Statement of Findings regarding the Periodic Review and Approval of the Gilroy-Hollister Valley - LLagas Area Subbasin Alternative Groundwater Sustainability Plan

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | June 27th, 2024

Statement of Findings regarding the Periodic Review and Approval of the Livermore Valley Basin Alternative Groundwater Sustainability Plan

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | June 27th, 2024

Statement of Findings Regarding the Periodic Review and Approval of the Santa Clara Valley – Santa Clara Subbasin Alternative Groundwater Sustainability Plan

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | June 27th, 2024

Statement of Findings regarding the Periodic Review and Approval of the Tahoe Valley - Tahoe South Subbasin Alternative Groundwater Sustainability Plan

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | June 27th, 2024

Statewide Effects of Ending Long-Term Groundwater Overdraft in California

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) | September 19th, 2019

Groundwater overdraft is a major problem globally and has been a growing problem for California for decades. This overdraft is predominantly driven by the economic value

Groundwater overdraft is a major problem globally and has been a growing problem for California for decades. This overdraft is predominantly driven by the economic value of water for agricultural production and cities. Spurred by the recent drought, California passed legislation requiring the elimination of groundwater overdraft by 2040. This paper employs a statewide hydroeconomic optimization model to explore potential water supply effects of ending long-term groundwater overdraft in California’s Central Valley for several general water policies with historical and warmer–drier climates. The model minimizes agricultural, urban scarcity, and operating costs over 82 years of historical hydrologic variability, given today’s infrastructure and environmental flow constraints. The model results assess effects of overdraft and Delta policies for different climates on water deliveries, economic costs, environmental flows, water market operations, and the economic value of expanding infrastructure capacities. Prohibiting long-term overdraft leads to reduced agricultural water use and reoperations, and reduced outflows to the sea from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, where water availability policies become important. In combination with a warmer–drier climate, ending overdraft further exacerbates water scarcities, increases environmental and economic costs, and increases the marginal economic value of water exports from the Delta, which are likely to worsen water conflicts and illustrate connections of California’s groundwater and surface water problems. Economically useful adaptation actions include more water transfers involving the Delta, water markets, and trades; conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater; and recycled wastewater supplies for coastal urban users.

Status of 2015 Urban Water Management Plans

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | September 22nd, 2017

The Department of Water Resources (DWR or Department) respectfully submits this report to the Legislature pursuant to the requirements of the Urban Water Management Plann

The Department of Water Resources (DWR or Department) respectfully submits this report to the Legislature pursuant to the requirements of the Urban Water Management Planning Act. Specifically, California Water Code (CWC) §10644 and §10608.42 require the Department to summarize the status of Urban Water Management Plans (UWMPs), exemplary elements of UWMPs, progress towards achieving a statewide water use reduction of 20-percent by the year 2020 (20x2020), and provide recommendations to achieve the targeted 20-percent reduction in statewide water use by 2020 in this report. This report incorporates the CWC’s §10608.42 (SB X7-7 of 2009) requirement for DWR to report progress towards achieving a 20% reduction in per capita urban water use by December 31, 2020. The statute requires DWR to include recommendations on changes to water use efficiency standards on urban water use targets needed to achieve the 20% reduction, and to reflect updated efficiency information and technology changes. UWMPs are prepared by California's urban water suppliers to support their long-term resource planning and ensure that adequate water supplies are available to meet existing and future water demands. The Urban Water Management Planning Act (CWC §10610 – 10656 supplemented by CWC §10608 et seq) specifies the requirements for UWMPs. Every urban water supplier that either provides over 3,000 acre-feet of water annually or serves 3,000 or more customers is required to submit an UWMP in years ending in one and six. To date, 400 out of 435 urban water suppliers have submitted their 2015 UWMP, a 92% compliance rate.

Still Imperilled, Still Important: The Little Hoover Commission’s Review of the CALFED Program

Little Hoover Commission | November 17th, 2005

The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is a treasured and imperiled resource. And CALFED has been the best hope to restore it. The ambitious state-federal partnership is

The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is a treasured and imperiled resource. And CALFED has been the best hope to restore it. The ambitious state-federal partnership is proof that political will and leadership can resolve seemingly intractable conflicts. And yet in recent years, the program also has demonstrated the propensity for rudderless bureaucracies to get caught in inescapable eddies. It is not too late for the Delta, or for CALFED. But restoring the estuary and managing the resource in a sustainable manner will require continuous political support, expert leadership, and smart management.

Strategic Plan to Protect California Coast and Ocean 2020-2025

California Ocean Protection Council (COPC) | February 26th, 2020

Streamlining Restoration Project Consultation Using Programmatic Biological Opinions

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) | April 24th, 2012

NOAA Fisheries Northwest Region supports efforts to restore the ecological function of our region’s habitat. Restoring habitat contributes to the recovery of species cu

NOAA Fisheries Northwest Region supports efforts to restore the ecological function of our region’s habitat. Restoring habitat contributes to the recovery of species currently protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), ensures that critical habitat designated under the ESA will serve its intended conservation role, and advances the conservation and enhancement of essential fish habitat (EFH) designated under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA).

Subsidized or subsidizing? Municipal drinking water service funds in California

Utilities Policy (Elsevier) | September 29th, 2022

In the longstanding debate over efficiency and effectiveness in drinking water provision between public versus privately governed systems, one of the main contention poin

In the longstanding debate over efficiency and effectiveness in drinking water provision between public versus privately governed systems, one of the main contention points is the reasons for different bill levels imposed by city-run as compared to privately owned water systems. In this study, we examine one potential explanation for disparities in bills: whether cities use their general funds to subsidize their drinking water fund operations or vice versa. Either practice goes against “user pays” principles, as pointed out by critics of municipal operation. However, the claims have not been tested empirically at scale. We extract and analyze city water enterprise fund financial data from the California State Controller Cities Raw Data of Financial Transaction Reports to empirically assess the extent to which and reasons why interfund transfers occur in California's 267 municipally owned water utilities. We find very little evidence that substantial interfund transfers, in either direction, occur between water enterprise funds and general funds within California cities, indicating that enterprise fund control measures are generally successful. These findings suggest that with proper regulation, the municipal fund subsidy debate is essentially a distraction from the real reasons why municipal and other water provider rates differ substantially.