DRIP Collaborative Second-Year Milestones: State-Led Drought Task Force Moves to Strengthen California’s Drought and Water Shortage Resilience

California’s increasingly severe droughts are not just a challenge for water managers — they fuel extreme wildfires, threaten communities, and strain ecosystems. The devastating fires experienced this year in Southern California, following months of record-dry conditions and coupled with extreme wind, underscore the urgency of preparing for drought conditions and their impacts before they become a crisis/emergency.

The Drought Resilience Interagency and Partners (DRIP) Collaborative, established to enhance California’s resilience to droughts and water shortages, has released its 2024 progress report which highlights the activities, discussions, meetings, and collaborative recommendation process that was undertaken during the DRIP Collaborative’s second year. DRIP is facilitating statewide planning, proactive preparation, and efficient emergency response while addressing the diverse needs of all water users. Formed in 2023, the Collaborative is comprised of a diverse array of voices, including state agencies, county and Tribal governments, community groups, and more.

In its inaugural year, the DRIP Collaborative identified three initial focus areas: drought-relevant data, domestic well preparedness, and drought narrative, each with a defined problem statement outlining key issues and challenges. This year, the DRIP Collaborative’s primary effort was developing recommendations for the State and its partners to address these challenges.

The drought-relevant data focus area addresses gaps in drought indicators, data sharing, and predictive analytics. In response to these challenges, the DRIP Collaborative developed two recommendations:

• Create an early warning system by developing drought indicators and metrics,
• Conduct a rapid inventory of existing drought-related tools and resources.

  The domestic well preparedness focus area addresses the need for proactive planning, clear responsibilities, improved funding and resource allocation, and better coordination to strengthen resilience for domestic wells and state small water systems. In response to these needs, the DRIP Collaborative developed three recommendations:

• Support county drought planning by establishing best practices, increasing funding and technical assistance, and improving coordination
• Create a voluntary community-based monitoring program to fill key data gaps and boost local engagement in groundwater management
• Clarify the roles and responsibilities of State, local, and other organizations involved in managing domestic wells.

The drought definition and narrative focus area addresses the lack of a shared understanding of drought, water shortages, and their varied impacts across regions and sectors. To address this challenge, the DRIP Collaborative recommended compiling case studies from diverse geographies and water users in California to clarify applicable drought definitions and showcase successful solutions.

In addition to approving the six recommendations, the DRIP Collaborative initiated discussions for 2025 focus areas, including land use planning for drought resilience, water infrastructure and planning, reducing ecosystem impacts of drought, climate change adaptation, and nature-based solutions for drought resilience. Details of the 2025 process were shared with DRIP Collaborative members and the public during a virtual informational meeting held in February.

Established under Senate Bill 552, the DRIP Collaborative brings together State agencies, Tribal representatives, local governments, public water systems, community-based organizations, nonprofit technical assistance providers, land-use or water experts, and agricultural, environmental, and public representatives to develop strategies for planning and responding to drought conditions.

The DRIP Collaborative made significant progress in 2024, advancing recommendations to tackle drought challenges while embracing diverse perspectives and quickly turning ideas into action. Despite budget constraints, DWR will continue to guide the group’s work by adjusting meeting structures and resources to maintain efficiency and fulfill state mandates.

To stay up to date on the DRIP Collaborative’s activities, visit water.ca.gov/drip or join the email subscription list at govdelivery.com.