California Water Plan Update 2023

Image showing an aerial view of the confluence of the Sacramento and Feather rivers, northwest of Sacramento, California. Vast agricultural lands extend from the confluence to distant mountains.

The planning process for Update 2023 includes robust communities of interest engagement to develop a trusted body of knowledge, increase alignment and efficiency among State agencies, build support for its recommendations, and inform implementation and investments.

The California Water Plan (CWP), updated every five years, is the State’s strategic plan for sustainably and equitably managing and developing water resources for current and future generations. Update 2023 promotes climate resilience across regions and water sectors with a statewide vision, clear goals, watershed planning framework and toolkit, and progress-tracking dashboard of indicators. It also includes updated resource management strategies, regional planning and performance tracking tools, water balances, future scenarios, and other technical and policy-related activities related to water resilience and sustainability.

California Water Plan Update 2023 Public Review Draft

Draft cover of the California Water Plan Update 2023. DWR released the Public Review Draft of California Water Plan Update 2023 on September 20, 2023, beginning a 30-day comment period. Comments received by October 19, 2023, on public review draft will inform the final plan. The draft includes a Reviewer's Guide with helpful information and ways to comment. 

To assist the Water Plan Team with processing your comments, we encourage using an online comment submission form, which is organized by the sections of Update 2023: General/Overall, Executive Summary, Chapters 1 - 8, and References.

Comments may also be submitted via email at cwpcom@water.ca.gov or via postal mail at: Attn: Francisco Guzman; California Water Plan Update 2023; California Department of Water Resources; 715 P Street, 6th Floor; Sacramento CA, 95814.

DWR held the Water Plan Plenary Meeting on October 3-4, 2023, to provide an overview of the plan and to allow participants to provide comments. The Plenary Meeting is free of charge for in-person and virtual participation. Thank you to all who joined us.

If you have any questions, you can contact the Water Plan Team

Versión en español

El resumen ejecutivo del borrador de revisión pública de la Actualización del plan hidrológico de California de 2023 (Actualización de 2023) está disponible en español. Los comentarios recibidos hasta del 19 de octubre de 2023 sobre el borrador de revisión pública se publicarán en el sitio web del Plan hidrológico y informarán el plan final. El plan final se traducirá en su totalidad. Una guía del revisor esta disponible con información de como puede mandar sus comentarios. 

Para ayudar al equipo del Plan hidrológico a procesar sus comentarios, le recomendamos que utilice el formulario electronico de presentación de comentarios, que está organizado por secciones de la Actualización de 2023: general, resumen ejecutivo, capítulos 1 a 8 y referencias.

También puede enviar sus comentarios por correo electrónico a cwpcom@water.ca.gov o por correo postal: Attn: Francisco Guzman; California Water Plan Update 2023; California Department of Water Resources; 715 P Street, 6th Floor; Sacramento CA, 95814.

Si tiene alguna pregunta sobre el uso de este formulario de presentación de comentarios, póngase en contacto con nosotros a cwpcom@water.ca.gov.

Intended Outcomes of Update 2023

Update 2023:

  • Promotes Climate Change Adaptation
  • Supports California's Regions
  • Strengthens Water Equity

Update 2023 provides a venue for aligning State agencies tasked with implementing California's Water Resilience Portfolio (WRP). A cornerstone of Update 2023, the WRP, is the Administration’s roadmap for California water management considering climate change, more extreme droughts and floods, rising temperatures, declining fish populations, groundwater overdraft, and other challenges. Update 2023 advances a statewide vision, watershed resilience planning framework with strategies and toolkit, and indicators and metrics to track progress, sustainability, and resilience.

Update 2023 has been informed by a diverse group of communities of interest and place. Engagement venues have included:

  • Core State Agency Team
  • Policy Advisory Committee
  • Tribal Advisory Committee
  • Public Meetings
  • Topic and/or place-based workshops

Key Elements Shaping the Process & Context of Update 2023

Diagram showing the key elements in shaping the development of Update 2023. These are the State Water Code, the Water Resilience Portfolio, stakeholders, and the Governor's climate action plan.

Additional information about Update 2023 can be found in the Update 2023 Brochure

Upcoming Meetings and Events

Contact Us

If you have any questions or comments regarding Update 2023, you can contact us at cwpcom@water.ca.gov.

Subscribe to Water Plan eNews to receive news and updates on upcoming meetings. To subscribe to California Water Plan eNews, visit the DWR email subscription page and select the “California Water Plan eNews” option.