California Water Action Plan Public Review Draft – MCWRA Comments
In response to the California Water Action Plan (CWAP) Public Review Draft, MCWRA applauded Secretaries Laird, Rodriquez, and Ross, for efforts to develop a coordinated, comprehensive plan for addressing the statewide water challenges. The letter also outlines missing components and proposes suggested language changes to the CWAP.
“One major component missing from the comprehensive plan is the recognition of the Sierra Nevada headwaters that provides most of the water for the State’s drinking water supply. These forested watersheds should be an integral part of the plan as the health and resiliency of these headwaters are vital to a sustainable California. Actions related to this issue in the current draft are limited to one item on meadow restoration.”
“The Action Plan does not adequately outline several other critical issues confronting California water management. Specifically, the final draft should affirm that it will adhere to area-of-origin protections, water right laws and contractual agreements, adapt the regulatory structure to clearly address climate change, provide for regulatory, operational, and supply assurances for those upstream of the Delta, sufficiently address the recent modeling that calls out reservoir “dead pool” conditions, affirm that there will not be redirected consequences upstream as a result of a BDCP, and lastly provide key action items, timelines to implement the plan, as well as, designating responsibility and accountability for implementing all elements of the California Water Action Plan.”
“To help attain and sustain a reliable water supply for all of California, we will need to advance the stewardship of not only the Sierra Nevada Mountains, but across all the watersheds and headwaters in the State, increase the water carrying capacity in the watersheds, increase surface water supply and storage starting at the crest of the Sierra, all while reducing demand by increased water efficiency practices, and optimize recycling opportunities, groundwater injection, and desalination. There is no silver bullet. All these options should be outlined and considered in the final plan, without sacrificing one region’s water reliability to benefit another region.”
- MCWRA Cover Letter: Secretary Laird-Rodriquez & Ross Cover Letter 112213
- MCWRA Proposed Changes to the California Water Action Plan: Secretary Laird-Rodriquez -Ross Draft Plan Comments 112213
