The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following:

(a) Water is vital to the economy, environment, and overall well-being of the state.

(b) California faces increasing challenges in managing its water supply due to climate change, uncertainty regarding the availability of water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and other sources, an increasing state population, limitations on public funds, and other factors.

(c) California must adopt a new, updated, and comprehensive set of water planning, design, and implementation policies that reflect these realities to protect its water supply future.

(d) In the past, state laws, funding schemes, and administrative actions have treated the planning, construction, and operation of water supply, groundwater, and flood control systems as separate and distinct activities, thereby reducing efficiency and water supply reliability.

(e) California has not taken full advantage of the cost savings, the environmental benefits, or the expediency of more efficient operations and usage of existing water supply, storage, and flood protection facilities.

(f) It is the policy of the state to more effectively integrate its flood protection systems with its water supply and conveyance systems in order to conserve limited public dollars, increase the available water supply, improve water quality, increase wildlife and ecosystem protections, protect public health and safety, and address the effects of climate change.

(g) The purpose of this division is to require the integration of flood protection and water systems to achieve multiple public benefits, including all of the following:

(1) Increasing water supply reliability in the least costly, most efficient, and most reliable manner to meet current and future state needs.

(2) Increasing use of water use efficiency and water conservation measures to increase and extend existing water supplies.

(3) Reducing energy consumption associated with water transport, thereby reducing state greenhouse gas emissions.

(4) Improving water management to protect and restore ecosystems and wildlife habitat.

(Added by Stats. 2008, 2nd Ex. Sess., Ch. 1, Sec. 6. Effective March 1, 2009.)