By SDCN Editor
Sacramento, CA–California is taking advantage of this year’s storms to expand water supplies, building off of last year’s actions to capture stormwater.
In 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom’s actions resulted in three times more groundwater recharge capacity than would have otherwise occurred. Since 2019, the governor has allocated $1.6 billion for flood preparedness and response, part of the historic $7.3 billion investment package to strengthen California’s water resilience.
Here’s what the state is doing this year to capture water:
The state has either permitted or is working to permit 45 billion gallons of water for groundwater recharge, enough for 1.3 million Californians’ yearly usage – all during this wet season alone.
The state-funded Santa Anita Dam captured 95% of the stormwater runoff to groundwater recharge facilities in the San Gabriel River Watershed.
California has distributed nearly $1 billion to support 13 recharge, recycled water, and other stormwater capture projects that will add more than 28 billion gallons to the state’s water supplies every year.
The state has invested more than $160 million to capture, store, and reuse stormwater runoff – helping local governments like Los Angeles County bolster their stormwater infrastructure.
California boosts its ability to capture water:
California bolstered supply and storage through groundwater recharge and other projects, enough for 2.2 million households’ yearly usage.
During last year’s storms, Newsom signed executive orders and legislation to accelerate stormwater capture to boost groundwater recharge and other conservation measures.
The state is expanding groundwater recharge by 180 billion gallons in potential capacity – streamlining permits and $1 billion for groundwater recharge projects.
According to the State of California, more water storage is needed – if the Delta Conveyance Project was in effect, this year alone it could have captured 148 billion gallons of water; the Sites Reservoir could hold enough water to serve 7.5 million people for an entire year.
These winter storms are another example of the state’s changing climate and shifts from one extreme to another. The state has gone from a historic 3-year drought to a historic snowpack last year, to a series of very intense, warmer, wetter storms that are bringing more rain than snow. As of today, the statewide snowpack is 85 percent of average for this date, and 67 percent of its April 1 average, which is considered the peak snowpack for the season.
As outlined in Newsom’s Water Supply Strategy, these kinds of extremes are why the state needs to continue to invest and be ready with water management strategies like stormwater capture, groundwater recharge, and recycled water to ensure that our water supply remains safe and reliable in a changing climate.
