State Plan Doubles Down on Alignment

By Cariad Hayes Thronson

The California Water Plan Update 2018—released by the Department of Water Resources in July—is meant to guide state policy and investment over the next 50 years to maximize the benefits squeezed out of every drop of the water supply. The timing of Update 2018 is fortuitous. In April, Governor Newsom ordered the California Natural Resources Agency, California Environmental Protection Agency, and California Department of Food and Agriculture to develop a portfolio of water resilience strategies. “There’s a great deal of information in the plan and supporting documents that covers many of the things that the governor asked for, including an inventory and analysis of water supply and demand, and projected regional and statewide demand,” says the Resource Agency’s Nancy Vogel, director of the portfolio program.

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About the author

Cariad Hayes Thronson covers legal and political issues for Estuary News. She has served on the staffs of several national publications, including The American Lawyer. She is a long-time contributor to Estuary News, and some years ago served as its assistant editor. She lives in San Mateo with her husband and two children.

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