Once again, University of California, Davis, leadership in the fields of veterinary science, and agriculture and forestry has been recognized — this time in the 2022 QS World University Rankings by Subject, released on April 6.
Quacquarelli Symonds, considered one of the most influential international university rankings providers, ranked UC Davis first in the nation and second in the world in both subjects.
Since veterinary science was added to the rankings in 2015, UC Davis has been first in the world five times and is No. 2 for a third time. The campus was No. 1 in agriculture and forestry in the first three years the subject was ranked and has held the No. 2 spot since 2016.
UC Davis was ranked 43rd in the world and tied for 18th in the nation in the broad category of the life sciences and medicine. Demonstrating its strength across the disciplines, the campus was also ranked globally and nationally in each of the other broad categories: natural sciences, engineering and technology, arts and humanities, and social sciences and management.
In addition to being top-ranked in veterinary science and agriculture and forestry, the university had top 50 world rankings in six other subjects and top 20 national rankings in eight.
“I’m proud that UC Davis continues to be recognized for the world-class education it provides as well as for the impact of its research and service,” said Chancellor Gary S. May.
(From left) Senior Environmental Scientist Yuk Wong and Environmental Scientists Alex Loyer and Andrew Adkins with CDFA’s Division of Measurement Standards (DMS) answer questions about the division’s role in assuring the quality, accuracy and compliance of hydrogen fuel and dispensers in California. DMS Senior Environmental Scientist Sam Ferris (not pictured) was also on-hand for the event.
Today on the steps of the State Capitol, The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Division of Measurement Standards (DMS) is taking part in a “Hydrogen Village” showcasing hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. DMS plays a key part in the rollout of hydrogen-fueled vehicle technology. DMS scientists provide the technical expertise and equipment to verify the quality and purity of hydrogen fuel sold in California, and they also verify the accuracy of hydrogen fuel dispensers so that California consumers get exactly what they pay for.
“Hydrogen Village at the Capitol” is a joint project of the California Fuel Cell Partnership and the California Hydrogen Coalition. The event is an opportunity for stakeholders to showcase the value and performance of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies and tell the larger story of how these advances help California achieve its climate, equity and economic goals.
California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Secretary Karen Ross conducted a swearing-in ceremony this morning for newly appointed Sacramento County Fair Board Member Arturo Barajas (left), with CDFA Deputy Secretary Michael Flores serving as witness. The fair board is also known as California’s 52nd District Agricultural Association. Barajas has been a Government Affairs Manager at FanDuel Group since 2021. He was Deputy Secretary at CDFA from 2019 to 2021. Barajas was a Legislative Aide for Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula from 2016 to 2019. He was raised in the Central Valley and is a CalPoly grad, working for a vineyard management company while he was a student.
California winter-flooded rice farm where Chinook salmon were reared during 2022. Photo by Derrick Alcott.
Regenerative agriculture, rice fields named for potential in this area
By Andrew L. Rypel, UC Davis Ecology Professor
California’s water problems are intense; so much so they are often referred to as ‘wicked’ for their extraordinary depth of complexity and general unsolvability. Yet it recently occurred to me that some of the better and more creative solutions often derive from one particular source – nature itself. Indeed, studies of nature-based solutions or ‘NBS’ are rising rapidly (Davies and Lafortezza 2019; Nelson et al. 2020; Acreman et al. 2021), and are especially popular within the NGO and environmental communities. This blog is a brief exploration of the concept, examples of nature-based solutions, both for California water and also generally, and why they might matter to us. As a fish ecologist, most of my thoughts are, as usual, focused on the status and conservation of our native fishes. I would love to hear your favorite examples of NBS or general thoughts on this topic in any area of water management or otherwise in the comments sections below.
Methods of blending Indigenous knowledge systems and Western approaches are important and also increasing (Reid et al. 2020), but have distinct connections with nature-based solutions. For example, Western science-based approaches are perhaps sometimes less effective because of an overemphasis on certainty and extent to which nature is “controllable” (Charles 2001). Indeed, Townsend et al. 2020 specifically suggests Indigenous knowledge and engagement are vital to success of nature-based solutions, especially with regards to climate change. Indigneous frameworks have the potential to help us all learn, to build back trust, and to move towards peaceful plural existence (Reed et al. 2022).
