3860 Department of Water Resources
Program Descriptions

10 - CONTINUING FORMULATION OF THE CALIFORNIA WATER PLAN

The California Water Plan is the state's strategic plan for the efficient use, management and development of the state's water resources. The Plan is updated every five years to provide decision-makers and water and resource managers information on current and future water demands and supplies. The plan also identifies management strategies such as conservation, recycling, desalination, transfers, storage, conveyance, quality, watershed management, ecosystem restoration, and urban land use management to help meet future demands in light of uncertainties and unexpected catastrophic events. The Plan also includes an assessment of regional water needs.

This program also identifies ways for the state to: (1) assist local agencies and governments prepare integrated regional water management plans on a watershed basis and diversify their regional water portfolios, (2) assist cities, counties and local agencies prepare a Water Element for their General Plans, Urban Water Management Plans and Agricultural Water Management Plans, and (3) help local agencies and governments improve coordination between water and land use planning.

20 - IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STATE WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM

The State Water Project is a water storage and delivery system that consists of 28 dams and reservoirs, 22 pumping plants, 3 pumping-generating plants, 5 hydroelectric power plants, and over 660 miles of canals and pipelines. The Project provides water to 23 million Californians and 755,000 acres of irrigated farmland.

The Department plans, designs, constructs, operates, maintains, and manages State Water Project facilities and provides water from the State Water Project to a network of physical facilities located from Plumas County to the Mexican Border.

30 - PUBLIC SAFETY AND PREVENTION OF DAMAGE

This program protects life and property from damage by floods, ensures proper construction and maintenance of jurisdictional dams and levees, and provides loans for construction, improvement and rehabilitation of domestic water systems to meet state standards for drinking water. Activities include preventive floodplain management to discourage unwise development in areas subject to flooding, protection of already developed floodplains, issuance of flood warnings in cooperation with the National Weather Service, operation of flood control facilities, coordination and supervision of flood fighting activities, and annual levee and flood channel maintenance and inspection. This program also buys land, easements, and rights-of-way for federal flood control projects and supervises the design and construction of new dams and periodic inspection and reevaluation of all existing jurisdictional dams for proper operation and maintenance. The program also reviews federal dam projects in coordination with federal and other state agencies with regard to dam safety.

35 - CENTRAL VALLEY FLOOD PROTECTION BOARD

The Central Valley Flood Protection Board's mission is to control flooding along the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers and their tributaries in cooperation with the United States Army Corps of Engineers to provide public safety through flood protection in the Central Valley. The Board cooperates with various agencies of the federal, State and local governments in establishing, planning, constructing, operating, and maintaining flood control works. The Board also maintains the integrity of the existing flood control system and designated floodways through its regulatory authority by issuing permits for encroachments that comply with Board standards.

40 - SERVICES

This program provides technical support within the Department and expertise in the fields of water resources planning, development and management; chemical laboratory analysis; electronic data processing; and mapping and surveying for other agencies.

45 - CALIFORNIA ENERGY RESOURCES SCHEDULING

For a limited period of time, this program purchased electric power on behalf of the state's investor-owned utilities. Beginning January 1, 2003, the utility companies resumed responsibility for purchasing power from the spot market. The utilities, however, continue to receive power from the Department's long-term energy contracts with energy suppliers, under which the Department retains legal and financial responsibility. Additionally, the Department retains the legal and financial responsibility for administering $11.25 billion in revenue bonds issued to repay the General Fund for money borrowed and power purchased during the energy crisis and funding of reserve accounts necessary to maintain an investment grade credit rating associated with the revenue bonds.