Nearly 25 years after California established the framework for regional water management, the state is taking the next step — planning for climate resilience at the watershed scale.
California’s Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Planning Act set the stage for agencies to increase regional self-reliance, improve water quality and supply reliability, and enhance ecosystems across political and jurisdictional boundaries. The state’s Watershed Resilience Program builds on that foundation, with a greater emphasis on developing watershed networks, understanding climate risks and identifying adaptation strategies at the watershed scale. To help shape the program and guide future investments, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) launched five pilot studies in the American, Calaveras, Pajaro, Russian, and Ventura river watersheds.
Building on our experience supporting 28 IRWM regions, Woodard & Curran partnered with Stockton East Water District to develop the Calaveras River Watershed Plan. Our experts led the technical development of the plan and stakeholder engagement, delivering a technically defensible, community-informed plan that unites regional climate science and local hydrologic modeling. Our efforts, along with the four other pilot studies, are summarized in DWR’s Watershed Resilience Pilot Program Report.
Funding a Watershed-based Approach
As stated in DWR’s pilot program report, “the watershed networks formed through the pilot process represent a significant and durable investment in regional relationships and capacity. The next step is building on that foundation and expanding this work across California.” While we await detailed requirements for such planning efforts, California’s Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024 (Proposition 4) has earmarked $152 million for Watershed Resilience Programs. Of this amount, we expect that there will only be 11 planning grants totaling approximately $8 million per selected watershed to develop their own watershed resilience plan and implement top-priority projects.
With such a competitive funding opportunity, we’re working with clients now to consider what watershed boundary they occupy, what agencies to partner with during the planning process, and who are the key stakeholders and community organizations to involve. We’re assessing existing plans and studies that can serve as a foundation for watershed resilience planning and any major projects that may have already been identified. By answering some of these key questions and demonstrating existing efforts toward climate resilience, we are helping our clients lay the foundation to successfully apply for and secure Proposition 4 funding.
Partnering with the expert on resilience
As the lead consultant on one of the pilot projects, Woodard & Curran has valuable insight into what it takes to develop a successful watershed resilience plan, from technical analysis and climate vulnerability assessment to stakeholder engagement and adaptation planning. We understand both the technical work involved and the equally important challenge of building a watershed network that connects water management, land use, wildfire, ecosystems, communities, and other interests around shared priorities. This insight, paired with our extensive water supply planning history in the state, means we are prepared to work alongside our clients as they build on already completed work to develop their own watershed resilience plan.
We are also seen as a trusted advisor for the state as they finalize the details of the Watershed Resilience Program and develop the 2028 (and 2033) California Water Plan. We are excited to see how the Watershed Resilience Program and the State Water Plan updates support each other, providing a real opportunity for alignment between local, regional, and state priorities that lead to funded, implemented projects. We are actively tracking this and serve as experts for our clients in understanding the latest state guidance and advocating for them at the state level.
Woodard & Curran brings hands-on pilot experience, statewide water planning expertise, and a collaborative approach to watershed resilience that gives our clients the ability to submit a competitive grant application. As California moves from the pilot phase toward broader implementation, we’re ready to help agencies prepare for the next funding opportunity and turn watershed resilience planning into projects that protect water supplies, strengthen ecosystems, and build more resilient communities.
