Rooney Named to DWR Task Force
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) selected Ag Council President Emily Rooney to serve on The Drought Resiliency Interagency & Partners (DRIP) Collaborative, which is a newly formed 26-member task force to proactively plan for future drought events, such as mitigation, emergencies, and response.
With swings between severe weather patterns becoming more intense, the DWR-led task force comprises 18 members from the private sector with Rooney participating as an agricultural representative.
“I am thankful DWR made room for agriculture on this important committee. We are often the first to experience pressure from extreme weather events – whether it be the ruthless flooding many are facing right now or devastating drought. I am pleased we have this opportunity to be proactive and plan for future events, as opposed to continually reacting to disasters. I look forward to getting to work.”
State agency representatives will also serve on DRIP, including the California Natural Resources Agency, State Water Resources Control Board, California Department of Food and Agriculture and Department of Fish and Wildlife, as well as officials from other areas within state government.
The first meeting of the DRIP Collaborative will be held on April 6, 2023. For more information including a list of committee members, click here.
Newsom Issues Executive Order Easing Drought Restrictions
On March 24, Governor Gavin Newsom announced he is removing certain drought emergency provisions that are not necessary given existing water conditions. He is keeping in place other measures supportive of communities enduring water supply challenges and those measures needed for long-term resilience.
Governor Newsom said, “The weather whiplash we’ve experienced in the past few months makes it crystal clear that Californians and our water system have to adapt to increasingly extreme swings between drought and flood. As we welcome this relief from the drought, we must remain focused on continuing our all-of-the-above approach to future-proofing California’s water supply.”
The changes are responsive to current conditions while preserving smart water measures. Specifically, the governor’s executive order:
* Ends the voluntary 15 percent water conservation target, while continuing to encourage that Californians make conservation a way of life;
* Ends the requirement that local water agencies implement level 2 of their drought contingency plans;
* Maintains the ban on wasteful water uses, such as watering ornamental grass on commercial properties;
* Preserves all current emergency orders focused on groundwater supply, where the effects of the multi-year drought continue to be devastating;
* Maintains orders focused on specific watersheds that have not benefited as much from recent rains, including the Klamath River and Colorado River basins, which both remain in drought;
* Retains a state of emergency for all 58 counties to allow for drought response and recovery efforts to continue.