County Drought Resilience Planning Assistance Program
Senate Bill (SB) 552 requires all counties to improve drought and water shortage preparedness for state small water systems and domestic wells within their jurisdiction by establishing a standing Drought and Water Shortage Task Force (Task Force) and developing a County Drought Resilience Plan (County DRP).
To support counties in complying with SB 552, the DWR County Drought Resilience Planning Assistance Program was established. This program provides financial and direct technical assistance and serves as a hub for essential resources for counties. This includes updates on county activities, the California County Café webinar series, financial and direct technical assistance, and links to tools like the Water Shortage Vulnerability Explorer and the County Drought Resilience Planning Guidebook.
Explore below for details on what kind of assistance counties are receiving and additional resources to jumpstart drought resilience planning for domestic wells and state small systems.
This interactive dashboard contains self-reported data gathered through direct communication with counties. It shows the type of assistance each county has requested or is considering and the start date of the assistance. Note that it does not indicate compliance with SB 552, nor provide any kind of endorsement of the planning products referenced. Click on a county to learn more about the type of assistance DWR is providing. To view the dashboard in full-screen mode, select the expand icon in the lower right corner.
If you are county staff and would like to update your county’s information shown in the tool, please complete this form and email it to Zoe Kanavas at CountyDRP@water.ca.gov.
DWR, in partnership with California State Association of Counties (CSAC), is convening a series of virtual roundtable-style gatherings for county staff who are responsible for the planning and implementation of SB 552 of 2021 (Hertzberg). More details can be found in this one page summary. Each month features either a gathering focused on an element of the County Drought Resilience Plans or open office hours to discuss questions about SB 552 implementation. To learn more about what topics were covered in the first year of this series, view this recap document.
Upcoming Events
May 28, 2025: System Consolidation
Register for the next gathering here.
Past Gatherings
April 16, 2025: Office Hours
March 19, 2025: Water Shortage Thresholds in Contingency Plans
February 19, 2025: Office Hours
Meeting Presentation
January 29, 2025: Technical Assistance Providers.
December 18, 2024: Office Hours
November 13, 2024: Short-term Response Actions
October 30, 2024: Office Hours
Meeting Presentation & Shared Resources
September 25, 2024: Consolidation Considerations
August 28, 2024: Office Hours
No meeting materials to share.
July 24, 2024: Drought and Water Shortage Risk Assessment
May 30, 2024: Task Force Formation and Operations
If you have any questions or suggestions for the gathering, please reach out to Zoe Kanavas via email at Zoe.Kanavas@water.ca.gov
To assist counties in complying with SB 552 requirements, starting in 2023, DWR offered each county a non-competitive, one-time planning grant up to $125,000 to reimburse eligible planning expenses. An overview of the grant program, including details on individual county projects, is available on the California Grants Portal. Some counties chose to receive direct technical assistance, facilitated by DWR, in lieu of the grant. Refer to the dashboard above for which counties are receiving assistance.
For more information, contact CountyDRP@water.ca.gov.
Tools & Resources
DWR has resources and tools available for counties to meet SB 552 requirements.
Water Shortage Vulnerability Explorer: The Water Shortage Vulnerability Explorer is an online mapping tool with relevant data and indicators relevant to conducting a county drought risk assessment for state small water systems and domestic wells, as required to be part of the County DRP. Data is also available for download.
County Drought Resilience Planning Guidebook: The County DRP Guidebook (Guidebook) helps counties develop their respective County DRP to meet the requirements of SB 552 and water resilience improvement for their residents. This Guidebook includes guidance and suggestions for counties to prepare the plan by leveraging statewide data and tools compiled by State agencies for their water shortage risk assessment including a range of short-term responses, long-term mitigation strategies and actions, and other supporting capacity building that counties can consider and adapt.
Want to Receive News and Events?
To receive email notifications about SB 552-related events and other news, sign up online or scan the QR code below.
For More Information
- Drought Planning for Small Water Suppliers and Rural Communities (SB 552)
- Primer (Summary) SB 552
- SB 552
- SGMA - SB 552 Fact Sheet
- Assistance Program Flyer: County Drought Resilience Planning
Related Pages
Contact Us
For questions, email CountyDRP@water.ca.gov or call Julie Ekstrom at 916-612-4371.