Californians to tighten the tap every time a drought shows up, especially when we know another one is coming. So what do we do? We get serious about flexibility. That means modernizing and stabilizing big systems like the State Water Project. It means smarter Delta conveyance that allows us to move water with fewer environmental disruptions. It means investing in storage, especially underground, where depleted aquifers can become an asset again. And it means having honest conversations about how large statewide projects and local resilience efforts work together, what they cost, and the value they provide. Progress is happening. We have the data. We know the strategies, and they’re not new. What we can’t afford is delay or finger-pointing between agencies and regions. When that happens, ratepayers and communities pay the price. California has always argued about water. But innovation, transparency, and collaboration can move us forward and help ensure every Californian has reliable access to clean, safe water in a climate that’s anything but predictable.
GUEST COLUMNIST
DWR Director Karla Nemeth Outlines California’s Water Challenges By Elizabeth Smilor Executive Editor
Water Reality Check
By Charley Wilson, I f it feels like California’s water conversation is getting more complicated and more urgent, you’re not wrong. As Karla Nemeth, Director of the California Department of Water Resources, shares in this issue, we are living with hard realities that are no longer
theoretical. Precipitation is more volatile. Temperatures are higher. Snowpack is peaking earlier or barely forming at all. These aren’t future scenarios to plan for someday. They’re happening now, and they’re challenging a water system built for a very different climate. Here’s the uncomfortable truth: California is on track to be short roughly 9 million acre-feet of water by 2040. And while conservation will always matter, we can’t keep asking
C alifornia’s water future in one word: “Innovative.” California Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth says state and regional leaders must innovate to secure a resilient water supply for all people and the environment for the next 100 years. “If we do nothing, things will get worse and worse for Californians,” Nemeth said in an extensive interview with Southern California
weather and to meet the needs of people and nature.” Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (Metropolitan), which has 26 member agencies serving 19 million people, created
Charley Wilson is the Executive Director of the Southern California Water Coalition, a nonprofit dedicated to informing Californians about our water needs and resources.
its Climate Adaptation Master Plan for Water as a roadmap to “invest wisely, act decisively, and stay ahead of climate threats to every part of our supply,” said General Manager Shivaji Deshmukh. “It’s not a choice between new infrastructure or smarter operations — we need both. We must reinvest in our existing infrastructure and protect our imported supplies, while also accelerating investments in conservation and storage, and advancing local, climate-resilient projects, like recycled water,” he said. “At the same time, our teams are continuously innovating to push our water system to perform smarter and more strategically based on a range of conditions and the needs of our communities. We’re moving water in ways we never have before, and building new flexibility into our system so that we can adapt to constantly evolving challenges.” Nemeth, Deshmukh and San Gabriel Valley water managers agree that coupled with flexibility, cooperation throughout the
Water Coalition (SCWC) Executive Director Charley Wilson. “Every time we have a drought, we can’t just ask Californians to conserve. How do we save water for the drought we know is coming? The most affordable way is to optimize our existing system, then look at things to do to expand the system.” For the whole of Southern California, about 30% of water supply comes from Northern California via the State Water Project (SWP) and 20% from the Colorado River via the Colorado River Aqueduct. Both water delivery systems face hydrologic changes — decreased snowpack, earlier snowmelt and more intense storms — and aging infrastructure. “One word solves two problems: flexibility,” Nemeth said. “We need flexibility to respond to hydrologic volatility and we need flexibility to move water to where it’s needed as it is needed. Our water infrastructure was built in a different era. Community needs have changed. We need to make our backbone water systems more flexible in the face of extreme
Publisher
Chris Lancaster Elizabeth Smilor Scott Pasewalk
Executive Editor
Art Director
CALIFORNIA WATER is published by Civic Publications, Inc. ©2026. For comments or questions, email Chris Lancaster at chris.lancaster@civicpub.com www.civicpublications.com
Chief Strategist and Consultant
Mary Lou Echternach
Government Affairs Consultant
Cathleen Galgiani Steven Georges
Photographer Videographer
Mik Milman Multi-Media Journalist Julia Deng Contributors Charley Wilson Amy Bentley
Continue Nemeth, Page 4
2 | 2026 CALIFORNIA WATER
ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE L.A. TIMES
Civic Publications, Inc. | 3
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs