"..IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Department of Water Resources (DWR) shall take immediate action to address the serious drought conditions and water delivery limitations that currently exist in California, and that are anticipated in the future, by taking the following actions:

1. Expedite existing grant programs for local water districts and agencies for new or ongoing water conservation and water use reduction programs and projects that are capable of timely implementation to ease drought conditions in 2008 or 2009.

2. Facilitate water transfers in 2008 to timely respond to potential emergency water shortages and water quality degradation, and prepare to operate a dry year water purchasing program in 2009.

3. In cooperation with local water agencies and other water-related organizations, conduct an aggressive water conservation and outreach campaign.

4. Immediately convene the Climate Variability Advisory Committee to prioritize and expedite drought-related climate research that will assist in responding to current drought conditions and help prepare for a potentially dry 2009.  

5. Provide technical assistance for drought response to local water agencies and districts for improving landscape and agricultural irrigation efficiencies, leak detection and other measures as appropriate.

6. Review the water shortage contingency elements of Urban Water Management Plans and work cooperatively with water suppliers to implement improvements.

7. Coordinate and implement State Water Project operations and water exchanges to alleviate critical impacts to San Joaquin Valley agriculture.

8. Implement additional actions to facilitate drought response, preparedness and promote water conservation in 2008 and 2009, and which will contribute to achieving long term reductions in water use.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that DWR and the Department of Public Health (DPH) prioritize processing of loan and grant contracts for water suppliers and public water systems demonstrating drought-related hardships.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that DWR and DPH coordinate with the State Office of Emergency Services and local offices of emergency services to identify public water systems at risk of experiencing health and safety impacts due to drought conditions and water delivery limitations, and to mitigate such impacts.  

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that DWR and DPH work with local water districts to evaluate system interconnections among the state's large water purveyors, review the status or availability of mutual aid agreements among those large water purveyors, and work with the parties to those mutual aid agreements to correct any deficiencies that restrict the movement of water in an emergency situation

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that DWR coordinate with the California Public Utilities Commission to identify investor-owned water utility systems at risk of experiencing health and safety impacts due to drought conditions and water delivery limitations, and to mitigate such impacts.  

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that DWR work with the Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Bureau of Reclamation to identify potential federal funding for local water agencies and farmers to facilitate the rapid installation of best available irrigation management and conservation systems.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the CDFA work with county Agricultural Commissioners and others as necessary to identify and gather data on crop losses and other adverse economic impacts caused by the drought and, when necessary, transmit that information to the appropriate federal and state agencies.

IT IS FURTHER STRONGLY ENCOURAGED that local water agencies and districts work cooperatively on the regional and state level to take aggressive, immediate action to reduce water consumption locally and regionally for the remainder of 2008 and prepare for potential worsening water conditions in 2009.

This Order is not intended to, and does not, create any rights or benefits, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity, against the State of California, its agencies, departments, entities, officers, employees, or any other person.

I FURTHER DIRECT that as soon as hereafter possible, this Executive Order be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State and that widespread publicity and notice be given to this Executive Order.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 4^th day of June 2008.

________________________________

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER
Governor of California
 

ATTEST
________________________________

DEBRA BOWEN
Secretary of State  .."

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