Framing
According to the latest research on planetary boundaries, we have transgressed the global limit for sustainable freshwater use. In California, precipitation is naturally variable, with long cycles of drought followed by shorter, intense wet periods. This hydrological variability is magnified by climate change, which increases the frequency and severity of extreme events (longer droughts, heavier storms). These conditions, combined with overallocated water rights and high water demand from agriculture, urban areas, and ecosystems, create intense competition for water. The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has a longstanding mandate to monitor statewide water usage, plan for system improvements, and provide guidance on sustainable water management strategies. With climate change, water management is only becoming more contentious and high-stakes for communities and ecosystems. The chosen indicators represent two important measures of water use, which together provide a glimpse into the complex, precarious, and highly political freshwater system in California.
Policy spotlight
* In 2014, California passed the landmark Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). SGMA has shifted significant resources to solve the problem of groundwater overdraft, but challenges persist. * The Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan aims to manage water quality and flow to the Bay-Delta watershed. * In 2023, California added aquifers to the list of natural infrastructure in the Public Resource Code, placing aquifers on par with forests and wetlands, and allowing public funds to replenish aquifers. * In 2024, California signed the Lower Basin Alternative for the Post-2026 Coordinated Operations of the Colorado River Basin, a proposal that reduces California's average Colorado River water allocation by roughly 10% in 2026.
Justice lens
* Benefits of California's water use are not distributed equally; imbalances exist between water use for large-scale agricultural operations and drinking water for residents in water-scarce regions in the Central Valley. * California's antiquated water rights system is based on the dispossession of Indigenous peoples, and continues to operate with stark inequities. * California's Fourth Climate Assessment report for Tribal and Indigenous Communities outlines the socio-ecological impacts of dams and impaired waterways across the state, including impacts on salmon populations which are cultural and ecological keystone species. * There are many other justice and equity issues related to water quality, which we discuss briefly in the Water and Sanitation section.
Source & citation
Content on this page draws from The California Doughnut Snapshot and Report, used under CC-BY 4.0.
Aritza, A. and Kraus-Polk, J. et al. (2025). The California Doughnut Snapshot and Report. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17540639