Beavers are one important nature-based solution that just aren’t discussed enough! During the early 1800s, fashion trends played an unusual role in the decline of Pacific salmon populations. Though perhaps odd to us now, at that time, the classic beaver hat was considered high fashion. Further, the main source of beaver pelts was California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and British Columbia. Because of territorialism (e.g., between various fur-trapping regions), beavers were purposefully and quickly deleted from many salmon-producing streams to discourage nearby trapper encroachment. The net effect was something referred to as the “fur desert” (Ott 2003). Yet as beaver populations dwindled, so too did occurrence of beaver dams along the West Coast. This was a problem for fishes because native salmon and trout populations are known to exploit beaver ponds as productive rearing habitats for their young (Talabere 2002; Pollock et al. 2004; Herbold et al. 2018). For those of us interested in improving native trout and salmonid habitats, beaver conservation and reintroduction must be part of the larger fix (Wathen et al. 2019; Pollock et al. 2019). Mountain meadow restoration in particular has been floated as an important element to climate resilience in California, and is part of the California Water Resilience Portfolio. The meadow collaborative is currently working to support restoration of these systems. But scaling any substantial increase in mountain meadow acreage will need more beavers.
There are other nature-based solutions we talk about frequently on this blog. I am personally deeply engaged with the salmon-rice project. Sacramento Valley Chinook salmon evolved within a landscape full of floodplains and wetlands (see artistic recreation by Laura Cunningham, above). Juvenile Chinook salmon, born to clear snowmelt streams of the Sierras out-migrated onto the valley floor where they reared, fed on the luxurious carbon and floodplain foods, and gained energy for the final leg of their arduous journey to the Pacific Ocean. Fast forward to present day, and 95% of the floodplain in the Central Valley is gone. However, there are roughly 500,000 acres of rice fields that might be used more smartly to assist struggling salmon populations (Katz et al. 2017; Holmes et al. 2020). Mimicking historical floodplains using rice fields is already a widely known and effective conservation practice for migratory birds of the Sacramento Valley (Bird et al. 2000, Eadie et. al. 2008). Thus, it follows that these same practices might work for native fishes. We just need to figure it out! Here is a recent podcast on the topic. There is also an indication that having fish on rice fields might help mitigate flux of methane (a greenhouse gas), a concept that connects with the regenerative agriculture movement described below.
Environmental flows are a nature-based solution that receives much attention from CWS and California scientists (e.g., Yarnell et al. 2020; Grantham et al. 2022; Yarnell et al. 2022). Perhaps “flows” are about more than just a minimum value of water needed in a river. The magnitude and frequency, timing, duration, and rate of change in flows all matter (Poff et al. 1997). Further, the quality of the water may also matter. There is rightfully much interest in this science, mainly because it aims to make the most of the water we do have, and it has also been shown to actually work (Kendy et al. 2017; Chen and Wu 2019; Tickner et al. 2020). There are interesting parallel frameworks afoot for describing natural thermal regimes of streams – see Willis et al. 2021. However, there is still much science needed to figure this all out in California, and because it involves water users and endangered species, it is bound to be controversial. Nonetheless, long-term hydrographs of natural rivers combined with ecological data on these same systems provide windows into the natural mechanics of river ecosystem function. Scientists unlocking these nature-based secrets should be in high demand by water professionals in California in the future.
‘Regenerative agriculture’ is a larger movement also worth examining within the context of NBS (Schulte et al. 2021). Agriculture is a modern miracle – we can feed many more people now on the same amount of arable land as in 1960. Nonetheless, such high productivity and land efficiency also comes at an environmental price. Effects of conventional row crop agriculture on soils (Arnhold et al. 2014; Fageria et al. 2004), insects (critical to soil health) (Wagner et al. 2021), water quality (Baker 1985), and wildlife (Brinkman et al. 2005) are well-documented (Rhodes et al. 2017). Although no legal or regulatory definition of ‘regenerative agriculture’ exists, a surge in academic research indicates the topic is gaining traction with scholars (Newton et al. 2020). Examples of regenerative agriculture include reductions in tillage, use of cover crops and crop rotations, increasing crop plant diversity, restoration of native plants and habitats, integration of free-range livestock, use of ecological or natural principals, organic methods, focus on smaller scale systems, holistic grazing, incorporation of local knowledge, and others (Newton et al. 2020). In Iowa corn and soybean fields, replacing just 10% of land with strips of restored prairie increased overall biodiversity and ecosystem services with almost no impacts to crop production (Schulte et al. 2017). In Indiana, winter cover crops decreased soil nitrate by >50% while soil N mineralization and nitrification rates increased (Christopher et al. 2021). The regenerative agriculture movement is clearly quite real and is generating innovation within the agricultural sector.
