LOS ANGELES – With California in the midst of its driest period on record, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. will meet with more than a dozen water leaders from across Southern California tomorrow to discuss the state’s severe drought conditions and the need for all Californians to conserve water. The first few minutes of this meeting will be open to coverage by credentialed media.
When: Tomorrow, Thursday, January 30, 2014 at 8:00 a.m.
Where:The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, 700 North Alameda Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 (Adjacent to historic Union Station)
**NOTE: While this meeting is private, credentialed media are invited to cover the opening remarks by Governor Brown and Metropolitan Water District General Manager Jeffrey Kightlinger, who will announce new proposed southland water management actions.
During the meeting, in an adjacent room, a number of water saving devices eligible for rebates will be on display for reporters to shoot. Metropolitan officials will also be available following the meeting to provide additional comments.
With California facing its driest year on record, Governor Brown declared a drought State of Emergency earlier this month and directed state officials to take all necessary actions to prepare for water shortages. This week, CAL FIRE announced it hired 125 additional firefighters to help address the increased fire threat due to drought conditions, the California Department of Public Health identified and offered assistance to communities at risk of severe drinking water shortages and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife restricted fishing on some waterways due to low water flows worsened by the drought. This week, the California Natural Resources Agency, the California Environmental Protection Agency and the California Department of Food and Agriculture also released the California Water Action Plan, which will guide state efforts to enhance water supply reliability, restore damaged and destroyed ecosystems and improve the resilience of our infrastructure.
Governor Brown has called on all Californians to voluntarily reduce their water usage by 20 percent and last week, the Save Our Water campaign announced four new public service announcements that encourage residents to conserve. Last December, the Governor formed a Drought Task Force to review expected water allocations and California’s preparedness for water scarcity. In May 2013, Governor Brown issued an Executive Order to direct state water officials to expedite the review and processing of voluntary transfers of water and water rights.