State releases final California Water Action Plan, outlining near and long term goals for the next 5 years

Click here to download a copy.

Click here to download a copy.

Managing and preparing for dry periods, expanding water storage capacity and improving groundwater management are just some of the key actions identified in the California Water Action Plan, released by the Natural Resources Agency today.

The plan, just 22 pages long, lays out the goals and vision for the next five years.  It defines a set of specific actions that are categorized around 10 key areas, such as conservation, ecosystem restoration, integrated water management, water storage and groundwater management.  The Governor’s proposed budget includes $618.7 million in funding for implementation of some of the near-term actions that are specified in the Plan.

Nearly 100 public comments and the collaborative efforts of several state agencies went into the development of the Plan, which has three broad objectives: more reliable water supplies, the restoration of important species and habitat, and a more resilient, sustainably managed water resources system.  Final revisions to the draft plan include an expanded section on drought response and more efforts focused on better management of the Sierra Nevada headwaters, critically important to the state’s water supplies.

“As we work on emergency actions to manage through one of the driest winters on record, we are also taking proactive, long-term steps to prepare California for future droughts and flood,” said Secretary for Natural Resources John Laird. “Each decade brings improvements, but also significantly highlights what we can do better. The California Water Action Plan gives us clear focus and vision for the next five years.”

Click here to download the California Water Action Plan.

Written by Chris “Maven” Austin.