A plan for California's new water goals set by Gov. Newsom

With California's snowpack and reservoirs at above-average levels after two wet winters, Gov. Gavin Newsom stood in a snowfield near Lake Tahoe on Tuesday and urged the state to do more to make its water supply resilient to droughts. Severe floods that struck the country. It comes with climate change.

“These extremes have become the new reality, and this new reality requires a new approach,” Newsom said. “California’s water system was designed for a world that no longer exists.”

The governor introduced a new water plan that sets priorities for changing how the state captures, stores and transports water, including efforts to replenish groundwater, recycle wastewater and restore natural watershed ecosystems.

Newsom said his administration is focused on infrastructure projects like building the Sites Reservoir — the first major new reservoir in decades — and pledged to move forward with the proposed Delta Transportation Project, a 45-mile tunnel that would transport water under the Sacramento River. San Joaquin River Delta.

“We are seeing real progress. My goal is to allow this by the time you fire me,” Newsom said of the Delta proposal.

Under term limits, he is scheduled to leave office in January 2027, at the end of his second four-year term.

The governor spoke as the Sierra Nevada had 110% of average snow on April 1, the typical peak of the snow season. Newsom wore snowshoes when he joined state water managers in the final snow survey of the season.

Even as the state's water supply benefits from two wet winters, Californians still need to be mindful of water conservation, he said.

“You can take deep breaths this year, but don't quadruple the amount of time you spend showering,” Newsom said.

The state's five-year water plan, which is required by state law, includes what the governor calls a “resiliency roadmap.” It sets priorities for modernizing water infrastructure, such as modernizing aging dams and expanding the state's water delivery capacity. It also calls for restoring ecosystems to improve the resilience of “natural infrastructure,” such as aquifers and floodplains along rivers and streams.

The plan calls for accelerating efforts to address historical inequities in water management and provide solutions for more than 950,000 Californians who depend on systems that have failed to provide clean drinking water.

The plan also includes — for the first time — a chapter focusing on the role of indigenous tribes in water management, calling for “strong collaboration and partnerships” with tribal nations and “integrating indigenous knowledge and practices.”

In addition to providing a list of priority actions, the state water plan includes a detailed assessment of climate risks in different regions of the state.

“California’s ability to adapt is not keeping pace with the impacts of climate change,” the plan states. “The scale of climate-related challenges requires a comprehensive, coordinated and timely response from all levels of California government.”

Snow depth reached more than 5 feet at Phillips Station near South Lake Tahoe on Tuesday. Officials noted that nine years ago, then-Gov. Jerry Brown stood on snow-free ground at the same spot and declared a drought emergency.

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In the past decade, California has endured two severe droughts, then a historic series of atmospheric rivers in 2023, which brought one of the largest snow accumulations on record and caused devastating flooding in parts of the state.

Newsom noted that this winter started with “extremely dry” conditions, but storms in February and March pushed snow to above-average levels.

The state's major reservoirs are generally at 116% of average levels, and are expected to rise further as the snow melts.

Lake Shasta is now 93% full and continues to rise with runoff from recent rains, while Lake Oroville is at 88% capacity — still well above average levels for this time of year.

But even with its reservoirs at healthy levels, California faces complex water management problems, such as declining fish populations and depleting groundwater in many agricultural areas.

Chronic water shortages from the Colorado River, a major source for Southern California, are also forcing water managers to make plans to reduce water use.

Newsom pointed to his administration's efforts to create a future “framework” for adapting the state's water system to the effects of global warming, including decreasing snowpack and longer periods of drought interspersed with severe flooding.

He said the state is prioritizing efforts to capture more rainwater and replenish groundwater, while also moving forward with major infrastructure projects.

“We will be building the first new reservoir in half a century in California,” Newsom said, referring to the Site Reservoir, planned for the North Sacramento Valley to store water for agriculture and cities.

Another major part of the governor's water agenda is the proposed Delta Tunnel, which state officials say will enable them to capture more water during peak winter flows, boosting supplies shipped south to cities and farms through the state's water project canals.

Opponents are trying to block the project in the courts. Environmental groups, hunting advocates and tribal leaders said the delta transportation project would harm the delta's deteriorating ecosystem.

Newsom said reconfiguring the Delta's water system is vital if the state is to adapt.

“Delta Transportation is an essential enterprise. It's critical if we want to address climate change. It's a climate project. It's one of the most important projects this country can come forward with,” he said.

The state also faces other thorny debates over water management.

State water regulators are considering alternatives to new water quality standards that would limit how much water can be withdrawn from the delta.

At the same time, the Newsom administration is promoting its proposal by relying on negotiated “voluntary agreements” under which water agencies pledge to give up certain amounts of water and fund projects to improve wetland habitats.

Newsom said he believes this approach is important for moving beyond a history of litigation that has hampered progress on water management.

“None of this is easy,” he added. “Water—you can go back to every good Mark Twain quote. … [It involves] Some of the most stubborn and challenging issues that exist, not just here but throughout the western United States.

“I realized we have a lot of work to do, and there's a frame of mind about resilience and adaptation and moving away from the zero-sum,” the governor said.

The new water plan builds on other initiatives, including the Newsom administration's water supply strategy to adapt to a hotter, drier climate, which projects California will lose 10% of its water supply by 2040.

“We can no longer take this snowpack for granted,” said Wade Crowfoot, head of the California Natural Resources Agency.

Even with a huge snowpack last year and good snowpack this year, the state could be “heading toward an extended drought, the worst in state history,” Crowfoot said.

“So we have to take advantage of every storm as it comes,” he said.