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Welcome to California Water Intelligence
This dashboard visualizes publicly available California water data from NOAA, CDEC, and CA DWR — data that is often scattered across agencies or presented in hard-to-use formats
Intended for informational and research purposes only — not a substitute for official agency reports
The dashboard is actively being improved with new data sources, tabs, and more actionable insights over time
While Klimate Consulting does its best to review, verify, and ensure accuracy, errors and mistakes may occur and we are not responsible for them. If you spot an issue, have feedback, or want to learn more, contact us, or email us at [email protected]
π§
California Water Intelligence
Klimate Consulting
Data through June 2026
π Current Conditions as of May 2026
Status
Near Normal
In Drought
0%
of CA land (D2+)
Very Wet
2%
of CA land (W2+)
π Historical Trends 1895-Present
π₯
Drought Conditions
This chart tracks the percentage of California's land area classified as severe drought (D2+) over time. The trend line reveals that drought severity has increased significantly since the late 20th century, with post-1990 droughts covering more of the state and lasting longer than the pre-1960 baseline.
The annual rate at which severe drought coverage is changing. A positive value means droughts are covering more of California each year. The p-value indicates statistical confidenceβvalues below 0.05 mean the trend is unlikely due to random chance.
Trend
+0.072%
per year (p=0.0083)
The average percentage of California experiencing severe drought (D2 or worse) during the historical baseline period before 1960. This represents conditions before significant climate change impacts.
Pre-1960
8.1%
D2+ baseline
The average percentage of California experiencing severe drought (D2 or worse) since 1990. Comparing this to the pre-1960 average reveals how drought conditions have changed in the modern era.
Post-1990
14.2%
D2+ modern
The percentage increase in severe drought coverage comparing the post-1990 period to the pre-1960 baseline. This shows how much more of California now experiences severe drought compared to the historical norm.
Change
+76%
severity increase
π§
Wet Conditions
This chart tracks the percentage of California classified as very wet (W2+). Unlike drought, wet conditions have not changed significantly over the past 130 years. While individual wet years can be dramatic, the long-term trend is essentially flat, meaning California's wet extremes are not keeping pace with its worsening droughts.
The annual rate at which very wet conditions coverage is changing. A positive value means wet conditions are covering more of California each year. The p-value indicates statistical confidenceβvalues above 0.05 mean the trend may be due to random variation.
Trend
+0.032%
per year (p=0.3766)
The average percentage of California experiencing very wet conditions (W2 or wetter) during the historical baseline period before 1960. This represents typical wet conditions before significant climate change impacts.
Pre-1960
8.5%
W2+ baseline
The average percentage of California experiencing very wet conditions (W2 or wetter) since 1990. Comparing this to the pre-1960 average shows whether wet periods have changed in the modern era.
Post-1990
10.9%
W2+ modern
The percentage change in very wet conditions comparing the post-1990 period to the pre-1960 baseline. Unlike drought, this change is not statistically significant, meaning wet conditions have remained relatively stable.
Change
+28%
not significant
Key Findings from 130 Years of Data
π΄ Drought Severity: Getting Much Worse
+82% increase in severe drought. Highly significant (p=0.0047).
π Drought Frequency: No Change
Droughts occur at same frequency. Problem is severity, not frequency.
π§ Wet Conditions: Modest Increase
+27% increase, but not statistically significant (p=0.406).
βοΈ Asymmetric Intensification
Droughts intensifying 2.6Γ faster than wet periods.
Cumulative precipitation for the Northern Sierra 8-Station Index. This is the primary indicator for California's water supply.
YTD Total
50.5"
through May 2026
Current precipitation compared to historical average for this point in the water year.
% of Avg
105%
above normal
π²
San Joaquin (5SI)
Cumulative precipitation for the San Joaquin 5-Station Index (Central Sierra).
YTD Total
34.7"
through May 2026
Current precipitation compared to historical average for this point in the water year.
% of Avg
94%
below normal
πΎ
Tulare Basin (6SI)
Cumulative precipitation for the Tulare Basin 6-Station Index (Southern Sierra).
YTD Total
23.9"
through May 2026
Current precipitation compared to historical average for this point in the water year.
% of Avg
87%
below normal
Water Year 2026 Progress Cumulative precipitation vs. historical range
Analog Years: Dotted lines show historical years with the most similar precipitation pattern at this point in the water year.
β Blue = ended wet (>110% of avg),
β Red = ended dry (<90% of avg),
β Gray = ended normal. Hover for details.
ποΈNorthern Sierra (8SI)
π²San Joaquin (5SI)
πΎTulare Basin (6SI)
π― Water Year Outcome Forecast Projected end-of-year precipitation based on historical patterns
How to read: The cone shows the range of possible outcomes based on how similar past years finished.
