Managing Water Scarcity: A Framework for Fair and Effective Water Right Curtailment in California

Droughts are becoming more frequent and intense in California. Many California watersheds experience seasonal water scarcity nearly every year. To protect water rights, human health and safety, and the environment from serious harm, California’s State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) needs to be able to routinely curtail unlawful water uses. But it has struggled to carry out this basic function, running into resource constraints and technical, legal, and political barriers. This report describes the legal context for and history of curtailments in California. It also recommends actions the SWRCB and State Legislature can take to build a framework for fair and effective curtailment in California.