IRWM ROUNDTABLE OF REGIONS

Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order on April 29, 2019 directing his administration to think differently and act boldly by developing a comprehensive strategy to build a climate-resilient water system. The order directs the secretaries of the California Natural Resources Agency, California Environmental Protection Agency and the California Department of Food and Agriculture to identify and assess a suite of complementary actions to ensure safe and resilient water supplies, flood protection and healthy waterways for the state’s communities, economy and environment. 

 

State agencies released the Water Resilience Portfolio in 2020 with a suite of recommended actions to help California cope with more extreme droughts and floods, rising temperatures, declining fish populations, aging infrastructure and other challenges. The portfolio embraces a broad, diversified approach. Goals and actions are organized into four categories:

1. Maintain and diversify water supplies: State government will continue to help regions reduce reliance on any one water source and diversify supplies to enable flexibility as conditions change. Diversification will look different in each region based on available water resources, but it will strengthen water security and reduce pressure on river systems across the state.

2. Protect and enhance natural ecosystems: State leadership is essential to restore the environmental health of many of our river systems in order to sustain fish and wildlife. This entails effective standard setting, continued investments, and more adaptive, holistic environmental management.

3. Build connections: The state aims to improve physical infrastructure to store, move, and share water more flexibly and integrate water management through shared use of science, data, and technology.

4. Be prepared: Each region must prepare for new threats, including flashier floods, deeper droughts, and hotter temperatures. State guidance will enable preparation, protective actions, and adaptation.

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The 2021 Water Resilience Portfolio Progress Report can be viewed here.

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Roundtable Participation

• The Roundtable submitted an email to Nancy Vogel, Director of the Governor’s Water Portfolio Program on June 5, 2019.

• A comprehensive comment letter from the Roundtable was submitted on September 4, 2019 in response to the Portfolio’s request for input in advance of preparing the draft Portfolio.

• Roundtable comments to the Draft Portfolio were sent February 7, 2020. You can read them by clicking here.