The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) Water is a valuable natural resource in California, and should be managed to ensure the availability of sufficient supplies to meet the state’s agricultural, domestic, industrial, and environmental needs. It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage local agencies to work cooperatively to manage their available local and imported water supplies to improve the quality, quantity, and reliability of those supplies.

(b) Local agencies can realize efficiencies by coordinating and integrating their assets and seeking mutual solutions to water management issues.

(c) The reliability of water supplies can be significantly improved by diversifying water portfolios, taking advantage of local and regional opportunities, and considering a broad variety of water management strategies as described in the California Water Plan.

(d) The implementation of this part will facilitate the development of integrated regional water management plans, thereby assisting each region of the state to improve water supply reliability, water quality, and environmental stewardship to meet current and future needs.

(e) Water management is integrally linked to public health and the health of all natural resources within our watersheds. It is the intent of the Legislature that water management strategies and projects are carried out in a way that promotes these important public values.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 2008, 2nd Ex. Sess., Ch. 1, Sec. 5. Effective March 1, 2009.)