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A concrete channel that cuts through a large chunk of Escondido may get a makeover, as conservationists begin planning to restore Escondido Creek to its natural state.

The nonprofit Escondido Creek Conservancy is seeking $355,000 through a regional water grant to begin designing the restoration project — a first step toward transforming the urban culvert from a polluted canal to a picturesque waterway, officials said.

“We would love to see it be a much more natural channel, and a public amenity for the community..,” said Ann Van Leer, executive director of the conservancy.

On paper, there’s enough water for San Diegans for years to come. The exception is in San Marcos. Every five years, urban water agencies across California must prepare reports showing they won’t run out of water. Almost every San Diego water agency projects they will have enough water for the years to come. But the Vallecitos Water District, which provides water to 97,000 people in and around San Marcos, has projected a huge shortage: 3.7 billion gallons a year by 2020. Vallecitos is the only district in the state that projects such a shortfall.

The water policy measure overwhelmingly passed by the House of Representatives on Thursday to build long-term water infrastructure across the Golden State is headed for a showdown with outgoing Sen. Barbara Boxer, who plans to mount a filibuster in the Senate on Friday as one of her final acts in Congress. The overall bill — which Boxer co-authored — authorizes hundreds of water projects across the country, including new infrastructure to fix lead issues in Flint, Mich., and projects connected to the Los Angeles River, Salton Sea and Lake Tahoe.

Last week, state water officials released a draft report on the implementation of long-term water conservation requirements established to meet Gov. Jerry Brown‘s May 9 executive order and are now seeking public input.

Water agencies have been asked to adopt new standards for urban water use by 2020 that include setting targets for indoor and outdoor water use. There are many prudent actions and long-term measures for us to take in order to make conservation a way of life,” Foothill Municipal Water District Board President Rich Atwater said in a statement.

Despite a wet start to the fall in Northern California, nearly two-thirds of the state remains wracked by extreme drought. In the future, climate change is likely to make dry periods more frequent, more intense and longer. Competition for water will increase, as will population.

So it’s no surprise Gov. Jerry Brown says we need to “make water conservation a way of life in California.” But what’s the best way to get Californians to keep saving? A new proposal from five state resource agencies aims to re-define water conservation in the state.