California swings between two extremes—devastating droughts and intense storms. One year, we’re rationing water while reservoirs dry up; the next year, we witness rivers overflowing and cities inundated. This cycle has persisted for hundreds of years, yet the state continues to struggle to capture and store enough water to prepare for the dry years ahead.
Governor Gavin Newsom recently directed state officials to increase the storage of stormwater in reservoirs throughout the San Joaquin Valley and eliminate obstacles that slow down water retention efforts. It’s a familiar directive. He issued a similar order two years ago, waiving environmental laws to prioritize water storage after a series of devastating floods. That effort resulted in new legislation intended to streamline water management, but progress has been frustratingly slow.
As heavy rains soak Northern California, the question remains: Where was the storage we were promised?
California’s water infrastructure is outdated. It was designed over 50 years ago and built for a population half the size of today’s 40 million residents. It simply wasn’t equipped to handle California’s increasing environmental mandates. Reservoirs fill up quickly during wet years, but much of that water is released to help our fish, only to flow uselessly into the ocean.
Meanwhile, when drought strikes, we scramble to enforce water restrictions and search for emergency solutions solutions.
According to the California Department of Water Resources, there is an obvious solution beneath our feet. The state’s groundwater basins have the capacity to store 850 million acre-feet of water—an astonishing amount compared to the 50 million acre-feet that all major above-ground reservoirs can hold combined. However, California has not invested nearly enough in recharging these underground storage systems.
Why Aren’t We Capturing More Water?
Politics and red tape play a role. Water storage projects often get caught up in environmental reviews, permitting delays, and legal battles over water rights. Even when emergency measures like Newsom’s executive orders are implemented, they tend to be temporary fixes rather than long-term solutions.
Meanwhile, farmers, cities, and industries that depend on water continue to struggle with uncertainty. They may appreciate Newsom’s recent actions, but many are frustrated by the absence of follow-through on previous commitments.
Without a consistent, statewide strategy for water capture and storage, California will continue to fall into the same cycle of crisis and reaction.
If California is serious about water security, the state must act boldly now. This means fast-tracking projects that expand above- and below-ground storage, as well as upgrading reservoir management. Simply invest in improved infrastructure to capture stormwater before it is wasted.
The rain is here. The opportunity is now. However, unless California goes beyond short-term emergency measures and commits to meaningful, lasting improvements, we’ll have this same conversation when the next drought arrives. The question is no longer if we should act—it’s when we will finally do so.
