SACRAMENTO – Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, introduced legislation Monday that would help the state manage its water, protecting the precious resource for people and the environment.
“We’re faced with a constant cycle of droughts and flooding, and this bill is an important step toward managing our water for the long run,” Sen. Dodd said. “Stream gages provide important information. Unfortunately, gaps in the current system make it difficult to ensure water is going where it’s needed. You can’t manage what you don’t measure.”
California has one of the nation’s most complex water systems, moving millions of gallons across the state from north to south and east to west. The state’s 39 million residents and $47 billion farming industry – along with diverse wildlife from the Sierra to the sea – rely on that water. Yet there is little data about how much water is coursing through streams at any given time. Only 54 percent of the state’s 3,600 stream gages have been active in recent times. And even fewer provide rich, real-time reporting needed to manage this precious resource.
The bill would help address those shortcomings, ensuring California has the information it needs to effectively oversee the water supply. It will be scheduled for its first vote in the coming months.
Sen. Dodd introduced the bill as the Legislature began it new session Monday.
For more on Senate Bill 19– click here.
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Senator Bill Dodd represents California’s 3rd Senate District, which includes all or portions of Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Yolo, Sacramento, and Contra Costa counties. You can learn more about Senator Dodd at www.sen.ca.gov/dodd.
