The 2026-27 Budget: Proposed Elimination of State Environmental Positions

Feb 17, 2026 - However, in many cases, the residual positions in question supported by special funds do not have a direct impact on the General Fund and thus do not factor directly into efforts to balance the budget.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5124

The 2026-27 Budget: Proposed Elimination of State Environmental Positions [Publication Details]

Feb 17, 2026 - In this post, we assess the Governor’s proposal to eliminate certain vacant state environmental positions.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/5124

The Bay-Delta Plan and Voluntary Agreements: Ensuring Effective Legislative Oversight

Mar 18, 2026 - The other pathway —more traditionally regulatory —would apply to water users that do not choose to be part of the VA program. Key features of the two pathways include: VA Pathway Includes Flows and Habitat Projects.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5163

The 2021-22 Budget: California Department of Fish and Wildlife [Publication Details]

Jan 27, 2021 - The 2021-22 Budget: California Department of Fish and Wildlife [Publication Details] Translate Our Website This Google ™ translation feature provided on the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) website is for informational purposes only.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/4325

The 2025-26 Budget: May Revision Trailer Bill Proposals on the Delta Conveyance Project and Water Quality Control Plans

May 27, 2025 - However, environmentalists, commercial fishing interests, native tri bes, and community groups are concerned that the resulting instream flows under the VA pathway would be inadequate for protecting native fish and maintaining healthy conditions in the Delta.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5053

The 2022-23 Budget: State Water Resources Control Board—Bay-Delta Plan Update

Jan 31, 2022 - What is the board doing to address these barriers? Are there steps the Legislature can take to help address existing or anticipated future obstacles? Would Additional Resources Help Expedite Progress?
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4506

The Bay-Delta Plan and Voluntary Agreements: Ensuring Effective Legislative Oversight [Publication Details]

Mar 18, 2026 - This report discusses the State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWRCB’s) proposed—and long-overdue—update of the water quality control plan for the San Francisco Bay-Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, which includes an alternative compliance pathway for certain water users called voluntary agreements (VAs, also known as Healthy Rivers and Landscapes).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/5163

The 2026-27 Budget: Permitting Support at the State Water Resources Control Board

Mar 2, 2026 - The state has a statutory responsibility to regulate waters that were formerly under federal jurisdiction (and has an interest in doing so given the implications for drinking and agricultural water quality and fish and wildlife habitat).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5144

What Can We Learn From How the State Responded to the Last Major Drought?

May 13, 2021 - Because certain drought conditions require immediate response but do not continue forever, many policy changes undertaken between 2012 and 2016 were authorized on a temporary basis, often by gubernatorial executive order or emergency departmental regulations.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4429

The 2021-22 Spending Plan: Natural Resources and Environmental Protection

Oct 18, 2021 - (The totals shown in the figure do not include funding approved by the Legislature for water-related activities outside of the Drought and Water Resilience Packages approved in July and September 2021.)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4463