The project will position watersheds for climate resilience and future funding opportunities
By Ryan Ojakian
The Watershed Resilience Pilot has reached a key milestone with the completion of a gap analysis reviewing more than 70 studies across the American, Bear, and Cosumnes watersheds. This work sets the stage for a detailed vulnerability assessment that will guide strategies to prepare the greater Sacramento region for climate impacts.
Launched by the Regional Water Authority (RWA) with support from the Department of Water Resources (DWR), the Pilot is one of five statewide pilots that are testing a new approach to water supply resilience planning. This approach expands both the geographic scope and the range of stakeholders, taking a “megashed” view that connects multiple watersheds—from headwater forests and foothill towns to groundwater basins and urban centers.
Completing the gap analysis keeps the Pilot on track to deliver the Watershed Resilience Plan in 2026 and positions the Sacramento area to be ready to pursue Proposition 4 funding. That funding—$100 million statewide for watershed resilience—is crucial to supporting a pipeline of projects that can strengthen resilience to droughts, flooding, warming temperatures, and wildfires.
Creating a Climate-Resilient Megashed
Back in 2022, the DWR designed the Watershed Resilience Program to advance climate adaptation at a watershed scale. Recognizing our diversity and proven leadership in collaborative watershed management through venues such as the Water Forum, DWR chose the Sacramento region as one of five pilot projects across the state.
The Watershed Resilience Pilot represents a next-generation planning framework—building on California’s Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) tradition and expanding the scope beyond the American River “supershed” to the full “megashed.” The Pilot is envisioned to broaden partnerships, evaluate the region’s greatest climate vulnerabilities, and develop a portfolio of adaptation strategies that deliver multiple benefits.
As part of this effort, the Pilot is examining nine interconnected systems that are affected by climate and weather: ecosystem, flood management, groundwater supply, hydropower, surface water supply, agriculture, recreation, water quality, and community and equity. The focus is on strategies that benefit multiple systems at once and that address the most vulnerable assets and communities.
Continue reading the Water Forum’s guest blog post to see what the gap analysis found and how it is shaping the next phase of the project.
