[News Release] – Senator Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills), chair of the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee, will present the first three bills in a package of legislation to modernize California’s water system on April 22.

Fran Pavley

The legislative package includes measures to promote the capture and use of stormwater, integrate energy and climate change into urban and regional water management, study the cost-effectiveness of removing silt from reservoirs and improve the management of California’s groundwater.

“As California’s water system comes under increasing stress in the 21st century, we can’t keep relying on 20th century strategies,” Senator Pavley said. “This legislation will help increase regional self-sufficiency and promote the more prudent use of California’s limited water resources.”

Senator Pavley will present the following bills at a hearing of the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee on April 22:

• SB 985: Refocuses stormwater planning to encourage capture and use.

• SB 1049: Updates the Integrated Regional Water Management Plan process to incentivize the development of energy and climate change models.

• SB 1168: Calls for local and regional groundwater management and authorizes the State Water Resources Control Board to manage groundwater under certain conditions.

Senator Pavley will present the following bills on April 29:

•`SB 1036: Authorizes urban water management plans to document energy use and include energy considerations in water planning.

• SB 1259: Directs the Department of Water Resources to measure sediment in state reservoirs and identify locations where sediment removal would be most cost-effective.

– WHAT –
The first of two Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee hearings to discuss a package of bills to address California’s chronic water problems

– WHERE –
Room 112, California State Capitol

– WHEN –
Tuesday, April 22, 2014 at 9:00 a.m.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014 at 9:30 a.m.

– HOW TO WATCH –
To view a webcast of the hearings visit http://senate.ca.gov/calendar or http://www.calchannel.com/live-webcast/