California Water Views

California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) is entering a critical phase as the focus shifts from planning to implementation and measurable outcomes. State agencies are taking a more assertive role, with the Department of Water Resources continuing to evaluate the adequacy of Groundwater Sustainability Plans and the State Water Resources Control Board increasingly exercising its enforcement authority—particularly in critically overdrafted basins. As a result, Groundwater Sustainability Agencies are facing heightened scrutiny, new reporting ...

With the rollout of Proposition 4 funding entering its next critical phase in the second quarter of 2026, California water providers have a historic opportunity to secure financial backing for vital infrastructure and climate resilience projects. Passed by voters in November 2024, the $10 billion climate bond earmarks $3.8 billion explicitly for safe drinking water, drought preparedness and flood resilience. The State’s current 2025-2026 spending plan has authorized roughly $1.2 billion of the total water allocation, serving as a primary lifeline for water providers amid ...

On February 25, 2026, Governor Gavin Newsom launched the California Water Plan 2028, initiating a comprehensive, multi-year effort to modernize the State's water planning framework. Dubbed the “most ambitious water plan in California history,” the initiative arrives at a critical juncture as the State continues to grapple with extreme hydrological whiplash—swinging from historic droughts to record-breaking atmospheric rivers.

For water agencies, agricultural stakeholders, and local municipalities, the launch marks a significant shift in California’s water ...

In the November 2024 election, California voters approved Proposition 4 – the Climate Bond, authorizing the state to issue $10 billion in general obligation bonds to fund climate resilience and environmental conservation projects.

The Legislature and Administration are currently debating how much of these funds will be available in the first year of allocations. The Governor’s 2025-26 January State budget proposal outlines his proposal for Proposition 4 allocations, but the final State budget and allocation of these funds will be negotiated with the Legislature until a ...

The year started with a bang, with a lot of new Members of the Legislature, and more seasoned Members, invigorated and motivated to tackle some major water policy and funding issues for California. While some significant water policy changes were passed by the Legislature this year (with much controversy), there is still much left to debate and discuss in the second year of the two-year session, which will begin on January 3, 2024. … 

Cyberattacks on organizations worldwide surged 40% in 2021. September 2021 broke records for the number of weekly cyberattacks, topping all other months since January 2020. Currently, one out of every 61 organizations worldwide is impacted by ransomware attacks every week. Given this ever-increasing threat level, a national law requiring critical infrastructure organizations to report cybersecurity incidents to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is on the horizon. In addition, the Biden administration’s proposed infrastructure bill ...

If you were unable to attend our recent webinar “Flood or Drought? A Discussion of the Election’s Potential Legislative Impacts on the Water Sector”, please check out the recording of the on-demand webinar, which can be accessed here. Additionally, we invite you to download the presentation slide deck here.

Several key take-aways from the presentation included:

• Consensus among the water industry, and a proactive approach, will help advance legislative goals under tight timeline pressures.
• The State Resources Water Control Board is currently gathering information about ...

President-elect Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump could mean big changes for federal treatment of issues affecting water service providers, as well as how such issues are addressed in California, where Governor Newsom will presumably now have an ally in the White House. At both the state and federal levels, legislators are still working to address the impact of COVID-19 on public health and the economy, while pursuing existing policy goals that may have been put on hold due to the challenges created by the pandemic.

To navigate these new changes, please join us on December 3, 2020 ...