2020 Annual Report
Legislation and
Leadership
The Board of Directors approved a new, permanent Special Agricultural Water Rate structure to offer lower water rates to farmers in exchange for lower water supply reliability. The new structure helps strengthen the region’s multi-billion dollar agriculture industry.
San Diego’s Water Portfolio Approach Called ‘Model for California’
Top state officials toured San Diego County’s water infrastructure in July 2019 to gain a first-hand look at the region’s successful water portfolio approach to supply diversification. California Natural Resources Agency Secretary Wade Crowfoot, Deputy Natural Resources Secretary Thomas Gibson, State Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross, and State Water Resources Board Chair E. Joaquin Esquivel assessed the region’s water projects as part of their new role in developing a water portfolio strategy for the state under Governor Gavin Newsom’s executive order.
The tour included San Vicente Reservoir, Olivenhain Reservoir, and the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant, followed by a panel discussion. The Water Authority and its 24 member agencies made significant investments over the past two decades to diversify water supply to support the region’s 3.3 million people and its economy. The portfolio approach to water supply diversification has served the region well during times of water supply uncertainty, and the agency has continued to encourage supply diversification efforts by its member agencies.
“San Diego has been a leader in the water portfolio approach. We have to make the investments to build regional water resilience as part of the Governor’s order to develop a portfolio to manage water in California.”
California Natural Resources Agency