The California Water Plan is the state’s long-range strategic roadmap for managing water resources. Updated every five years, it helps guide decisions by state, regional, and local water managers. Development is now underway for California Water Plan (CWP) 2028, the first under a new planning approach established by Senate Bill 72 (Chapter 210, Statutes of 2025). Initial public engagement efforts and early technical work are laying the foundation for a more actionable CWP that will help guide water decisions for years to come. During the first meetings of the CWP Advisory Committee, Tribal Advisory Committee, State Agency Team, and Technical Working Group, participants shared their insights and concerns. DWR will use this information to develop the most significant modernization of the CWP in decades.