BILL ANALYSIS
AB 224
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 10, 2007
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON WATER, PARKS AND WILDLIFE
Lois Wolk, Chair
AB 224 (Wolk) - As Amended: March 29, 2007
SUBJECT : Climate Change and Water Resources
SUMMARY : Incorporates effects of climate change into current
water planning efforts and requires report on greenhouse gas
effects of various water supply options. Specifically, this
bill :
1)Requires the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to
incorporate analysis of the potential effects of climate
change, to the extent applicable, into all reports or plans
required by the Water Code including but not limited to the
following:
a) biennial report on overall delivery capability of the
State Water Project
b) the California Water Plan
c) reports related to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River
Delta
d) State Plan of Flood Control
e) Bulletin 118 (regarding groundwater)
2)Requires DWR to determine the total equivalent carbon dioxide
emissions arising from operation of the State Water Project.
3)Bars DWR from approving an integrated regional water
management grant, for applications submitted after January 1,
2009, unless the application includes certain information
regarding climate change.
4)Requires DWR to identify available information or develop its
own information regarding climate change and water resources,
and make such information available on its website.
5)Requires the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), in
cooperation with DWR, Air Resources Board, the Energy
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Commission and the Public Utilities Commission, to complete a
study that quantifies energy savings and greenhouse gas
emission reductions from water recycling and water
conservation.
6)Requires the SWRCB and the regional water quality boards, in
developing water quality control plans, to consider a
reasonable range of hydrological, temperature and sea-level
rise scenarios resulting from climate change.
7)Requires water suppliers that prepare urban or agricultural
water management plans to obtain climate change information
from DWR, identify the possible effects of climate change on
water supply projections and consider such information when
developing the conclusions of such plans.
a) Requires post-2008 applicants for integrated regional
water management grants to consider the climate change
information available from DWR.
b) Exempts local agencies from these climate change
requirements, if DWR does not make climate change
information available.
8)Makes legislative findings regarding climate change and water
resources.
EXISTING LAW requires DWR to provide local assistance to water
agencies on issues related to statewide water management. SWRCB
regulates water rights and water quality, including certain
permits for recycled water.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : AB 224 begins the process to incorporate climate
change information into the water resource planning efforts of
state and local agencies. The Committee held a hearing on the
issue of climate change and water resources in February 2007, in
which it heard about the increasing body of evidence and
scientific studies showing how climate change has and will
affect water resources management in California.
Committee Hearing on Climate Change and Water Resources. The
Committee also heard about the efforts of state agencies,
including DWR and the California Energy Commission, to
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investigate how climate change will affect water resources and
vice versa - how water use affects greenhouse gas production and
climate change. This information, which is now available on the
Committee's web page, demonstrated that climate change has
already occurred and affected water resources in California.
This bill will take the next step of encouraging state and local
water agencies to incorporate climate change information
identified by DWR into their long-term planning efforts.
Resolving Uncertainty: State-Identified Information. As
introduced, this bill inserted climate change analysis into
various statutory water planning requirements. Concerns were
raised about the uncertainty of which climate change information
was reliable enough to consider. The author consolidated these
diverse climate change analysis requirements into a new part in
the Water Code, required DWR to identify which information
should be used, and then specified that use of DWR-specified
information was sufficient. Alternatively, a water supplier may
use other information in its possession. If DWR does not
identify such information, then local water suppliers are exempt
from these requirements. The author asserts that State
specification of information resolves any questions of
uncertainty as to which information should be used.
SWRCB Study of Greenhouse Gas Production. At the request of
Sonoma County Water Agency, a sponsor of this bill, the author
added a provision requiring the SWRCB to complete a study of the
greenhouse gas effects/reductions arising out of water recycling
and conservation. The Energy Commission report, presented to
the Committee at the February informational hearing, provided
preliminary findings indicating that recycling and water
conservation may produce less greenhouse gas than certain other
forms of water supply, particularly for urban areas reliant on
imported water. This bill would require the SWRCB to look at
this issue in greater detail, in coordination with certain other
relevant agencies. This study will help California learn more
about the other side of the climate change/water supply equation
- the effect of water use on climate change.
Remaining Issues. The author, recognizing that this bill the
first climate change-water resource bill in history, has
continued working with concerned parties in order to create a
workable process for connecting water resource planning and
climate change information. The author intends to craft a
process that begins incorporating climate change information
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into water planning over the long term, allowing for the
analysis to develop further as new information becomes
available. The issues that stakeholders have discussed include:
clarification of the scope of the study of recycling,
conservation and other means of expanding the availability
of water for use
discretion for judging which climate change information
is reliable
DWR updates of climate change information
effect on integrated regional water management planning
level of treatment for recycled water
appropriate agency for completing the study
clarification regarding effect on water supplier
liability
deadlines in the bill for certain climate change
information
Availability of Funding. Proposition 84 authorizes $65 million
for "planning and feasibility studies related to the existing
and potential future needs for California's water supply,
conveyance and flood control systems." This funding, although
authorized for DWR, could be used to support the bill's study
and, possibly, to support local planning efforts that contribute
to the statewide planning effort.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Planning and Conservation League (sponsor)
Marin Municipal Water District (sponsor)
Sonoma County Water Agency (sponsor)
Inland Empire Utilities Agency
Sierra Club California
The Nature Conservancy
Opposition
El Dorado Irrigation District (unless amended)
Analysis Prepared by : Alf W. Brandt / W., P. & W. / (916)
319-2096