Governor Brown’s final State Water Action Plan (Plan) was released on January 27, 2014 by the California Natural Resources Agency, Cal-EPA and the California Department of Food and Agriculture. At the direction of the Governor, a collaborative effort of state agencies and stakeholders formed a plan to set the direction for some near- and long-term actions on water issues for the state. The five-year plan covers budget proposals and implementation efforts for water supply reliability and the state’s infrastructure.
Key actions identified in the Plan include:
~ Make conservation a California way of life.
~ Increase regional self-reliance and integrated water management across all levels of government.
~ Achieve the co-equal goals for the Delta.
~ Protect and restore important ecosystems.
~ Manage and prepare for dry periods.
~ Expand water storage capacity and improve groundwater management.
~ Provide safe water for all communities.
~ Increase flood protection.
~ Increase operational and regulatory efficiency.
~ Identify sustainable and integrated financing opportunities.
In his State of the State Address on January 22, 2014, the Governor said, "We need regulators to re-balance water rules and enable voluntary transfers of water, and we must prepare for forest fires. As the State Water Action Plan lays out, water recycling, expanded storage and serious groundwater management must all be part of the mix."
The Governor's action plan highlights the $619 million for water projects contained in his proposed 2014-2015 budget including funding for water efficiency projects, wetland and watershed restoration, groundwater programs, conservation, flood control, and integrated water management.
Of particular interest, the Governor's budget would allow the Department of Water Resources to better monitor groundwater resources and would support the development of a state backstop for sustainable groundwater management practices by the State Water Resources Control Board should local efforts to do so not materialize.
Drought threatens hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland, thousands of jobs, and ultimately a reliable and affordable food supply. "In the near term, we must do all we can to keep our fields productive. In the long term, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make the investments that will allow us to stay productive in the face of a changing climate," said California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross.
By Trudi Hughes, Government Affairs Director, California League of Food Processors
California League Of Food Producers