DWR director outlines adaptive management, floodplain restoration and 9‑million‑acre‑foot target in water plan briefing
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Summary
Department of Water Resources Director Carla Namath told the board that reservoirs are above average while snowpack lags, urged use of adaptive management to capture pulses of water and described the 'Healthy Rivers and Landscapes' approach alongside watershed studies and forecast‑informed recharge.
Carla Namath, director of the Department of Water Resources, told the California Department of Food and Agriculture board that the state is in an unusually variable water year and that agencies must use new approaches to capture and store stormwater. She said reservoirs across the state are “about 120% of capacity for this date,” while statewide snowpack remains roughly “66% of our average,” a mismatch that requires different capture and storage strategies.
Namath emphasized adaptive operations that respond to short, intense pulses of water and highlighted the Yolo Bypass 'big notch' pilot as an example of habitat activation that also advances water supply objectives. “This kind of habitat at scale may really benefit” salmon life stages, she said, noting early winter observations of fish using floodplain habitat.
The director outlined a broader package of tools in the California Water Plan that includes forecast‑informed managed aquifer recharge (floodMAR), watershed studies to identify recharge opportunities, and a public advisory process tied to SB 72’s interim target of an additional 9 million acre‑feet of supply by 2040. Namath said the plan will use regional targets and local advisory caucuses to tailor goals by hydrologic region, with a public advisory committee expected to begin meeting in late April.
Namath also described ongoing permitting and regulatory coordination, including interplay among state endangered‑species permits, the federal reconsultation process, and the State Water Resources Control Board’s water quality control plan. She said DWR is advancing targeted pilots and working with local partners to develop proof‑point projects that could be scaled with funding such as Proposition 4.
Board members sought clarification on how the 9‑million‑acre‑foot target will translate to regional allocations, implementation timelines for watershed studies and Prop 4 guidance, and how GSA projects that have pending permits should proceed in light of the evolving statewide guidance. Namath and DWR staff said they would follow up with local leaders and that pilot projects will help bridge state guidance and local implementation.
The briefing framed the water plan as a mix of technology, adaptive operations and partnerships across state and local actors. Namath said success will depend in part on improved forecasting, clearer data sharing and building the governance structures to let local districts act on the new information.