projects subject to the California Environmental Quality Act.

State Water Project Long-Term Drought Plan

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | May 21st, 2024

The 2024 State Water Project (SWP) Long-Term Drought Plan consolidates information and actions taken during past droughts along with descriptions of the actions taken by

The 2024 State Water Project (SWP) Long-Term Drought Plan consolidates information and actions taken during past droughts along with descriptions of the actions taken by the SWP to plan for and prepare for future droughts.

Statement from ADWR Director Tom Buschatzke and CAP General Manager Ted Cooke in response to the U.S. Department of the Interior announcement of actions to protect the Colorado River system and 2023 Operating Conditions for Lake Powell and Lake Mead

Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) | August 16th, 2022

Statement of Findings regarding the Approval of the Ukiah Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Plan

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | July 27th, 2023