Elements of nature-based solutions are beginning to trickle into popular culture. For example, the “paleo diet” or “primal blueprint” are nouveau approaches to eating that emphasize consumption of unprocessed natural foods, similar to the way pre-industrial ancestors might have eaten. Many of the foods recommended in these diets connect back to sustainable and regenerative agricultural methods to promote consumption of nutrient-dense foods.
Ultimately, nature-based solutions are a linked aspect to management of reconciled, working landscapes. Yet while both concepts are closely related, they are also decidedly distinct. Reconciliation ecology emphasizes balance between human and environmental needs. It also emphasizes that humans are in charge, and must assume responsibility for decision making. In contrast, nature-based solutions are often viable solutions to human problems, but are likely especially desirable inside human-dominated environments such as working lands. Indeed, one of California’s major environmental policy initiatives currently touts nature-based solutions as a method for accelerating our region’s climate change goals. These innovations will likely underpin the emerging climate solutions sector of California’s economy.
There are problems with the NBS movement too. The topic has been criticized for “green-washing” – that is, conflating and confusing public debate, wasting resources, and drawing attention away from more pressing needs (Giller et al. 2021). There are also critical questions. Where should the line be drawn as to what counts as a NBS? How should such practices be rewarded through payment programs and the like? As one example, I drove past an almond orchard the other day brightly advertising how they were ‘fighting climate change’ and ‘going to net zero’. Is this a NBS? Furthermore, there are probably cases when an engineered solution might be better. If I were living below sea level on a hurricane-prone coastline, I might prefer a really strong, well-engineered levee than a patch of mangroves. In the long-run, people and ecosystems need both nature and engineering, and there should be room for a portfolio of solutions. Further, a healthy dose of skepticism is required to properly vet any potential NBS. Fortunately, science is one of the most powerful tools ever developed to explore the efficacy of solutions – whether engineered, nature-based, or a combination.
California water has major problems, especially as we enter into another year of intense drought. We need solutions that will truly work over the long haul. Sometimes extensively engineered solutions are touted as “silver bullets” for what are actually highly complicated and long-running challenges exacerbated by hard-to-control factors like human population growth, climate change, and macroeconomics. In the case of our declining native fish fauna, it is clear that it took many years to get into this mess, and any real solution requires time to correct. Furthermore, I have the sense that we are just scratching the surface with the vast possibilities of nature-based solutions. Indigenous partnerships will be key to finding new solutions with the potential to heal both nature and our peoples. Sadly, in many cases, we don’t even know what the potential solutions might be because of shifting baselines and constant modification of the landscape. As we move forward, let’s collectively keep our eyes glued for creative nature-based solutions, listen to one another, maintain a critical eye, and collectively engage to make our landscape and water practices more sustainable for future generations.
Strategy sets key priorities and calls for outcomes with accountability Climate Adaptation Strategy launched via interactive website
Following the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s release of its latest report on efforts to combat the climate crisis, the Newsom Administration today launched the state’s Climate Adaptation Strategy outlining the all-hands-on-deck approach to building climate resilience across California. The strategy positions California as an international leader protecting people and natural places from accelerating climate threats. Today’s announcement comes on the heels of the latest snow survey conducted on April 1, which found that the statewide snowpack has dropped to 38 percent following three straight months of record dry conditions.
“California is on the frontlines of the climate crisis with a vanishing Sierra snowpack, life-threatening heat waves, and record-breaking wildfires,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “This strategy strengthens our resilience efforts by identifying key priorities and outcomes that should guide every action we take to protect vulnerable communities, the environment, and the state’s economy from climate impacts.”
The Climate Adaptation Strategy elevates six key priorities that must drive all resilience actions in California:
Strengthen protections for climate-vulnerable communities
Bolster public health and safety efforts to protect against increasing climate risks
Build a climate-resilient economy
Accelerate nature-based climate solutions and strengthen climate resilience of natural systems
Make decisions based on the best available climate science
Partner and collaborate to leverage resources
It also brings together in one place nearly 150 climate adaptation actions from existing state plans and strategies, and for the first time, introduces success metrics and timeframes for each action.
