• For information about how to manage crops through a drought, the University of California has created a resource that includes Crop Irrigation Strategies and Irrigation Scheduling practices.
• Federal and state agencies worked with the University of California to develop 17 drought tips for farmers during a multi-year statewide drought that lasted from 1987 to 1991. You can view them here.
• The University of California's California Institute for Water Resources webpage contains up-to-date information on the efforts of academic institutions to provide resources for ranchers and farmers during this year's historic drought.
• A list of federal assistance programs can be found on the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) website or on the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) website.

Small Businesses

Small businesses are a large part of the California economy and can suffer greatly from drought.

• For tips on how small businesses can conserve, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has a list of water-saving techniques.
• The SBA offers loans to those who qualify to help businesses meet financial obligations during a drought disaster. Types of small businesses that may qualify for a loan include "small, nonfarm businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations."

Water Agencies

Water agencies play an important role in conserving California's water resources. Here are a few ways that agencies can conserve:

• Water recycling allows districts to use less potable water and reduces rationing during times of drought. This map created by the UC Davis College of Agricultural Sciences highlights a variety of water recycling projects being conducted throughout California.
• To learn more about what projects are happening in your local municipality, this map created by the UC Davis College of Agricultural Sciences contains water conservation practices, low-water plants, and additional rebate programs for consumers throughout California.
• To find out what the local water agency in your community is doing during this historic drought, refer to this map created by the Association of California Water Agencies.
  

Learn More: Where Does My Water Come From?

Federal, state, and local water projects compose California’s intricate water system. This system helps serve the needs of our communities. The major sources of water in California are:

Central Valley Project

• The Central Valley Project, operated by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, provides water for nearly 3 million acres of farmland and for local communities in the Central Valley. The Project spans nearly 400 miles from the Cascade Mountains in the north to the Tehachapi Mountains in the south, and it manages nearly 9 million acre-feet of water. The Central Valley Project was originally envisioned as a state water project in the early 1900s, but it was later authorized as a federal project in 1935. Since that time, numerous facilities have been constructed that support water supply and provide other benefits.

State Water Project

• In 1960, California passed a bond to help fund the California State Water Project (SWP) in order to address the growing demand for water in the State. The SWP, operated by the California Department of Water Resources, is the “nation's largest state-built water and power development and conveyance system." It includes the California Aqueduct – a system that transfers water from the Delta in the San Joaquin Valley 444 miles south to communities in Southern California. On its journey, the water is lifted more than 2,000 feet over the Tehachapi Mountains – the highest lift of any water system in the world.

Colorado River

• The Colorado River runs through 7 different states and provides more than 30 million people with water. California uses the river water to irrigate expansive farmland in the Palo Verde, Imperial and Coachella valleys. Through the Colorado River Aqueduct, the river additionally provides water to many urban centers in Southern California, including San Diego and Los Angeles. Rights to use the river water were codified in a 1922 agreement called the Colorado River Compact, which divided water from the river between Upper Basin states and the Lower Basin states. California is allotted 4.4 million acre-feet of river water per year – about 30 percent of the river’s annual flow.

Other Water Systems

• Other water systems have been developed around large urban centers. Examples include the Hetch Hetchy Project, which transports Tuolumne River water to San Francisco and surrounding communities as well as the Los Angeles Aqueduct system, which runs over 223 miles from the mouth of the Owens River in the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Local Sources

• In addition to imported water, local communities rely on groundwater, streams, and reservoirs that are usually maintained by local public water agencies or privately-run utility companies.

To find out where your community’s water comes from, visit the Water Education Foundation’s “Where does my water come from?” website.