ACWA Board Unanimously Approves Statewide Water Action Plan for California
In a move aimed at advancing water policy in California, the ACWA Board of Directors unanimously approved a Statewide Water Action Plan on Sept. 27 that calls for a broad suite of actions to improve overall water supply reliability and serve as a sustainable path forward for the state.
Developed by a broad cross-section of member water interests convened by ACWA over the past several months, the plan outlines 15 actions to improve water supply reliability, protect water rights, protect the integrity of the state’s water system and promote better stewardship. It also includes guiding principles for implementation to help ensure actions benefit the entire state, respect water rights and contract terms and reflect a new regulatory approach that can better meet the needs of California water users and ecosystems.
The plan calls for the state to move ahead on vital actions with statewide benefits such as storage, water rights protection, and a plan to avoid “dead pool” conditions as key reservoirs. It calls for completion of a Bay Delta Conservation Plan as part of a broader set of actions, improved regional self-reliance, more effective management of headwaters, actions to protect water quality, support for water transfers, and modifications to the 2014 water bond to fund broad public benefits associated with investments identified in the Statewide Water Action Plan.
ACWA submitted the plan to Gov. Jerry Brown on Oct. 2 as the water community’s recommendations for development of a water plan for the state.
Resolutions of Support Requested
To demonstrate the broadest support possible for the Statewide Water Action Plan, ACWA is encouraging its member agencies to take the following steps:
- Adopt a resolution in support of ACWA’s Statewide Water Action Plan. A sample resolution is available here.
- Send a copy of your agency’s approved resolution to ACWA. Please email it to ACWA Region & Member Services Specialist Ana Torres at anat@acwa.com.
- Educate your key audiences, elected officials and other local leaders on the Statewide Water Action Plan. Talking points and suggested outreach steps will be available soon at http://www.acwa.com/spotlight/SWAP.
Upcoming Briefings and Events
Members can learn more about ACWA’s Statewide Water Action Plan at upcoming region events and other meetings, including:
- Oct. 17 – ACWA Region 10 program in Irvine. See details here.
- Oct. 18 – Joint Mountain Counties Water Resources Association / ACWA Region 3 meeting in Auburn. See details here.
- Oct. 24 – ACWA Regions 2 & 4 Forum in Sacramento. See details here.
- Oct. 30 – ACWA Region 9 Briefing in Riverside area. Details coming soon.
- Nov. 4 – ACWA Regions 6 & 7 Briefing in Fresno. Details coming soon.
- Nov. 5 – ACWA Region 8 Briefing in the Greater Los Angeles area. Details coming soon.
- Nov. 15 – ACWA Regions 1 & 5 Briefing in Oakland. Details coming soon.
- Dec. 4 – Town Hall meeting at the ACWA 2013 Fall Conference & Exhibition in Los Angeles.
Resources
The Statewide Water Action Plan and related materials are available here.