This strategy has also been developed to guide and link several sector-based efforts already underway to address climate-driven threats, such as the state’s Water Resilience Portfolio and Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan. It also connects region-based efforts in progress across the state.
California’s Climate Adaptation Strategy is being made available in an interactive website rather than a traditional hard copy report. This website will provide an ongoing hub for information on climate resilience and will make it easier for Californians to understand and shape climate action. The website will be updated to track progress and adjustments, and integrate emerging, best-available science.
The Climate Adaptation Strategy is updated every three years under state law. It has been developed through a range of public input and guided by leaders from across the Administration. This public input process helped to identify and fill key gaps in adaptation actions, for example recognizing the need for an updated, integrated approach to addressing climate-driven extreme heat and driving the release of a draft Extreme Heat Action Plan in January.
NOTE: CDFA Secretary Karen Ross participated in today’s launch and made the following comment: “Climate change will impact every aspect of what we do at the Department of Food and Agriculture, because farmers, ranchers and farmworkers every day are working in tandem with natural systems, and building the resiliency of these natural systems is key to our ability to continue to produce the healthy, nutritious, California-grown foods that we provide to Californians in every corner of the state.”
CDFA’s science advisor to the secretary and manager of the Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation (OEFI), Dr. Amrith Gunasekara, spoke this week at a California Air Resources Board (CARB) virtual workshop on methane reduction. Dr. Gunasekara discussed CDFA efforts relating to the reduction of short-lived climate pollutants present in California dairy and livestock operations.
OEFI administers the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP) and the Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP). Financial incentives are provided to dairy operators who also contribute matching funds to reduce methane greenhouse gases. To date, DDRDP and AMMP have awarded funding to a combined total of 233 projects. Through those programs more than 2.3 million metric tons of CO2e (Carbon Dioxide equivalent) have been removed from the environment.
“We at CDFA are grateful for the opportunity to discuss our work to mitigate greenhouse gases in partnership with CARB, through our incentive programs,” said Dr. Gunasekara. “What is evident from the workshop is that there are still issues that need to be resolved, and I am hopeful that having open communications with all interested parties will lead to creative and practical solutions.”
Stakeholders participating in the workshop shared their perspectives on complex issues connected to environmental regulatory effects on dairy operations.
Today and every day, CDFA thanks California’s farmworkers and recognizes their invaluable contributions to bring food to our tables. We couldn’t do it without them! March 31st is a state holiday to remember the commitment of Cesar Chavez to respect and honor the work of farmworkers and their contribution to our state’s agriculture.
CDFA continues to play a role supporting our essential farmworkers by ensuring they have ongoing access to Personal Protective Equipment — a commitment that began during the early days of the COVID-19 crisis and has carried on.
In partnership with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and the County Agricultural Commissioners, CDFA has distributed 22,503,848 surgical masks, 2,512,900 cloth masks, 7,544,880 N-95 masks, 945,540 KN95 masks, 2,370,000 gloves, and 758,661 units of hand sanitizers for agricultural workers.
The training and development program will provide support to organizations to enhance or expand beginning farmer and farmworker training and apprenticeship programs. The overall goal is to ensure that resources are dedicated to strengthening support for historically underserved beginning farmers in the first ten years of business, and for farmworkers who need job skills training.
California’s “Winter Salad Bowl,” the Imperial Valley, produces an estimated two-thirds of vegetables consumed in the U.S. during the winter months. Farmer Jack Vessey has moved much of his acreage away from furrow irrigation, with the objective of conserving water.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the launch of the Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity Technical Assistance Program (MPPTA) to provide technical assistance to meat and poultry grant applicants and grant-funded projects. Processors and applicants involved with the Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grant (MPIRG) program and the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP) can access this technical assistance. USDA also announced it is now accepting applications for $23.6 million in competitive grant funding available through the MPIRG program.
Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity Technical Assistance Program (MPPTA)
As part of Biden-Harris Action Plan for a Fairer, More Competitive, and More Resilient Meat and Poultry Supply Chain, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has established cooperative agreements with three non-profit organizations to coordinate and provide technical assistance utilizing a wide range of expertise and outreach strategies. These organizations will also establish a national network of support for meat and poultry grant applicants to navigate the application process, and to assist grant recipients throughout their project.
