Supply and Demand Assessment (SDA) Information
Overview
From 2020 to 2023, in response to drought conditions, the State Water Board adopted emergency regulations and developed tools and information to further understand water availability in key watersheds. The Water Board's drought effort highlighted the need for specialized tools that can be used to evaluate water supply and demand and support broader water management. The Division of Water Rights, Supply and Demand Assessment Unit (SDA) was established in 2022 to develop water supply models and refine water demand data for select watersheds throughout California. The SDA Unit will focus on the following objectives:
- Development of water supply (or hydrologic) models that assess surface water availability in select watersheds.
- Refinement of water use data, including evaluation of the annual water use data reporting submitted by water right holders each year, that will be used to assess water demand in different water years.
- Advancement of water allocation tools used to evaluate how various water use scenarios impact water supply in a given watershed.
All tools developed under this effort will be open-source and publicly available to support both local and Board efforts. This information can be used by interested parties to inform water management options and local solutions within a watershed. This work will provide the Board with additional resources to protect water availability in accordance with water right priority and public trust resources.
Announcements
June 6, 2024 – Public Meeting Recording Available & Public Comment Period
Division of Water Rights staff held a series of Public Meetings to introduce the Supply and Demand Assessment Program and to discuss the selection of watersheds for water supply and demand modeling. The presentation slides and a recording of the meeting are now available. Staff will be accepting written comments until 12:00 pm on June 17, 2024. Please see the Outreach and Engagement Section below for further details.
Outreach and Engagement
Public Meetings on the Selection of Additional Watersheds for Water Supply and Demand Modeling
Staff will hold three public meetings in mid-2024 to discuss the selection of watersheds for water supply and demand modeling efforts. Three pilot watersheds were selected (Butte Creek, Napa River, Navarro River), with plans to expand the modeling effort to include additional watersheds of interest. This modeling effort will also focus on the development of water allocation tools, similar to those used by the State Water Board in the Russian River watershed during the recent drought. Staff continue to maintain the water availability tools developed for the Russian River and will provide information on how this effort may contribute to the development of other water allocation tools.
Meeting Locations
- North Coast Public Meeting
Tuesday, May 14, 2024, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Council Chambers (2nd Floor) at the Eureka City Hall, 531 K Street, Eureka, CA 95501 - Central Coast Public Meeting
Tuesday, May 21, 2024, from 1:00 to 3:00 pm
Monterey Room (2nd Floor) at the County of Monterey Government Center Building, 168 West Alisal Street, Salinas, CA 93901 - Sacramento + Virtual Public Meeting
Monday, June 3, 2024, from 1:00 to 3:00 pm
Sierra Hearing Room (2nd Floor) at the Joe Serna Jr. CalEPA Building, 1001 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
This meeting will also have a virtual option available via the CalEPA Public Meeting Webcast webpage (https://video.calepa.ca.gov/).
Meeting Details
- Notice of Public Meeting
- Meeting Recording
- Public Meeting Presentation Slides
- SDA Fact Sheet on Water Supply and Demand Assessments
Opportunity for Public Input
Staff will be accepting written comments on the selection of watersheds until 12:00 pm on Monday, June 17, 2024. Please email comments to: DWR-SDA@waterboards.ca.gov
Additional Resources
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Contact Us
If you have questions or please email them to: DWR-SDA@waterboards.ca.gov