About the Plan
An updated California Water Plan is produced every five years by DWR. The Water Plan is being designed to guide water resources decisions, support implementation, and help California prepare for a hotter, drier, and more unpredictable future. It will be grounded in data, informed by regional realities, and shaped through meaningful public engagement.
Modernizing Water Policy
The modernization of the California Water Plan is driven by Senate Bill (SB) 72. SB 72 sets a clear expectation: move statewide water planning from description to direction.
Under SB 72, the Water Plan is being modernized to:
Identify and evaluate effective water management strategies, informed by economic considerations
Quantify urban, agricultural, and environmental water needs at a watershed scale throughout California
Expand engagement across all sectors as DWR develops the Water Plan
Establish clear water supply targets that help align state, regional, and local actions
What Future Water Plan Updates Will Do
DWR will produce a modernized water plan that:
Builds a clear understanding of statewide water supply and demand gaps, now and into the future
Identifies effective, local, regional, and statewide water management strategies
Establishes an interim statewide planning goal to identify 9 million acre-feet of additional water supply by 2040
Lays the groundwork for setting measurable, watershed-level and statewide targets in future Water Plan updates
Carefully considers future water supply needs for all beneficial uses across the state
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