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 and provides a framework for water managers, legislators, and the public to consider options and make decisions regarding California's water future. The Plan evaluates current and future water conditions, challenges and opportunities. It presents basic data and information on California's water resources including water supply evaluations and assessments of agricultural, urban, and environmental water uses to quantify the gap between water supplies and uses. The Plan identifies and evaluates resource 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.

This program also identifies ways for the state to: (1) help local agencies and governments prepare integrated regional water management plans on a watershed basis and diversify their regional water portfolios to ensure sustainable water uses, reliable water supplies, better water quality, environmental stewardship, efficient urban development, protection of agriculture, and a strong economy, (2) help 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 30 dams, 20 reservoirs, 20 pumping plants, 3 pumping-generating plants, 5 hydroelectric power plants, and over 670 miles of canals and pipelines. The Project provides water to 25 million Californians and 750,000 acres of irrigated farmland.

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

The Delta Habitat Conservation and Conveyance Program is charged with improving the Delta ecosystem and ensuring water supply reliability in a safe, timely, and cost effective manner. This includes development of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, project specific conservation measures, and the Environmental Impact Report and Environmental Impact Statement.

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 the 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. Fiscal oversight and coordination activities associated with the Disaster Preparedness and Flood Prevention Bond Act of 2006 are administered under this program. 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; watermaster services; 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 $7.683 billion in revenue bonds issued to repay the General Fund for money borrowed for power purchases during the energy crisis and funding of reserve accounts necessary to maintain an investment grade credit rating associated with the revenue bonds.