BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT:
Title
Adopt Recommended Positions on State Legislation: SB 1188 (Stern) The California Water Plan; and Other Legislation Which May Require Urgent Consideration for a Position by the Board.
End
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Adopt a position of "Support" on: SB 1188 (Stern) The California Water Plan.
Body
SUMMARY:
SB 1188 (Stern) The California Water Plan. (A-04/08/20)
Position Recommendation: Support
Priority Recommendation: 3
SB 1188 would change the approach to regional water planning in the California Water Plan, from "hydrologic regions" based on the Department of Water Resources (DWR) Bulletin 160 to "regions" created collaboratively by DWR and the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) based on the United States Geological Survey's National Hydrography Dataset.
This bill would also require DWR to include a discussion of various strategies for increasing "regional water reliance" based on a new definition that includes "the ability for people within a region to cope with, and recover from, disruptions, and to anticipate trends and variability in order to maintain services for people and protect the natural environment now and in the future."
Currently the Department of Water Resources is required to update the California Water Plan every 5 years to allow for the orderly and coordinated control, protection, conservation, development, and use of the water resources of the state. The California Water Plan includes analysis and discussion of various strategies related to the development of new water storage facilities, water conservation, water recycling, desalination, conjunctive use, water transfers, and alternative pricing policies that may be pursued in order to meet the future needs of the state.
Importance to Valley Water
SB 1188 seeks to implement Action Item 28.2 of the Governor's Water Resilience Portfolio which states: "Broaden the impact of the California Water Plan, required eve...
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