Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Update for the Orange County Water District Including a Feasibility Analysis of the Potential Consolidation of Orange County Water District and Municipal Water District of Orange County

Local Agency Formation Commission of Orange County | November 15th, 2024

Navigating Transformations in 2023: The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Year in Review

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) | April 13th, 2024

Petition for 2023 Drought Emergency Regulation or Other Emergency Action to Protect Nesting Birds, Water Quality, and other Public Trust Resources at Mono Lake

Mono Lake Committee | December 16th, 2022

Pilot Projects to Increase Colorado River System Water in Lake Powell and Lake Mead

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) | January 14th, 2022

From calendar year 2015 through 2018, 64 projects were implemented in the Upper Basin resulting in an estimated 47,280 acre-feet of Colorado River System water conserved

From calendar year 2015 through 2018, 64 projects were implemented in the Upper Basin resulting in an estimated 47,280 acre-feet of Colorado River System water conserved in the Upper Basin at a cost of $8.5 million or $180.23 per acre-foot on average. From January 2015 through December 31, 2019 in the Lower Basin, 16 projects were implemented which will result in 175,347 acre-feet of Colorado River System water in Lake Mead by 2035, at a cost of approximately $29.8 million or $170.14 per acre-foot on average. The Pilot Program successfully demonstrated that voluntary, compensated water conservation projects can conserve water for Colorado River System storage to help mitigate the impacts of drought.

Planned operation of large-scale water-distribution system

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) | May 1st, 1995

A water-supply-distribution-system planning model has been developed using a directed graph algorithm as its pre- and post-processors and a linear programming (LP) proced

A water-supply-distribution-system planning model has been developed using a directed graph algorithm as its pre- and post-processors and a linear programming (LP) procedure as an “intelligent” system operator at its core. The directed graph, as a preprocessor, is used to produce a mathematical representation of the distribution system in question, to check the consistency and correctness of the network topology before an input file is created for the LP procedure. In the postprocessing mode, the directed graph generates files for graphical displays of model results and performs graph analyses such as depth- and breadth-first traversals, cut-set and connectivity for evaluating water-quality blending, tracking of source-to-demand contributions, system reliability, and lifeline objectives. Unlike the conventional formulation of a resource-allocation problem, the demand requirements, storage capacities, and other system constraints are removed from the constraint set and translated into a composite objective function. This methodology was successfully applied to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California's (MWD's) distribution system. The results indicate that the combination of using an LP procedure and graph algorithm is a very versatile tool for solving large-scale water-distribution problems. This paper documents the concept used in developing the system-planning model and the results of its application to a simplified example as well as application to four case studies involving the entire MWD's distribution system.

Pumping for the masses: evolution of groundwater management in metropolitan Los Angeles

Geo Journal (Springer) | August 7th, 2015

Groundwater supports many aspects of human life. In cities, groundwater can provide a cost-effective source of water for drinking and industrial uses, while groundwater b

Groundwater supports many aspects of human life. In cities, groundwater can provide a cost-effective source of water for drinking and industrial uses, while groundwater basins provide storage. The role of groundwater in a city’s water supply tends to change over time. In the Los Angeles metropolitan area, groundwater is critical. Over decades, users in the region’s many basins allocated annual pumping rights to groundwater among users through adjudications. These rights were determined through collective processes over decades, which contributed to the complex array of public and private organizations involved in water management. The rights also continue to evolve. We analyzed changes in the distribution of groundwater rights over time for adjudicated basins in Southern Los Angeles County. Results indicate that groundwater rights are increasingly: (1) controlled or regulated by public institutions and municipalities, and (2) consolidated among larger users. Yet, both the percentage of total supplies provided by groundwater, as well as the distribution of groundwater rights, varies widely among cities and communities throughout Los Angeles. As metropolitan Los Angeles faces reduced water imports and emphasizes local water reliance, access to pumping rights and storage capacity in groundwater basins will become even more vital. We discuss implications of our results for future urban water management.

