|
Workshop: Draft Guidance on Designating Tribal Beneficial Uses
On Wednesday, July 22, the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) will hold a public workshop on the Draft Guidance on Designating Tribal Beneficial Uses. The guide is intended to support consistent and meaningful implementation of Tribal Beneficial Uses (TBUs) across the state. The workshop will also include presentations from California Native American Tribes and Regional Water Boards highlighting progress made to date in designating TBUs. Oral comments on the guide will be accepted at the workshop. Written comments will also be accepted and must be received by noon on Monday, August 31. For more details about the Draft Guidance on Designating Tribal Beneficial Uses, attending the workshop in person or online, and how to submit written comments, see the State Water Board’s public notice about this workshop.
|
WSN workshop recording now avaialble online
Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program workshop, July 23
On Thursday, July 23, Watershed Solutions Network will host a virtual workshop to discuss the challenges and opportunities of the Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program. The program, funded by the California Department of Conservation, is a State initiative that supports the voluntary transition of irrigated agricultural land to alternative uses that reduce reliance on overdrafted groundwater while delivering lasting benefits for farmers, communities, and ecosystems. Registration is required and closes on July 22. This two-hour virtual workshop starts at noon.
Report recommends “all-options” approach for fighting wildfires
Among the lessons learned from the catastrophic January 2025 Los Angeles County wildfires is that area water systems were not built to support large-scale wildfire suppression. In January 2026, a UCLA-led team of specialists convened 54 experts to examine how water systems can adapt to increasing fire risks and how those changes should be financed. The collaboration produced Water Supply Systems, Fire, and Finance, a report that highlights how funding restrictions, including Proposition 218, and inconsistent coordination between water agencies and fire departments create major obstacles. The experts recommended an “all-options” approach focused on stronger interagency collaboration, innovative financing, and resilience investments while maintaining that water systems should play only a limited role in wildfire response. To read more, see the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation article Water, fire, and finance: building more resilient systems.
|
Task Force encourages public comments on new action plan
|
|
|
|
