Public Affairs Office
Department of Water Resources

1416 Ninth Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 942836
Sacramento, CA 94236

For California water managers, the future is now. Climate change is already having a profound impact on water resources as evidenced by changes in snowpack, river flows and sea levels.

By 2050, scientists project a loss of at least 25 percent of the Sierra snowpack, an important source of urban, agricultural and environmental water. It is likely that more of our precipitation will be in the form of rain because of warmer temperatures, increasing the risk of flooding. More variable weather patterns may also result in increased dryness in the southern regions of the state. Sea level has risen about seven inches at the Golden Gate Bridge in the last century, and continued sea level rise could threaten many coastal communities as well as the sustainability of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta which supplies 25 million Californians with drinking water.

The Department of Water Resources is beginning to address these impacts through mitigation and adaptation measures to ensure an adequate water supply now and in the future. In 2006, the Department of Water Resources formed a Climate Change Matrix Team with representatives from every area of the Department. The team is tasked with finding solutions to climate change impacts on future planning and operations, and stays abreast of current research.

Following the passage of AB 32 in 2006 which called for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, DWR voluntarily joined the California Climate Action Registry. Participation in the Registry will help DWR track and report its emissions. Currently the State Water Project derives more than half of its energy from clean, hydroelectric generation, as well as energy generated from other renewable resources. DWR is working to add more clean and renewable energy resources to its power portfolio.

DWR is also reducing the carbon footprint of its business operations through the "Greening DWR" program that includes sustainable building requirements and employee programs that encourage environmentally responsible work habits.

Adapting to the current and future effects of climate change is essential for DWR and California's water managers. DWR addresses climate change in its California Water Plan, updated every five years, that provides a framework for water managers, legislators, and the public to consider options and make decisions regarding California's water future. In October 2008, the Department released a climate change white paper that recommends a series of adaptation strategies for state and local water managers to improve their capacity to handle change.