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5 Ways California is Storing Water from Winter Storms

Press Release

by CC News
Governor

California is prioritizing groundwater recharge, stormwater capture, reservoir storage, water conveyance improvements and ambitious targets to build water resilience 

State has committed more than $8.6 billion to build water resilience in the last two budgets and the 2023-24 budget proposal includes an additional $202 million for flood protection

SACRAMENTO – California is taking urgent action to protect communities from climate-driven extremes in weather and expand the state’s capacity to capture storm runoff in wet years.

“California isn’t waiting to act – we’re moving aggressively to modernize how we capture and store water to future-proof our state against more extreme cycles of wet and dry,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “We’re expediting projects across the state to maximize stormwater capture and storage above and below ground during times like these, reshaping our water systems for the 21st century and beyond.”Leveraging the more than $8.6 billion committed by Governor Newsom and the Legislature in the last two budget cycles to build water resilience, the state is taking aggressive action to prepare for the impacts of climate-driven extremes in weather on the state’s water supplies:

  • Advancing clear, ambitious targets to build drought and flood resilience, including increasing annual groundwater recharge capacity by 500,000 acre-feet
  • Fast-tracking groundwater recharge efforts by streamlining permits
  • Maximizing stormwater capture through new projects
  • Supporting reservoir repair and expansion to boost water storage above and below ground
  • Modernizing water conveyance Infrastructure across the state, including the Delta Conveyance Project

This budget funding includes $500 million that will be provided in 2025-26 to help ensure strategic water storage projects can be completed. In the 2023-24 state budget, Governor Newsom is proposing an additional $202 million for flood protection and $125 million for drought related actions. Last week, the Administration announced two developments to streamline permitting for stormwater capture efforts. The Department of Water Resources and the State Water Board announced the first permit approved under a new pilot program to accelerate groundwater recharge, for a project in Merced County, and the State Water Board announced its first five-year temporary groundwater storage permit for a project in Sacramento County.

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3 comments

Dalhe: Newsom Glazes Over Key Water Efforts Needed to “Store Water from Winter Storms” January 20, 2023 - 6:02 am

[…] to adequately invest in water storage. Senator Brian Dahle (R-Bieber) responded to the governor’s latest claims by pointing out the five ways California is “FAILING” to store water from these recent […]

stove January 20, 2023 - 12:27 pm

So basically they are not doing anything….

biggieguana January 22, 2023 - 8:40 pm

Even their lip service is dry.

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