Report 2022-106 Recommendation 3 Responses

Report 2022-106: Department of Water Resources: Its Forecasts Do Not Adequately Account for Climate Change and Its Reasons for Some Reservoir Releases Are Unclear (Release Date: May 2023)

Recommendation #3 To: Water Resources, Department of

To better prepare to effectively manage State Water Project operations during future, possibly more extreme drought periods, DWR should, by May 2024, develop a long-term plan for proactively mitigating and responding to the impacts of drought on the project. In accordance with drought preparation best practices, DWR should include the following components in the plan:

1. An assessment of the potential impacts of drought on the State Water Project that accounts for the possibility that climate change may result in more severe droughts.

2. An assessment of DWR's current capability to address those potential impacts, as well as the identification of any steps that DWR must take to gain needed capabilities.

3. Specific strategies for operating the State Water Project to mitigate and respond to the identified impacts of drought while still achieving the project's objectives.

4. A description of the circumstances that would trigger DWR to begin implementing its drought response strategies.

5. Provisions requiring DWR to update the drought plan at least once every five years and also after each drought to incorporate lessons learned.

6-Month Agency Response

DWR continues to compile existing and new drought information into a comprehensive long-term document for the SWP.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

60-Day Agency Response

The Department of Water Resources is compiling existing and new drought information into a comprehensive long-term document for the State Water Project.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2022-106

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.