Governor Brown has directed the Department of Water Resources, the State Water Resources Control Board, the Department of Food and Agriculture, and the Office of Emergency Services to immediately convene an interagency Drought Task Force.
In a letter addressed to Director Mark Cowin, Chair Felicia Marcus, Secretary Karen Ross and Director Mark Ghilarducci, the Governor directs the task force to meet weekly to review expected allocations, the state’s level of preparedness, and whether the conditions warrant declaration of a statewide drought.
“We must do everything we can to address the impacts of water shortages and move water from where it is available to where it is needed. These actions include establishing a clearinghouse of water shortage-related information; assessing the regions most affected by dry conditions and the local community socio- and economic impacts within those regions; and determining potential water transfers, infrastructure improvements, water trucking and other actions that could alleviate the impacts of water shortages. These measures will work in concert with my directive earlier this year to expedite voluntary transfers of water and water rights to alleviate critical impacts to San Joaquin Valley agriculture and Department of Water Resource’s designation of a drought coordinator.”
Read the full letter here: Governor Drought Task Force letter (2)
