LETTER: Outdated Water Rules Could Cost California 600,000 Acre-Feet, Lawmakers Warn

Four California Congressmen have sent Governor Gavin Newsom a letter expressing concerns over outdated water regulations that could result in the loss of 600,000 acre-feet of water. They argue that these regulations, combined with California’s variable hydrology, could have significant consequences for the state’s agricultural industry, communities, and fisheries.

The letter highlights three primary reasons for California’s water shortages: insufficient precipitation and snowpack, the need for improved water storage and conveyance, and “fixed and outdated regulations that lead to water being used in ways that do not maximize beneficial uses for humans and the environment.