Staff shared a draft Water Plan 2028 outline to catalog statewide strategies and compare cumulative strategy capacities to the 9 million acre-foot target. DWR selected part of the San Joaquin Valley as a pilot area to test regional planning and modeling before statewide rollout. A 34-member recharge working group kicks off Oct. 1, with a call for recharge readiness ahead of a potentially wet winter.
DWR outlined ~$386.25M in Prop 4 groundwater funding. Draft guidelines are anticipated fall 2026, with applications anticipated in early 2027 (subject to change). Prop 4 requires no bond cost share. DWR discussed proposed funding priorities: recharge/conjunctive use, subsidence BMP actions, recommended corrective actions, conveyance, and potential ag land adaptation (bond limits; legal review ongoing).
Urban water suppliers must submit annual water shortage assessment reports by July 1, 2026, alongside 2025 UWMP and 2025 WSCP submittals. Reservoirs are generally in good shape, but statewide snowpack is about 16% of average, creating a snow drought that may tighten summer supplies. DWR urged WSCP procedure review and optional alignment with state shortage levels; readoption questions were discussed.
DWR staff outlined upcoming changes on periodic evaluations and annual reporting. 62 basins must submit 5-year periodic evaluations by January 2027. Key requirements: document progress toward sustainability goals, explain challenges/undesirable results, and demonstrate adaptive management. DWR is developing a portal‑based annual reporting process, expected for Water Year 2026 reports due in 2027, with auto‑populated sections and automated exceedance tracking.
Drought Resilience Interagency & Partners (DRIP) Collaborative Meeting: California's drought preparedness efforts are shifting focus from long-term recommendations to emergency response planning for 2026 due to potential consecutive dry years and limited weather forecasting accuracy. The state faces a critical challenge with dry well response, currently spending $2 million monthly to support over 1,000 homes without water after relatively average water years. Officials remain concerned...
