The California Water Plan: water storage.

Assembly Member Gallagher's proposal to amend The California Water Plan would establish water storage as the state's preferred method for meeting future water demands across urban, agricultural, and environmental sectors. The measure directs the Department of Water Resources to modify the plan, which currently guides the state's comprehensive water resource management strategy and undergoes updates every five years.

The bill would create a new section in the Water Code requiring water storage to be prioritized when evaluating approaches to increase water availability. This directive would apply broadly across three major water use categories: urban consumption, agricultural operations, and environmental needs. While the measure establishes this preference in planning documents, it does not include specific funding allocations or detailed implementation requirements.

The proposal intersects with existing state water management frameworks, particularly the Department's regular five-year review and update process for The California Water Plan. By working within these established procedures, the bill aims to shift resource planning priorities toward storage-based solutions while maintaining current administrative structures and timelines.