Many of the issues our region is facing in the future are bigger than any one entity. Los Angeles County is made up of cities and unincorporated areas and linked to other counties, regions in California, and states, and even other parts of the U.S. The interaction between us all is an important backdrop to the Los Angeles County Water Plan. Water is one way we are connected, as we must work together to find innovative ways to convey, treat, deliver, and beneficially use our resources. There is much to be done and some efforts are more difficult than others to address, but the Los Angeles County Water Plan seeks to fill gaps and provide linkages to improve resilience through the County. While not all projects can be addressed now, the Plan seeks to address what is most feasible now, with room from additional progress in the future. Explore below to see how influence outside the boundaries of Los Angeles County are being incorporated into the work we are doing in the Los Angeles County Water Plan.
Managing water into the future
Southern California hosts nearly 25 million people who live, work and play in this mostly sunny land. Nearly half live right here in our county. Managing water in the face of climate change, population growth, and environmental needs is challenging and requires visionary planning and action to address the needs of many. Some of these challenges are highlighted here.
Water is the lifeblood of our state, flowing into and within it, providing us with this vital resource. Its benefits include increasing our state’s prosperity, desirability as a place to live, and capacity to grow produce and agriculture that is supplied throughout the world. These benefits rely on both imported and local water.
Benefitting from multiple water sources
Responding to climate change impacts
Global climate change is altering nearly all stages of the worldwide water cycle. In Los Angeles County, these changes create challenges for all aspects of the water system. Here are a few examples:
What happens on the national and state levels affects everything about our water, from our water rights and water quality to our water sources and floodwater management. Overlapping, and sometimes conflicting, regulations complicate the management of Los Angeles County’s water systems.
Multiple entities regulating Los Angeles County's Water