Water Resilience Portfolio (WRP)

On April 29, 2019, Governor Newsom issued an executive order (Read EO-N-10-19) to develop a Water Resilience Portfolio to ensure water resilience and ecosystem health into the future. Developing the Portfolio was coordinated by CA Natural Resources Agency, Cal EPA, and the Department of Food and Agriculture led by Nancy Vogel.

Friends of the River and other organizations submitted coordinated recommendations. Learn more about the Water Resilience Portfolio and how we influenced the content.

CA Official Portfolio Site

What Does the Water Resilience Portfolio Include?

The final Water Resiliency Portfolio was released on July 28, 2020.

The document includes or reflects some form of several of our recommendations including:

      • No new on-river dams
      • Safe and Affordable Drinking Water (support to ensure implementation of the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Act.
      • Agricultural and urban water efficiency (implement new efficiency standards for residential use and fund agricultural irrigation efficiency and healthy soils programs).
      • SGMA implementation (support for effective and timely implementation)
      • Water recycling (2.5 MAF of water per year by 2030).
      • Increase stormwater capture and use (improve permitting and standards)
      • Dam removal (Develop priorities and process for removal of obsolete dams)
      • Improved flood management (fund and support multi-benefit floodplain restoration)
      • Upper watershed and forest restoration and management
      • Determine instream flow needs for rivers (improved science and state standards)
      • Modernizing water data systems to improve and simplify water data and access.
      • Foster innovation and technology in all water sectors

Missed opportunities/problems:

      • The Portfolio includes Sites reservoir and the Delta Tunnel
      • The Portfolio calls for instream flow standards, but supports a voluntary agreement approach that has not delivered results after more than a decade of effort.
      • The Portfolio has very few quantifiable goals or objectives. The document is largely conceptual and fails to provide a clear roadmap to a climate resilient water future, but it is a good step in the right direction overall.

How and Why Did F.O.R. Coordinate Input?

We hoped to build a stronger movement by facilitating a growing and more diverse coalition of aligned interests and stakeholders working towards shared water priorities in California. The warming temperatures due to climate crisis is already increasing water scarcity, flood risk, and harming rivers and watersheds. We can’t afford new dams and diversions that cost billions, destroy rivers, kill fish and wildlife, and fail to provide significant water.

Friends of the River coordinated and participated in three efforts to collectively develop recommendations for consideration in the Portfolio:

      • One Water Network (staff facilitated & participated): a network of 20+ river-related organizations
      • Sustainable Water Technology (staff organized & lead): a group of 100 technology companies who are innovating for a more sustainable water future
      • Portfolio Recommendations Group (staff participated & facilitated): state and local governmental agencies, urban water agencies, environmental groups, irrigation districts, environmental justice groups, fire leaders, flood agencies, and watershed groups