Governor Newsom issues executive order to help California capture and store more water from upcoming severe storms

More groundwater, more water storage  

California has invested more than $9 billion to boost California’s water supplies over the past three years, taking aggressive action to prepare for the impacts of climate-driven extremes in weather on the state’s water supplies. In 2024, for the first time since 2019, California’s groundwater storage increased – a direct result of state and local actions to capture and store more water underground during last year’s historic wet season. 

Today’s announcement continues the effective work of prior years. Since 2019, the Governor has allocated $1.6 billion for flood preparedness and response, part of the historic $7.3 billion investment package and to strengthen California’s water resilience. During previous wet seasons, Governor Gavin Newsom and the state have taken strong action to help local communities, expanding groundwater recharge by 1.6 million acre-feet through:

• Executive orders and legislation to capture more water. Governor Newsom signed executive orders to expand groundwater recharge by 400,000 acre-feet, as well as signing legislation to build more infrastructure.
• Fast-tracking groundwater recharge projects. The state streamlined groundwater recharge permits to allow for 1.2 million acre-feet of groundwater recharge, as well as investing in groundwater recharge projects.
• Maximizing stormwater capture. Investing millions for 67 stormwater projects to take advantage of major storm events.
• Ambitious goals. Setting the statewide goal to expand average annual groundwater recharge by at least 500,000 acre-feet as outlined in the Water Supply Strategy.
• Modernizing infrastructure. The state is advancing new projects to protect communities in the face of extreme droughts and floods. This includes the Sites Reservoir project, which will capture water during wet seasons and store it for use during drier seasons – holding up to 1.5 million acre-feet of water, as much as 3 million households’ yearly usage, and the Delta Conveyance Project, which will help protect water access, improve the capture and movement of water, and provide access to clean drinking water for 27 million Californians. Find more critical water infrastructure projects at build.ca.gov.
• Launching new data and innovative tools for tracking recharge action. The state has conducted 16,000 miles of geophysical surveys and developed new models and dashboards to deliver up-to-date data on California’s groundwater basins. These resources help local communities better understand their aquifer systems, identify fast paths for recharge, and support both local and statewide groundwater management efforts.

Preparing the state for storms 

Governor Newsom is deploying resources and thousands of personnel to communities throughout Northern California in anticipation of the storm system. 

Newly deployed resources include swift water rescue crews and fire engines in El Dorado County and Nevada County, as well as fire engines in Glenn County, added overnight. More resources will be deployed to further help protect communities.

Yesterday, Governor Newsom directed the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) to coordinate state and local partners to deploy emergency resources to support impacted communities. State officials are urging people to take precautions now before the storm arrives, and to stay informed. 

Go to ready.ca.gov for tips to prepare for the incoming storm.