Groups Release Video Supporting Voluntary Agreements

Today, the State Water Contractors and Northern California Water Association released a short, informative video about the Agreements to Support Healthy Rivers and Landscapes, also known as the Voluntary Agreements (Agreements).

These Agreements are a transformational approach to managing California's water and help the state adapt to our new climate reality, characterized by prolonged dry periods followed by intensely wet and increasingly unpredictable storms.

The Agreements are also the subject of a three-day workshop hosted April 24-26 by the State Water Resources Control Board in Sacramento. ACWA is urging members to attend the workshop and support the Agreements.

The Agreements offer:

• Substantial water dedicated to the environment and significantly reduced environmental effects compared to the traditional regulatory flows-only approach.
• A comprehensive portfolio of actions in rivers to reactivate habitat conditions that support robust, resilient populations of salmon (and other fish, birds and wildlife).
• Actions throughout California to restore ecosystem function while helping secure water supplies for communities, farms, fish and wildlife, recreation and hydropower.
• A collaborative science program that relies on the latest, best available knowledge and an inclusive governance structure that will address changing climate conditions, support research to improve management actions for native fish, and welcomes the participation of Tribes and environmental organizations.
• A commitment of over $2.9 billion to fund a vigorous science program, construction of new habitat, water purchases, crop idling, and other actions.
• A program that brings people from different backgrounds and disciplines together to make California a better place.

California's ever-changing hydrology and increasingly extreme climate shifts underscore how crucial it is to update our water management strategies. The Agreements are California's best opportunity to move beyond the status quo and toward flexible, collaborative, real-time water management rooted in the best available science. By embracing innovative approaches and forging partnerships, we can work together to navigate the complexities of our shifting water landscape and safeguard the future of our state's natural resources.

Learn more about the Agreements at www.acwa.com. View the short video on YouTube.