LOS BANOS — State water officials on Friday outlined the first major steps in carrying out Senate Bill 72, the landmark water‑planning law that for the first time requires California to set measurable statewide water‑supply targets and modernize how the state prepares for droughts, floods and climate‑driven extremes.
Speaking at San Luis Reservoir, Senator Anna Caballero — who authored SB 72 — joined leaders from the Department of Water Resources and the California Water Commission to highlight how the law is now being put into practice through the launch of the California Water Plan 2028. The plan marks the start of a multi‑year effort to overhaul the state’s water‑management framework and close widening supply gaps.
SB 72, signed into law last year, directs the state to set an interim target of 9 million acre‑feet of additional water supply by 2040. That figure represents the amount of water California is projected to lose as shrinking snowpack and more volatile weather patterns reduce natural storage. The target is roughly equivalent to two Shasta Reservoirs or enough water for 18 million homes.
Under the law, the Department of Water Resources must improve statewide water‑use and water‑supply data, establish measurable benchmarks, and align state, regional and local planning efforts. Officials said the new framework is designed to bring more transparency and coordination to a system that has long relied on fragmented planning across hundreds of agencies.
“California’s hydrology is changing,” DWR Director Karla Nemeth said at the event. “Extreme wet swings to intensely dry conditions are happening within the same season. The work of crafting the next California Water Plan will help us plan smarter for the way climate change is testing our water systems.”
The implementation effort begins with the formation of a statewide advisory committee that will help shape both the 2028 and 2033 Water Plan updates. The committee will include representatives from urban and agricultural water suppliers, tribes, labor, environmental justice groups, local governments and business interests. Its first meeting is scheduled for April and will be open to the public.
The California Water Commission will also play a formal advisory role, receiving regular briefings and providing input on engagement strategies, data improvements and major milestones.
Work on the 2028 plan will focus on three areas: collecting more accurate statewide and watershed‑level data; developing localized long‑term supply targets; and identifying adaptation strategies — including conservation, groundwater recharge, storage projects and nature‑based solutions — to close supply‑demand gaps.
Officials emphasized that the plan is intended to be action‑oriented, with clear metrics to track progress. A new website, CaliforniaWaterPlan.com, will serve as a public hub for meeting materials, timelines and opportunities for participation.
Caballero said SB 72 was crafted to ensure California plans “with discipline and urgency” as climate change intensifies pressure on the state’s water system.
“California’s water system is under real strain from longer droughts, stronger storms and growing demand,” she said. “For the first time, we are setting a clear statewide target and establishing measurable benchmarks that hold us accountable.”
Friday’s event at San Luis Reservoir — a major hub of the state and federal water projects — underscored the stakes of the effort. Officials said the new planning framework is intended to protect water supplies for households, farms, businesses and the environment as the state faces increasingly unpredictable conditions.
