The state auditor found that in contrast to the Department of Water Resources, some local and federal agencies “use forecasting models that leverage additional data that may allow them to better account for the changing climate and its effects on the water supply.” It said some of the agencies that incorporate additional data in this way include Turlock Irrigation District, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Merced Irrigation District and the California Nevada River Forecast Center. It pointed out that scientists project global warming will cause more extreme fluctuations in severe weather, including prolonged drought. The report noted that California endured the driest three-year period on record from 2020 through 2022, followed this year by heavy rain, snow and flooding. In February of that year, the report said, the department projected that runoff would be at least twice the volume that actually flowed in the majority of the watersheds that are included in forecasts. The auditor said that in 2021, amid the driest three-year period on record, DWR significantly overestimated the state’s water supply. The audit also concluded that DWR “has not developed a comprehensive, long-term plan” for the State Water Project, the system that delivers water from Northern California to Southern California and supplies almost 27 million Californians, to proactively respond to more severe droughts. The report by State Auditor Grant Parks said the Department of Water Resources has “made only limited progress” in improving its water-supply forecasts to account for climate change, despite acknowledging more than a decade ago that it needed to improve its forecasting methods. The state auditor has issued a report strongly criticizing the California Department of Water Resources, saying the agency has overestimated the state’s water supply during drought and continues relying on forecasts that don’t adequately factor in the effects of climate change.
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