Four bills authored by State Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Bakersfield) have cleared the California Senate, advancing to the State Assembly as part of what she calls her “Common Sense Plan” to address affordability, infrastructure, and corporate accountability in the Central Valley. … The advancing legislation includes Senate Bill 224, the Preventing Artificial Water Shortages Act, which would require the Department of Water Resources to adopt better forecasting tools to avoid unnecessary water releases. Hurtado said the bill is aimed at avoiding the kind of mismanagement that led to skyrocketing water prices in some communities. … Senate Bill 556, the Flood Protection and Groundwater Recharge Act, would direct funding toward floodplain restoration projects in flood-prone areas such as McFarland. The measure is intended to reduce flood risks while helping to replenish groundwater supplies in Kern, Kings and Tulare counties.

Other California water and environmental legislation news:

• E&E News by Politico: Calif. lawmaker weakens Trump-proofing bill on ‘fraudulent’ dam releases​
• E&E News by Politico: California’s effort to Trump-proof water protections narrowly passes Senate​
• GV Wire (Fresno, Calif.): New Calif. bill would streamline solar conversion for dry farmland
• San Mateo Daily Journal (Calif.): Opinion: Why reforming California’s bedrock environmental law is good for the environment