Dear Western Water readers:

Most anywhere else in the West, basic water rights information such as who is using how much water, for what purpose, when, and where can be pulled up on a laptop or smartphone. But in California, this requires a trip to a downtown Sacramento storage room packed with millions of paper and microfilmed records dating to the mid-1800s.

Come next year, however, California expects to have a modernized system that makes water rights records – and water use –  easily accessible online. 

Proponents say the information technology upgrade will help the state and water users better manage droughts, establish robust water trading markets and ensure water for fish and the environment. Read the full story from our journalism team here. 

Water Around the West

Five don’t-miss articles from California and across the West:

The planet experienced an astonishing change last year. But California was an outlier: Jack Lee of the San Francisco Chronicle explains why California experienced below average temperatures in 2023, despite it being the Earth’s hottest recorded year. 

Planning and coordination kept Porterville dry during floods but the rest of the San Joaquin Valley remain fragmented: Planning, coordination and experience from past winters kept the small town of Porterville dry while some of its neighbors flooded during last year’s storms, reports Jesse Vad for SJV Water.    

A last best hope for Coho in the Russian River: More than $8 million in new federal funding is boosting efforts to restore coho salmon habitat in the Russian River watershed, writes Bay Nature’s Alastair Bland.   

States, Congress wrestle with cybersecurity after Iran hacks small-town water utilities: A recent hack that shut down a small Pennsylvania water utility is serving as a reminder of how important strong cybersecurity plans are for urban and agricultural water suppliers across the U.S., Marc Levy reports for the The Associated Press. 

Soil sensors, drip reduce water use in desert lettuce: Ag Alert’s Vicky Boyd details a three-year study that is helping farmers in the Imperial and Coachella valleys significantly limit their water and nitrogen use. 

Water Word of the Day

Individuals, businesses and government agencies don’t own California’s waters but many do hold rights or permits that allow them to use the precious natural resource. To manage these claims, California uses a complex system that regulates surface water and groundwater rights. Check out our Aquapedia entry on Water Rights in California to learn the basics of the important system that guides how water is used in the nation’s most populous state.  

At the Foundation

Book a seat for our popular Water 101 Workshop! Come hear from some of California’s leading policy and legal experts on a variety of hot water topics facing the state. 

The workshop, hosted at McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, will be beneficial to water district directors, water resource industry staff, engineering and environmental firm personnel, city council members, county supervisors, legislators, legislative staff, press, advocates, attorneys, environmentalists, public interest organizations and others.

Water Academy

California water law is exceptionally rich in history and reflects more than 175 years of conflict, compromise and court rulings. Our Layperson’s Guide to Water Rights Law explains the early development of the system and charts its evolution.