The dark band shows 25th-75th percentile (likely range),
light band shows 10th-90th percentile (possible range).
The dashed line shows the median projection.
ποΈNorthern Sierra
π²San Joaquin
πΎTulare Basin
π Long-term Trends 100+ years of data β is precipitation changing?
ποΈ California Reservoir Storage as of 2026-06-30
19,351 / 24,163 TAF
16 Major Reservoirs Tracked
Status Breakdown
Full (90%+)5
Good (70-90%)9
Moderate (50-70%)2
Low (30-50%)0
Critical (<30%)0
π§ Coming Soon to Storage Tab
πΊοΈ Groundwater Basins DWR
Basin boundaries and storage anomalies
π Subsidence Tracking InSAR
Land subsidence from overdraft
Data: CDEC (California Data Exchange Center) | Daily storage updates | 17 major reservoirs
ποΈ California Water Management Agencies
π’Water Districts2053 districts | 121,184 sq mi
πGroundwater Sustainability Agencies362 GSAs | 52,058 sq mi
Water Districts include irrigation districts, municipal utilities, community service districts, and other local agencies that manage water supply and distribution.
GSAs are local agencies responsible for developing and implementing Groundwater Sustainability Plans under SGMA (Sustainable Groundwater Management Act).
Data Sources: DWR GIS Services (gis.water.ca.gov) for water district boundaries | SGMA Portal (sgma.water.ca.gov) for GSA boundaries | Data as of December 2025
π§ California Water Conveyance Infrastructure 87,908 features | 72,000 km mapped
Key lift stations, capacity, and energy consumption data.
π Diversions eWRIMS
Point of diversion locations, permitted volumes, and actual usage.
ποΈ Condition Assessment Research
Infrastructure age, maintenance needs, and modernization projects.
Data: DWR Water Conveyance GIS | Bureau of Reclamation CVP | CDFW CVPIA | NHD (National Hydrography Dataset) β canals & ditches
π
Regulation & Policy
Navigate California's complex water rights system and groundwater sustainability regulations.
βοΈ Surface Water Rights eWRIMS
Appropriative and riparian rights, priority dates, and allocation status.
π Groundwater Sustainability Plans SGMA Portal
GSP summaries, sustainability indicators, and implementation milestones.
πΎ Ag Water Management Plans 90+ PDFs
District-level water use efficiency, conservation measures, and demand projections.
π’ Policy Tracking Research
Emerging regulations, curtailment orders, and legislative updates.
π° California Water Pricing
1780 agencies · 898 with a $/AF rate · 1620 mapped with pricing · 546 more boundaries shown (data coming soon)
What does it cost to buy water from a California irrigation or water district? Pick a customer class and a price metric below — the map, the price-distribution chart, and the table all update together. Click any district (or table row) to see its full rate breakdown, its source document, and where its price falls on the distribution. Rates are point-in-time and vary by water-year type; many agencies don't publish a single clean figure, so some show structure only or no published rate.
Customer class i
Price metric
County
Confidence
Search agency
π Price distribution
How agencies in the current selection spread across the price range. Hover the bars to read any price point and its percentile; click any district to open its full pricing detail here.
Each agency's headline rate for the chosen class & metric, colored by the same price bands as the map. The axis is capped near the 98th percentile so a few outliers don't flatten the curve.
π Click a district on the map (or a row in the table below) to see its full rate breakdown and source here.
π Rate table
Agency
County
Class
$/AF
$/acre
Year
Conf.
Structure
Source
How to read this: Volumetric rates ($/AF) are the per-acre-foot charge for water delivered; fixed charges ($/acre) are standby/assessment charges levied on land regardless of use. Many agencies charge both. “Municipal & Industrial” (M&I) means water sold to cities, businesses, and industry; together with Residential it makes up urban water use. Residential and M&I rates are shown as approximate $/AF conversions for comparison only and are excluded from the agricultural ranking. Figures are point-in-time, vary by water-year type (dry vs. normal), and are not averaged across years — the effective year is shown wherever known. A low confidence chip or a missing year means the figure should be confirmed with the district before any decision.
Sources & method: Rates are compiled from heterogeneous public sources — district rate pages, Agricultural Water Management Plans, board minutes, budgets, Prop 218 notices, LAFCO Municipal Service Reviews, and the UC Merced 2025 study. Every mapped/listed figure links to its source. See the full water pricing methodology for details. Agencies with no published rate are kept in the table (greyed on the map) because the absence of public pricing is itself useful.
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Premium dataset
Full access to the California water pricing dataset — every agency's rates, source documents, and the interactive map — is available by request.
To get access to the full pricing data, please email [email protected].