The Newsom administration on Tuesday issued the final draft of its blueprint for equipping California to cope with climate extremes, from droughts to declining fish populations and groundwater depletion.
The Water Resilience Portfolio lists more than 140 policy actions for state resource agencies. Many cover existing priorities, such as establishing voluntary agreements over Delta flows, developing a new plan for the State Water Project and accelerating permits for groundwater recharge projects.
“Evaluating our water management system for improved resilience is an essential first step in our quest for long-range sustainability and reliability,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross.
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The portfolio had been set to coincide with a $12-billion “climate budget” the administration proposed in January, before the pandemic left the state with a $54-billion deficit. The report acknowledges the situation and that “the pace of progress on the actions in the portfolio will depend upon the resources available.”
