California must prepare for extreme weather while increasing the flexibility and capacity of its water system

SACRAMENTO. Calif., Oct. 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As California begins a new water year today, the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) is calling on state leaders to embrace long-term planning around water management as recommended through its Vision for Our Water Future initiative.

Beginning today and lasting through Sept. 30, 2027, the new water year is expected to include an unusually strong El Niño event. Gov. Gavin Newsom recently proclaimed a state of emergency to accelerate preventative flood control work, with forecasts predicting a greater than 90 percent chance of a historically severe event during fall and winter 2026-’27.

However, by providing greater operational flexibility and increasing system capacity, California can also capture and store water from this type of weather event, reduce flood risks, better protect communities, and prepare for a future of increasingly extreme and unpredictable weather and hydrology.

“The start of a new water year is an important reminder that California cannot control when and how water enters the system, but we can improve our ability to manage it when it does,” said ACWA Executive Director Karla Nemeth. “That means increasing our ability to capture, move and store water. Whether this winter brings extreme storms or conditions change quickly, California needs a water system designed to manage increasingly extreme and variable conditions.”

Nemeth, who became ACWA executive director Sept. 1, previously served as director of the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) beginning in 2018. Her work at DWR included preparing for more extreme weather, investing in atmospheric and runoff forecasting and infrastructure, advancing groundwater management and supporting local water resilience.

A Water System Designed for Extremes
ACWA’s Vision for Our Water Future provides a workable framework for the challenges ahead. Developed with ACWA’s broad and diverse membership of 470 public water agencies statewide, who supply water to 90% of Californians, the initiative calls for a resilient and reliable water system capable of meeting the needs of the state’s economy, communities and environment. ACWA launched its Vision initiative to elevate water as a priority for California’s next governor, legislative leaders and state officials.

“California has the expertise and experience to adapt to a changing hydrology,” Nemeth said. “Now we need sustained action to modernize our water system, increase its capacity and build the flexibility needed to manage both wet and dry extremes.”

Preparing California for a more variable and unpredictable water future requires both increased capacity and greater flexibility. Increasing capacity means strengthening the state’s ability to capture and store water, including through surface and groundwater storage, while improving the infrastructure needed to capture and move water when available and where it can provide the greatest benefit. Providing flexibility means using better forecasting, real-time information and adaptive operations so water managers can respond to rapidly changing conditions while meeting water supply and environmental priorities.

Recent experience demonstrates what greater flexibility can accomplish. During storms in December 2025, changes that allowed for more real-time operational decision-making enabled the State Water Project to capture an additional 15,000 acre-feet of water in December and January, enough to supply 30,000 Californians with water for an entire year.

Increasing Capacity for the Long Term
The need to increase water-system capacity extends well beyond a single winter. Earlier this year, California launched development of the California Water Plan 2028 with a statewide planning target of 9 million acre-feet by 2040, encompassing supply, conservation, recharge and storage strategies intended to help close projected future supply gaps.

ACWA is a statewide association of public agencies whose approximately 470 members are responsible for about 90% of the water delivered in California. For more information, visit www.acwa.com

Contact: Heather Engel, Director of Communications |C (916) 669-2387