Updates 2005 - 2013
California Water Plan Update 2005 (Update 2005) marked a change in how the State prepared the California Water Plan (CWP). For the first time, the document included a strategic plan prepared in a collaborative process that brought together DWR with an advisory committee representing urban, agricultural, and environmental interests. Update 2005 was the first CWP to explicitly include a strategic plan with a vision, a mission, goals, recommendations, and an implementation plan. Update 2009 updated and expanded these strategic plan elements. Update 2013 further updated the strategic plan.
As a whole, Update 2013 builds on and advances the evolution in planning that began with the Update 2005 process. The major enhancements for Update 2013 compared with Update 2009 are the emphasis on the three overarching themes of IWM, government agency alignment, and investment in innovation and infrastructure.
The three updates are described in detail below.
NOTE: To receive the documents not available (linked) on this page, you can contact us at cwpcom@water.ca.gov.
Update 2013
Update 2013, released on October 2014, is designed to work in tandem, and help implement, the Governor’s Water Action Plan (PDF). At more than 3,500 pages, Update 2013 covers a variety of information, from detailed descriptions of current and potential regional and statewide water conditions, to a “Roadmap for Action” intended to achieve desired benefits and outcomes.
Update 2013 recognizes and reflects 5 things every Californian should know:
- Water is the essence of life for California.
- California’s complex water system is in crisis.
- A diverse portfolio approach is required.
- Solutions require integration, alignment, and investment.
- We all have a role to play in securing our future.
The plan is organized in 5 volumes plus a Highlights booklet. Volume 4 and 5 can be found on the Reference Materials and Technical Documentation pages. An errata sheet is available with corrections made since Update 2013 was published.
California's Groundwater Update 2013: A Compilation of Enhanced Content for California Water Plan Update 2013 compiles and analyzes readily-available groundwater information to characterize California’s groundwater basins, aquifers, and well infrastructure. The Update expands and enhances baseline groundwater information on a regional scale, identifies challenges associated with sustainable groundwater management and helps guide implementation of diverse resource management strategies. Statewide and regional findings, data gaps and recommendations to improve groundwater management also are included.
The report is organized into a statewide report with findings and recommendations and regional reports. Technical appendices A-F are available on our document archive page.
Update 2009
Update 2009 follows the Update 2005 roadmap of strategies for sustainable water use but with an increased sense of urgency. Update 2009 reinforces the need to follow the principles of integrated water management – statewide and regionally – and to use water efficiently, improve water quality and reliability, and integrate environmental stewardship into every aspect of how we manage our water.
The plan is organized in 5 volumes plus a Highlights booklet.
Update 2005
California Water Plan Update 2005 is a roadmap for meeting the state’s water demands today and into the future. It identifies pressing issues and includes a strategic plan with goals, policy recommendations, and actions to ensure sustainable water uses and reliable water supplies in the face of uncertainty and change. The plan also outlines an array of management strategies and collaborative approaches to increase supply, use water efficiently, protect water quality, and restore the environment.
The plan is organized in five volumes plus a Highlights booklet.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or comments, please contact us.