The Southern California Water Coalition (SCWC) Board of Directors met July 31, 2026, for its regular quarterly meeting with two major items on the agenda: to sharpen its strategy for securing California’s water future ahead of the November elections and to work with the state on the development of California Water Plan 2028.
A Call for Urgency
SCWC Executive Director Charley Wilson presented a plan to develop a “Water Urgency Declaration.” This document will create a clear, unified roadmap for engaging incoming policymakers on the investments, actions and process/regulatory reform needed to strengthen California’s water system. The declaration will highlight the growing challenges from climate change, aging infrastructure, and increasing regulatory complexity. At the Board meeting, facilitator Dan Speicher introduced the framework that will be used to put the declaration together at an invitation-only roundtable to be held in October.
Shaping the California Water Plan 2028
The meeting’s featured presentation came from Joel Metzger, deputy director of statewide water resources planning for the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), and Henry DeBey, manager of DWR’s Planning Division.
They outlined the California Water Plan 2028, a major effort to transform the state’s water plan from a policy document into an action-oriented roadmap.
A key component is California’s first statewide water supply planning target: identifying 9 million acre-feet of additional water supply, conservation or storage capacity by 2040. DWR estimates the state could lose between 6 million and 9 million acre-feet of water supply by that time because of climate and other pressures.
In addition to new projects, the plan will also identify needed regulatory reforms and clarify the state’s role in financing water infrastructure.
Officials emphasized that the 9 million acre-foot goal is a planning target, not a mandate tied to any single project. The plan will evaluate a range of strategies, including infrastructure, groundwater management, flood management, ecosystem restoration, water operations, Tribal engagement and policy development.
Get Involved
DWR is holding a public advisory committee meeting for the Water Plan in Southern California. SCWC encourages water professionals and local leaders to attend.
- When: Tuesday, Aug. 25, 1-5 p.m. (livestream link: https://www.youtube.com/live/PkdLeDmoZp4) and Wednesday, Aug. 26, 8:30 a.m. – noon. (livestream link: https://www.youtube.com/live/zeRNibjdpdE)
- Where: Los Angeles County Public Works, 900 S. Fremont Ave., Alhambra.
- Watch: The meeting will be streamed live on YouTube.
The SCWC board stressed that engagement now is critical to ensuring water remains a top priority for the state’s next generation of leaders.