AB 2480 recognizes source watersheds as infrastructure and a critical component of the state’s water system. The legislation also calls for a prioritized and comprehensive investment plan to restore and conserve key watersheds. AB 2480 is the first step in putting together a comprehensive system to reduce these risks and promote water security and adaptation under climate change.

The bill, AB 2480 (authored by Richard Bloom, D-Santa Monica), officially recognizes five critical Sierra Nevada and Cascade watersheds as important pieces of the state’s water infrastructure. It enshrines in state policy the importance of restoring forests, meadows and streams in these watersheds, and make such projects eligible for state water-project grant funding.