CALIFORNIA - Rainy and snowy weather has been seen all across our state recently, with high levels of precipitation hitting many regions just this past weekend. As these storms continue to impact the state of California, Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order on March 10, 2023, to temporarily lift regulations and allow floodwater to be diverted to groundwater basins.

“California is seeing extreme rain and snow, so we’re making it simple to redirect water to recharge groundwater basins. This order helps us take advantage of expected intense storms and increases state support for local stormwater capture efforts,” said Newsom.

According to a press release from Western Growers, the order suspends regulations and restrictions on permitting and use to enable water agencies and water users to divert flood stage water for the purpose of boosting groundwater recharge.

In August, Newsom’s Administration released "California’s Water Supply Strategy: Adapting to a Hotter, Drier Future,” which called for investments in new sources of water supply, accelerating projects and modernizing how the state manages water through new technology.

This comprehensive plan “recognizes the urgent need to build new and improve existing infrastructure and to streamline and improve the practicality of the regulatory processes that govern them. Critically, that means new and expanded surface and groundwater storage to capture wet year flood flows that are too infrequent to be missed,” Western Growers President and Chief Executive Officer Dave Puglia said in a statement.

The executive order can be read in its entirety here.

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Western Growers