The California Water Code requires the Department to publish an update of the California Water Plan every five years. Bulletin 160-98 is the latest in a series of water plan updates. The previous update, Bulletin 160-93, was released in 1994. The Bulletin 160 series evaluates water supplies and assesses agricultural, urban, and environmental water uses to quantify the gap between water supplies and uses. In response to public comments on Bulletin 160-93, the main focus of Bulletin 160-98 was to evaluate options for meeting the State's future water needs.

Executive Summary Foreward Chapter 1 - Introduction Chapter 2 - Water Supplies Chapter 3 - Water Demands Chapter 4 - Balancing Water Supply and Demand Chapter 5 - Conclusions and Recommendations Figures Figure ES-1 - The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and San Francisco Bay Figure ES-2 - Hydrologic Regions of California Figure ES-3 - Disposition of Average Annual Water Supply Figure ES-4 - Major Water Project Facilities in California Figure ES-5 - Components of Ground Water Use and Sources of Recharge Figure ES-6 - Comparison of Population Projections Used in Bulletin 160 Analyses Figure ES-7 - Irrigated Acreage in California 1870 - 2020 Figure ES-8 - Environmental Water Needs Figure ES-9 - The California Water Balance Sidebars The Governor's Water Policy Water Transfer Criteria California's Water Supply Availability Definition of Terms Tables Table ES-1 - California Water Supplies with Existing Facilities and Programs Table ES-2 - Use of Ground Water by Hydrologic Region 1990 Table ES-3 - Urban Water Demand by Hydrologic Region Table ES-4 - Agricultural Water Demand by Hydrologic Region Table ES-5 - Environmental Water Needs by Hydrologic Region Table ES-6 - California Water Demand Table ES-7 - California Water Budget Table ES-8 - Level I Demand Management Options Table ES-9 - Level I Water Supply Management Options Table ES-10 - California Water Supply with Level I Water Management Programs Table ES-11 - Level II Water Management Options Volume 1 Foreward Letter from the California Water Commission, Acknowledgement Chapter 1- Summary of Volume I Effects of Recent Changes in the Institutional Framework California's Water Supplies Surface Water Supplies Ground Water Supply Water Quality Considerations Chapter 2 - The Institutional Framework for Water Resource Management in California Allocation and Management of California's Water Supplies California Constitution Article X, Section 2 Riparian and Appropriative Rights Water Rights Permits and Licenses Ground Water Management Public Trust Doctrine Federal Power Act Area of Origin Statutes The Current Regulatory and Legislative Framework Protection of Fish and Wildlife Environmental Review and Mitigation Protection of Wild and Natural Areas Water Quality Protection Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Drinking Water Quality San Francisco Bay and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta State Water Project and Federal Central Valley Project Decision 1485 Racanelli Decision Coordinated Operation Agreement SWRCB Bay-Delta Proceedings Fish Protection Agreement Suisun Marsh Preservation Agreement Surface Water Management Regional Water Projects Central Valley Project Improvement Act of 1992 Transfer of the CVP Trends in Water Resource Management Water Transfers Water Use Efficiency Management Programs Interstate Water Resource Management Colorado River Truckee-Carson-Pyramid Lake Water Rights Settlement Act of 1991 Klamath Project Chapter 3 - Surface Water Supplies Droughts in California Length and Frequency of Droughts Water Supply Development Local and Imported Supplies State Water Project Central Valley Project Other Federal Projects Colorado River Water Recycling Other Water Supplies Gray Water Long-Range Weather Forecasting Weather Modification Watershed Management Sea Water Desalination Recommendations Chapter 4 - Ground Water Supplies Ground Water Defined Ground Water Development Statewide Ground Water Use Ground Water Overdraft Sea Water Intrusion Subsidence Ground Water Quality Other Districts Management of Ground Water Resources Adjudicated Basins Ground Water Management Agencies Water Districts with a Pump Charge Other Districts Effect of the Drought on Ground Water Ground Water Levels and Storage Wells and Ground Water Use Conjunctive Use Conjunctive Use Programs Prospects for the Future Recommendations Chapter 5 - Water Quality Overview of Water Quality in California Mineralization and Eutrophication Toxic Pollutants Pathogens Disinfection Byproducts Agricultural Pollutants Urban Pollutants Other Pollutants Drinking Water Regulations and Human Health Meeting Water Quality Standards Source Protection Critical Components of State Water Supply Sacramento-SanJoaquin Delta Water Quality Colorado River Water Quality Ground Water Quality Remediation and Protection of Ground Water Quality Quality Considerations for Water Reclamation and Reuse Cost of Poor Quality Water Recommendations Introduction Water Use Chapter 6 - Urban Water Use Population Growth Urban Land Use Urban Water Conservation