Assembly OKs landmark bill to include climate change in water plans

Wolk legislation builds climate change into state and local water plans

SACRAMENTO–The State Assembly voted 44-25 today to approve landmark legislation by Assemblywoman Lois Wolk (D-Davis) to integrate the anticipated effects of climate change into all local and state water plans, including the California Water Plan and State Plan of Flood Control. 

“ California faces serious risks to its water supply resulting from climate change, including more frequent dry years, more persistent droughts, and reduced water storage in the state’s reservoirs,” said Wolk. “My legislation will help California begin to address those risks by taking the very first step toward incorporating climate change information into California ’s existing water planning efforts.”

Assembly Bill 224 takes a threefold approach to integrating climate change into planning efforts:

• Under the bill, the California Department of Water Resources is required to identify existing peer-reviewed climate change information and develop its own information to help local water suppliers identify potential impacts to water supply. 

• The bill requires the State Water Resources Control Board to quantify the energy savings and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from water recycling and conservation. The board will also be required to start incorporating climate change information into its water quality planning.

• Local water suppliers are required under the bill to consider the information identified by DWR in preparing urban water management plans, agricultural water management plans, and integrated regional water management plans.

“The National Academy of Science predicts a 29 percent reduction in the Sierra snow pack, California 's biggest water reservoir, by the end of the century,” said Wolk. “The connection between climate change and our state’s water resources is very real, and must be taken into account in our future water plans if we are to adapt to our changing environment.”