Governor Launches California Water Plan 2028 by ACWA Staff Feb 25, 2026 Water News SACRAMENTO – Gov. Gavin Newsom today launched California Water Plan 2028, which sets the first water supply target in state history — 9 million acre-feet by 2040 — through a blueprint designed to close water gaps driven by extreme swings between drought and floods widening every year. The California Water Plan fulfills goals set by ACWA-supported SB 72, authored by Senator Anna Caballero and signed into law by Newsom last year. A 35-member advisory committee convened by the Department of Water Resources will shape a workplan for both the 2028 and 2033 Water Plan updates. ACWA Interim Executive Director Marwan Khalifa and leadership from a dozen ACWA member agencies serve on the committee. The committee reflects the diversity of California’s water system, including representation from urban and agricultural water suppliers, tribal, labor, environmental justice and environmental interests, local government, business and other interested parties, according to a news release from the Newsom Administration. The launch initiates the first phase of work under SB 72, which mandates modernization of the California Water Plan by improving data and setting measurable water supply targets. It also creates a more coordinated, transparent planning framework that aligns state, regional, and local actions, which includes close collaboration with the California Water Commission. At the center of SB 72 is an interim statewide planning target of 9 million acre-feet by 2040, which is the amount of water supply California could lose as climate change reduces snowpack and intensifies drought. Roughly equal to two Shasta Reservoirs, or enough for 18 million homes, the target is a shared benchmark that includes supply, conservation, recharge, and storage strategies to close projected water supply gaps and strengthen long-term water reliability. More information is available at californiawaterplan.com.