Regional Governance of Flood Management in the Central Valley

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | May 30th, 2014

California faces significant challenges in managing its highly variable water resources, particularly as climate change and a growing population exacerbate drought and fl

California faces significant challenges in managing its highly variable water resources, particularly as climate change and a growing population exacerbate drought and flood risks.  The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and other state agencies have been encouraging integrated approaches to water management, taking into account the connections between water supply, water quality, flood protection, and ecosystem health. The recent California Water Action Plan calls for improved coordination between local, state and federal agencies and tribal governments in order to develop multi-­benefit water management strategies. Regional-­scale planning has become a crucial avenue for advancing these efforts. Initiated in 2002, the Integrated Regional Water Management Planning (IRWM) process has led to the formation of 48 water planning regions statewide, in which diverse local agencies have developed integrated plans for managing all aspects of a region’s water management. More recently, a Regional Flood Management Planning (RFMP) process was created in the context of the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan to advance integrated approaches to reducing flood risks. Six flood planning regions, overlapping with nine IRWM regions, were formed in 2012. This study analyzes the origins and functioning of the IRWM and RFMP processes, and the degree of coordination between them to address flood risks in the Central Valley. In particular, it examines how each is working to generate multi-­benefit strategies, and how they account for climate change. It also discusses opportunities for future coordination between the IRWM and RFMP processes, and DWR’s role in supporting this. This study is primarily based upon an analysis of publicly available documents related to the IRWM and RFMP processes. It is also informed by meeting observations and conversations with staff at DWR and the Central Valley Flood Protection Board, and participants in IRWM and RFMP processes. Since RFMPs were not yet completed at the time of this writing, this study’s findings are preliminary. Nonetheless, this report provides an indication of the overall functioning of these RFMP and IRWM regions, and some general considerations for DWR as it assesses next steps in supporting these programs.

Report on an Integrated Regional Water Management Plan for the San Joaquin Valley of California

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) | May 1st, 2016

A major investment has been made through California voter-approved general obligation bonds to incentivize regional water infrastructure and management solutions that imp

A major investment has been made through California voter-approved general obligation bonds to incentivize regional water infrastructure and management solutions that improve self-sufficiency, reduce water use impacts and support environmental protection and restoration. The program, put into California water statutes in 2002, and managed by the California State Department of Water Resources (DWR), is called Integrated Regional Water Management Planning (IRWMP). This planning tool, along with other water management strategies, actions and activities that have emerged, were ultimately intended to be elevated to an aggregate effort for the entire San Joaquin Valley into a Valley-wide integrated water plan. The aggregate effort was included as a goal in federal legislation (PL 111-11, Section 10101). The legislation included funding for the California Water Institute (CWI) at California State University, Fresno to prepare a report on the Valley-wide activities.

Santa Ana Watershed Basin Study

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) | September 1st, 2013

The U.S. Department of the Interior’s WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow) program allows all bureaus of the Department to collaboratively

The U.S. Department of the Interior’s WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow) program allows all bureaus of the Department to collaboratively work with States, Tribes, local governments, and non-governmental organizations to pursue a sustainable water supply for the Nation. This is done through a framework that provides federal leadership and assistance on the efficient use of water, and by integrating water and energy policies to support the sustainable use of all natural resources. Basin Studies, one of the tools of this program, are basin-wide efforts to evaluate and address the impacts of climate change, and define options for meeting future water demands in river basins in the western United States where imbalances in water supply and demand exist or are projected. The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA) partnered in the WaterSMART Santa Ana Watershed Basin Study (Study). The work done under the Study was used to help SAWPA update its One Water One Watershed (OWOW) Plan. OWOW is an Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWMP) for the Santa Ana River Watershed (SARW) that serves as the blueprint for SAWPA, its member agencies and key stakeholders to effectively manage water resources over the next 30 years. The Santa Ana Watershed Basin Study illustrates how effective collaboration can improve water management. This Study takes a crest-to-coast and corner-to-corner approach throughout a 2,400-square-mile watershed, which encompasses everything from beach to mountain communities, to address the area’s unique water resource challenges. The SARW is home to more than 6 million people, and tens of millions more people visit the area each year. The region also has a large manufacturing, industrial, and agricultural base. More than 350 water, wastewater, and groundwater management, flood control, environmental and other non-governmental organizations, are working together as partners with SAWPA on the OWOW Plan. Through the Basin Study Program, Reclamation is partnering with SAWPA and its stakeholders to update key components of the Plan, now known as OWOW 2.0.  

Securing Color River Supplies - An Urban-Agriculture Partnership in the Palo Verde Valley

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) | March 16th, 2022