Bill > SB231

This bill requires the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to take several actions to improve water supply forecasting and drought response in California. Specifically, the bill requires DWR to: 1) Establish a formal process for annually evaluating and improving the accuracy of its water supply forecasts, adopt a new forecasting model that better accounts for climate change, implement a policy for documenting its operational plans and rationale for water management decisions, and develop a comprehensive, long-term plan for mitigating and responding to drought, all by December 31, 2025. 2) Prepare and submit to the Legislature a report on its progress towards these requirements by December 1, 2024. 3) Review and update the drought mitigation and response plan annually starting in 2026, and present information on its water supply operations and drought planning at an annual public meeting. 4) Inventory its existing drought plans and submit a report to the Legislature by December 31, 2025 with a recommendation on whether a new comprehensive, long-term drought plan is needed. Overall, the bill aims to improve the DWR's water supply forecasting and drought planning to better address the impacts of climate change on California's water resources.