DWR held its second Advisory Committee meeting for the California Water Plan 2028 in Los Angeles over two half-days last week. Both meetings were open to the public (as all Advisory Committee meetings are), and both were recorded and are available online: Day 1 and Day 2. Meeting materials and the meeting agenda are also available online. Visit the California Water Plan 2028 website to learn more. You can also sign up to receive updates about the California Water Plan 2028.

The deadline to participate in the Flood-MAR Network 2026 Engagement Survey has been extended to Thursday, Sept.10. As California enters a new era of water planning, it is important to ensure that the Flood-MAR Network continues to evolve alongside the needs, interests, and priorities of its members. If you haven’t yet responded, please take a few minutes to complete the Flood-MAR Network 2026 Engagement Survey. Share what you’re working on, how you’d like to engage, and what resources, connections, or opportunities would be most valuable to you.

Momentum is growing across local agencies, consultants, and State partners to design a “one-stop” reporting framework that eliminates redundant reporting and creates a coordinated data network where information collected once can serve many purposes. This need will be addressed in a webinar hosted by the California Water Efficiency Partnership, California Data Collaborative, and California Water Data Consortium. “From Burden to Breakthrough: Launching California’s Water Data Reporting Initiative” will take place on Thursday, Sept. 3, from 10 to 11 a.m. Can’t attend? No problem. This webinar will be recorded. Register for this event and receive access to view the webinar on demand.

The University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center will host a webinar on Tuesday, Sept. 8, from noon to 1:15 p.m. “Innovations in Sustainable Data Centers in Arid Environments” will discuss energy and water concerns raised related to the use of artificial intelligences (AI) and the gains being made chip architecture, advanced packaging, optics, and AI methods that reduce energy use and heat and conserve water. The presentation explores cooling advantages in arid regions and the University of Arizona’s interdisciplinary contributions. Registration for this event is open now.

The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) seeks to prevent groundwater overdraft and six environmental “undesirable results.” A new report, Managing Groundwater with Small Farms in Mind, released by the Community Alliance with Family Farmers and the University of California Small Farms Network, proposes adding widespread small-farm loss as a seventh concern. Small farms that use little groundwater may contribute minimally to overdraft but face disproportionate financial and regulatory burdens. The report recommends equitable fees, better water-use monitoring, technical assistance, inclusive governance, and safeguards for groundwater markets and recharge programs. It also proposes targeted funding and an Equitable Transition Initiative to support lower-water-use agriculture, protect farming livelihoods, and ensure groundwater sustainability efforts do not disproportionately burden small farmers. To read more about the report, see the feature article on Maven’s Notebook.

Last May, the California Water Data Consortium hosted a virtual town hall meeting on leveraging water data infrastructure to maximize the benefits of Proposition 4. More than 150 leaders from State agencies, local water agencies, nonprofits, research institutions, and communities participated. The conversation made at least one thing overwhelmingly clear: proactive investment in water data infrastructure is critical for climate resilience success in California. A recent California Water Data Consortium blog dives into what was shared and learned from the town hall, and what comes next.