California Water Data Consortium

The California Water Data Consortium is advancing four projects, including projects on groundwater accounting and data reporting; urban water data reporting; telemetered water data monitoring and LiDAR data. The Consortium received funding from the Department of Water Resources to advance modernization of water and ecological water data in California, including programmatic, communications, and coordination work. It also received program-specific support as outlined below. Groundwater Accounting and Data Reporting Project. The Consortium, in partnership with nongovernmental organizations, State partners, and water agencies, continued to advance the Groundwater Accounting and Data reporting project. This important work has resulted in an open-source Groundwater Accounting Platform to support local agencies in implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. This work is supported by funding from the Department of Water Resources and a U.S. Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART Applied Science grant. Urban Water Data Reporting Project. The Consortium is working with State Water Resources Control Board and the Department of Water Data to improve urban water dataaccessibility with the goals of reducing reporting burdens, expanding access to more timely data, and improving data use to support decision-making.Telemetered Water Data Monitoring Project. The Consortium is developing technical recommendations for reporting telemetered water data to the State Water Resources Control Board that are responsive to major watershed management issues and interests, costs, and privacy concerns, while also communicating the benefits of water data for administration of existing water rights, environmental protections, and community needs. This work is funded by the State Water Resources Control Board.LiDAR Data Project. In partnership with the Water Solutions Network, the Consortium provides an informal meeting space for state and non-state partners to meet, discuss and collaborate on LiDAR needs and opportunities in the state of California. This work receives in-kind facilitation services to support ongoing meetings and discussion from the Department of Water Resources. In all of its work. the Consortium continues to engage the water data community in our work and promote more equitable water solutions. Some examples of community engagement, include:i) a free, virtual Data for Lunch series providing a venue for the Consortium's Board and Steering Committee members, Working Group Co-Chairs, and the public to learn about and discuss emerging water-related datasets, technologies and governance structures and ii) a collaboration with the AB1755 Partner Agency Team and state agencies to discuss and make recommendations on additional measures needed for the continued advancement of open water data in California.