Tromping through multiple feet of snow near Lake Tahoe on Tuesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled the state’s updated water plan for a climate-changed future as “snow droughts,” deluges and dry times intensify.
“You can take a deep breath this year, but don’t quadruple the amount of time in your shower; then consider that this time next year, we may be at a different place,” he said.
Newsom said California’s new climate reality demands a new sophisticated approach to modernize aging water infrastructure and limited water supplies.
The California Water Plan 2023 update is a strategic blueprint that guides water managers to ensure that water systems — from rural communities plagued by contaminated water to metropolitan areas capturing stormwater for drier times to the state’s interconnected water system — are prepared for weather whiplash, deepened by human-caused climate change.