“This is a true partnership to help meat and poultry processors and grant applicants diversify processing ownership throughout the country,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Meat and poultry processing is a complex sector that requires significant planning and forethought to manage economic viability concurrently with worker, food, and environmental safety. We are pleased to partner with these initial organizations, given their deep technical expertise and demonstrated service to underserved communities, as part of our support for fairer, more competitive, and resilient meat and poultry supply chains.”
Taking the lead role, the Flower Hill Institute, a native owned nonprofit based out of the Jemez Pueblo in New Mexico, will serve as the MPPTA Technical Assistance Coordinator for this multi-year program. In close cooperation with AMS, they will connect USDA grant applicants and grant-funded project managers to the experts best suited to support a project’s needs. They are joined by Oregon State University’s Niche Meat Processors Assistance Network and the Intertribal Agricultural Council. USDA is also pursuing agreements with the American Association of Meat Processors, the American Meat Science Association, and the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute to expand assistance and provide the depth and capacity needed for meat and poultry projects nationwide. All MPPTA organizations will use both in-house resources and their connections within the industry, academia, and state and federal government to connect stakeholders to four distinct technical assistance scopes: federal grant application management; business development and financial planning; meat and poultry processing technical and operational support; and supply chain development.
To learn more about the MPPTA program, or to initiate a request for technical assistance under this program, visit the AMS webpage www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/mppta. For information on MPIRG, MPPEP, and USDA’s other Meat and Poultry Supply Chain Initiatives, visit www.usda.gov/meat.
Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grants (MPIRG)
AMS is accepting applications now through May 24, 2022 for a second round of MPIRG program funding totaling $23.6 million.
“We are building on the success of the first round of our MPIRG program to build capacity and increase economic opportunities for small and mid-sized meat and poultry processors and producers around the country,” said Secretary Vilsack. “In the MPIRG program’s first round, we provided $32 million in funding to cover the costs for necessary improvements to achieve a Federal Grant of Inspection under the Federal Meat Inspection Act or the Poultry Products Inspection Act, or to operate under a state’s Cooperative Interstate Shipment program. And the second round will help us continue to help processors grow.”
USDA encourages grant applications that focus on improving meat and poultry slaughter and processing capacity and efficiency; developing new and expanding existing markets; increasing capacity and better meeting consumer and producer demand; maintaining strong inspection and food safety standards; obtaining a larger commercial presence; and increasing access to slaughter or processing facilities for smaller farms and ranches, new and beginning farmers and ranchers, socially disadvantaged producers, and veteran producers.
Eligible meat and poultry slaughter and processing facilities must be operational and not have a Federal Grant of Inspection or comply with the Cooperative Interstate Shipment program at the time of application. These entities include commercial businesses, cooperatives, and tribal enterprises. MPIRG’s Planning for a Federal Grant of Inspection project type is for processing facilities currently in operation and are working toward Federal inspection. Applicants can be located anywhere in the states and territories. MPIRG’s Cooperative Interstate Shipment Compliance project type is only for processing facilities located in states with a Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) CIS program. These states currently include Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Montana, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Vermont and Wisconsin. Applicants must be working toward CIS program compliance requirements to operate a state-inspected facility or make a good faith effort toward doing so. Potential applicants should contact FSIS to determine the expenses necessary to obtain a Federal Grant of Inspection or comply with the CIS program.
Applications must be submitted electronically through www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 24, 2022. Any grant application submitted after the due date will not be considered unless the applicant provides documentation of an extenuating circumstance that prevented their timely submission of the grant application. Read more in AMS Late and Non-Responsive Application Policy (PDF, 246 KB).
AMS offers webinars for new applicants to help walk them through the application process while also providing helpful hints on what has made past recipients successful. Additionally, grants management specialists are standing by to answer any incoming questions and emails during regular business hours. For more information about grant eligibility and previously funded projects, visit the MPIRG webpage, or contact us at mpirg@usda.gov.
USDA is also extending to May 11, 2022, the application deadline for the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP), which provides funding to expand meat and poultry processing capacity. For additional information, applicants and other interested parties are encouraged to visit the MPPEP website: rd.usda.gov/mppep. Questions may be submitted through the website or sent to MPPEP@usda.gov.
