California water issues are notoriously complex: an alphabet soup of agencies manage California water, and the acronym-heavy insider-speak can be impenetrable—even for an experienced water expert. Moreover, California does not manage its water alone: federal agencies are responsible for many water-related activities and services across the state. In the past year the federal government has been downsizing—creating uncertainty across all aspects of California’s water management, including mitigating the impacts of natural disasters like wildfires and floods. Managing California’s water in a time of changing responsibilities, economic pressures, and climate volatility won’t be easy. Clarity around basic issues will help.

Other water management news around the West:

• The Union (Grass Valley, Calif.): SYRCL calls on candidates for California governor to commit to a clean water future
• Colorado State University: News release: Colorado Water Center advances national training efforts to improve water sustainability
• USGS: Blog: New nationwide tool helps answer: do we have enough water?