Comments on Water Available for Replenishment Report Mar 10, 2017 Comment Letters Agency: California Department of Water Resources Subject: Public Comments on WAFR Report Letter excerpt: 4.) While the WAFR provides a sound technical analysis of water available within each of the 10 hydrologic regions, the report does not discuss the opportunities for interregional cooperation in making water available (perhaps even more than what is identified in the region-by-region analysis) and developing cooperative replenishment programs. The report does a good job in the hydrologic region graphics of identifying WAFR estimates and existing Applied Recharge numbers. A comparison of the two shows that most regions are already capturing significant flows for recharge. 5.) The WAFR should more clearly disclose that its “best estimate” of water available is based on very conservative assumptions and methodology, and that the range of available water is quite large in many hydrologic regions, and that significantly more water may ultimately be available based on more detailed subsequent analyses. 6.) The WAFR should provide a more encompassing discussion of how comprehensive implementation of the Governor’s California Water Action Plan and associated infrastructure improvements and regulatory refinements would be expected to increase water available in the future (such as expanded surface and groundwater storage capacity, improved Delta conveyance, and streamlined the water transfer processes). This was a key expectation and original intent of including this task in SGMA. Download ACWA’s comment letter