Local permitting authorities must coordinate with Groundwater Sustainability Agencies to ensure new proposed wells do not compromise existing wells.
Permitting streamlined for groundwater recharge projects that help to refill aquifers when rains come.
Governor’s Office news release
Following the driest first three months of a year in the state’s recorded history, Governor Gavin Newsom is taking steps to drive water conservation at the local level, calling on local water suppliers to move to Level 2 of their Water Shortage Contingency Plans, which require locally-appropriate actions that will conserve water across all sectors, and directing the State Water Resources Control Board to consider a ban on the watering of decorative grass at businesses and institutions.
In an executive order signed today, the Governor ordered the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) to evaluate the adoption of regulations banning irrigation of “non-functional” turf (or grass), such as decorative grass adjacent to large industrial and commercial buildings. The ban would not include residential lawns or grass used for recreation, such as school fields, sports fields and parks. The Department of Water Resources estimates this ban alone will result in potential water savings of several hundred thousand acre-feet. An acre-foot of water serves the needs of approximately three households for a year.
“While we have made historic investments to protect our communities, economy and ecosystems from the worsening drought across the West, it is clear we need to do more,” said Governor Newsom. “Today, I am calling on local water agencies to implement more aggressive water conservation measures, including having the Water Board evaluate a ban on watering ornamental grass on commercial properties, which will drive water use savings at this critical time. Amid climate-driven extremes in weather, we must all continue to do our part and make water conservation a way of life.”
As the drought persists into a third year and conditions worsen amidst dry, hot weather, today’s order called on the SWRCB to consider requiring urban water suppliers to activate, at a minimum, Level 2 of their customized Water Shortage Contingency Plans. These plans, required by state law, are developed by local water agencies to navigate drought and each plan is customized based on an agency’s unique infrastructure and management. Triggering Level 2 of these plans involves implementing water conservation actions to prepare for a water shortage level of up to 20 percent. For example, in many communities, this would mean reducing the number of days that residents can water outdoors, among other measures.
To further conserve water and strengthen drought resiliency in this critically dry year, the Governor is encouraging suppliers, where appropriate, to consider going above and beyond the Level 2 of their water shortage contingency plans, activating more ambitious measures. The Governor has also ordered state agencies to submit funding proposals to support the state’s short- and long-term drought response, including emergency assistance to communities and households facing drought-related water shortages, facilitating groundwater recharge and wastewater recycling, improvements in water use efficiency, protecting fish and wildlife, and minimizing drought-related economic disruption.
Today’s executive order includes several other provisions that will protect all water users:
Ensuring Vulnerable Communities Have Drinking Water
Cuts red tape so communities that need access to emergency hauled or bottled water can get it immediately
Safeguarding Groundwater Supplies
Requires local permitting authorities to coordinate with Groundwater Sustainability Agencies to ensure new proposed wells do not compromise existing wells or infrastructure, as 85 percent of public water systems rely heavily on groundwater during drought
Streamlines permitting for groundwater recharge projects that help to refill aquifers when rains come
Protecting Vulnerable Fish And Wildlife
Expedites state agency approvals for necessary actions to protect fish and wildlife where drought conditions threaten their health and survival
Preventing Illegal Water Diversions
Directs the Water Board to expand site inspections in order to determine whether illegal diversions are occurring
The Governor’s California Comeback Plan invests $5.2 billion over three years to support the immediate drought response and build water resilience, including funding to secure and expand water supplies; bolster drought contingency planning and multi-benefit land repurposing projects; support drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, with a focus on small and disadvantaged communities; advance Sustainable Groundwater Management Act implementation to improve water supply security and quality; and support wildlife and habitat restoration efforts, among other nature-based solutions.
Earlier this month, Governor Newsom advanced an additional $22.5 million to bolster the state’s drought response. Of this funding, $8.25 million will be used to increase educational and outreach efforts, including through the Save Our Water campaign, which is providing Californians with water-saving tips via social media and other digital advertising. The Governor’s California Blueprint proposal includes $750 million in additional drought funding, $250 million of which was set aside as a drought reserve to be allocated in the spring, based on conditions and need.
More information on the state’s response to the drought and informational resources available to the public are available at https://drought.ca.gov/.