Urban Water Pricing Urban Retail Water Prices Urban Ground Water Prices Per Capita Water Use Disaggregating Urban Water Use Urban Water Forecasts Urban Water Use Forecast to 2020 Recommendations Chapter 7 - Agricultural Water Use Factors Affecting Agricultural Water Use Definition of Crop Consumptive Use Historical Unit Water Use Irrigation Management and Methods Drainage and Salinity Water Price and Production Costs Cropping Patterns in California Historic Agricultural Acreage Water Supply and Water Price Agricultural Retail Water Prices Agricultural Ground Water Production Costs Agricultural Water Conservation Drainage Reduction San Joaquin Valley Drainage Program Irrigation Efficiency Agricultural Water Demand Forecast 1990 Level of Development Agricultural Acreage Forecast Urbanization of Agricultural Lands 2020 Agricultural Water Demands Recommendations Chapter 8 - Environmental Water Use Bay-Delta Estuary Bay-Delta History The Physical System Water Development Biological Resources and Processes Bay-Delta Environmental Water Needs Other Activities That May Affect Bay-Delta Water Allocation Environmental Instream Flows Sacramento River Region San Joaquin River Region Eastern Sierra Coastal Streams Existing Environmental Instream Flow Requirements Wetlands Federal Wetland Policiies and Programs California Wetland Policies and Programs Wetland Water Supply and Demands Future Water Needs for Wetlands Summary of California's Environmental Water Needs Recommendations Chapter 9 - Water-Based Recreation Recreation and Water Management Reservoir Recreation River Recreation Wildland Recreation Water-Based Recreation Policy and Planning Responsibility The Davis-Dolwig Act Federal Water Project Recreation Act Trends in Recreation Area Use Water Use for Recreation Water Project Operations and Recreation Benefits State Water Project Recreation Drought Impacts on Recreation Direct Effects on Facility Availability Reservoir Recreation Impacts River Recreation Impacts Winter Recreation Impacts Chapter 10 - The Sacramento - San Joaquin Delta Delta Flows Reverse Flow and Carriage Water Key Delta Issues Fish and Wildlife Issues Local Issues Delta Water Quality Standards Racanelli Decision SWRCB Bay-Delta Proceedings Meeting Water Quality Standards Flooding in the Delta Stability of Delta Levees Delta Water Resource Management and Planning Past Delta Water Management Programs Current Delta Regulatory Decision-Making Process Role of the U.S. EPA in the Delta Options for Enhancing Urban Water Quality, Water Supply Reliability and Improving Delta Environmental Conditions Ongoing Delta Planning Programs Long-Term Delta Planning Programs Recommendations Chapter 11 - Options for Balancing Water Supply and Demand Reliability Planning: Maintaining the Balance Between Water Supply and Demand Supply Reliability and Demand Variability Options for Enhancing Water Supply Reliability Level I Reliability Enhancement Options Long-Term Demand Management Options Short-Term Demand Managment Options Water Supply Management Options Level II Reliability Enhancement Options Long-Term Demand Management Options Water Supply Management Options Chapter 12 - Water Supply and Demand Balance Water Supply Existing Water Management Programs Level I Water Management Options Level II Water Management Options Water Demand Urban Water Use Agricultural Water Use Environmental Water Use California Water Balance Recommendations Demand Management Supply Augmentation Economic Costs of Unreliability Contingency Losses Long-Term Losses Environmental Costs of Unreliability Economic Impacts of the Drought Appendix A A.1 Bibliography, Statutes and Court Cases Cited in Chapter 2 A.2 Acts Authorizing Regional and Local Water Projects A.3 Acts Authorizing Elements of the State Water Project and the Central Valley Project A.4 Several Acts Regulating Activities Affecting the Environment Appendix B - Public Comments on the Draft California Water Plan Update Background The Plan as a Whole Water Supply Water Use Meeting California's Water Needs Miscellaneous Glossary Abbreviations and Acryonyms Figures Sidebars Tables Volume 2 Summary of Volume II North Coast Region San Francisco Bay Region Central Coast Region South Coast Region Sacramento River Region San Joaquin River Region Tulare Lake Region North Lahontan Region South Lahontan Region Colorado River Region Appendix C, Planning Subareas and Land Ownership Appendix D, Hydroelectric Resources of California Tables Summary of Volume II North Coast Region San Francisco Bay Region Central Coast Region South Coast Region Sacramento River Region San Joaquin River Region Tulare Lake Region North Lahontan Region South Lahontan Region Colorado River Region Appendix D, Hydroelectric Resources of California Figures Summary of Volume II North Coast Region San Francisco Bay Region Central Coast Region South Coast Region Sacramento River Region San Joaquin River Region Tulare Lake Region North Lahontan Region South Lahontan Region Colorado River Region Appendix C, Planning Subareas and Land Ownership Sidebars California's Water Supply Availability Definition of Terms