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The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has launched a standing Drought Resilience Interagency and Partners (DRIP) Collaborative, which will include members of the public. Community members and water users are encouraged to apply.
Initiated by Senate Bill 552, the DRIP Collaborative will foster partnerships between local governments, experts, community representatives and state agencies to address drought planning, emergency response, and ongoing management. Members will help ensure support for community needs and anticipate and mitigate drought impacts, especially for small water supplier and rural communities who are often more vulnerable to droughts.
“Even as the state’s drought outlook improves, it’s critical that the water community all work together to advance drought planning and response for the state’s hotter, drier future,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “We’re looking for a variety of representatives statewide to actively participate on behalf of all water users to achieve a drought resilient future.”
The DRIP Collaborative will include a total of 26 members, comprising state agency representatives and two appointees from each of the following groups: local governments, community-based organizations, Tribes, nonprofit technical assistance providers, the general public, agriculture, environmental representatives, public water systems, small water suppliers or urban water agencies, and experts in land use planning, water resilience, or water infrastructure.
DWR is accepting Letters of Interest until February 24, 2023, and DWR will announce selected members of the DRIP Collaborative in spring 2023. Members will be chosen based on answers to a series of questions about their background, available time commitment and expected contributions to the Collaborative. Interested parties can visit the DWR website for more information on how to submit Letters of Interest.
The first meeting is scheduled for April 6, 2023. Meetings will occur tri-annually and will be open to the public.
For more information about the Drought Resilience Interagency and Partners Collaborative, visit DWR’s DRIP Collaborative webpage.
