Updating Water Rights Data for California (UPWARD)

California water right holders are required to report information to the State Water Board about their water use and the methods they use to divert water from streams. This information provides the foundation for data-driven water management decisions, which are becoming increasingly important to mitigate the impacts of climate change on the people and natural resources of our state. The state's current water rights data system lacks basic functionality to collect high-quality water use data, streamline and guide reporters through the reporting processes, and ensure open and transparent public access to water information. Furthermore, millions of water rights records (dating back to the late 1800s) are stuck in paper format and cannot be accessed online.

In 2021, the Board initiated the UPWARD project to remedy the impacts of our aging data system, improve our data processes, and advance our ability to collect, manage, and provide water rights data to the public, as called for by the California Water Resilience Portfolio and the California Water Supply Strategy.

UPWARD will create a modern electronic content management system that streamlines water rights online reporting processes and guides users through the system, step-by-step. The GIS-driven data system will help water right holders, staff, and the public find and access water rights records, including providing access to digitized records currently stored on paper. The new system will also accept real-time telemetric water use data. Specific details about system capabilities will be available as development progresses.

UPWARD completed the technical planning phase and is currently in the final of three software development phases. The initial development phases include building the foundational functions of the new data system, identifying areas that may need additional attention in subsequent enhancement phases, and scaling up the paper document digitization processes. Development will continue into 2024, with an initial demonstration of the system’s core functions (Minimum Viable Product) anticipated by the end of 2024. Please see the Anticipated Project Timeline section below for more information about the overall project timeline.

• July 2021 - UPWARD project funding approved
• January 2022 - Software development contractor selection process began
• February 2023 – Development contract awarded to Deloitte Consulting LLP
• March 2023 - Data system planning phase began with Deloitte
• May 2023 - Public outreach began (UPWARD Public Webinar)
• Summer 2023 – UPWARD Advisory Group formed and formal system development began
• September 2023 – Inaugural UPWARD Advisory Group Meeting
• May 2024 – Second UPWARD Advisory Group Meeting
• November 2024 – Third UPWARD Advisory Group Meeting
• Winter 2024 – Initial demonstration of the data system core functionality
• 2025 – Data system is made available for water rights reporting

UPWARD Advisory Group

The Board formed the UPWARD Advisory Group to engage with experts and interested parties who are willing to lend their skills, guidance, and knowledge to help the Board achieve the goals of the UPWARD project. Applications for the UPWARD Advisory Group closed on July 28th, 2023. The UPWARD Advisory Group Charter outlines expectations and member responsibilities.

Meet our UPWARD Advisory Group

Supporting the Board's commitment to engage impacted communities, California Native American Tribes, and the public at large in decision-making processes and projects, the UPWARD Advisory Group will serve as the public voice of the UPWARD project. The group will facilitate development of the Board's new water rights data system by providing advice and feedback to ensure the new system accommodates the various needs of California's water rights communities.

The first UPWARD Advisory Group meeting was held September 19, 2023. The next Advisory Group meeting will be held in Spring 2024. Slides and a link to a video of the meeting can be found here:

• Recording of the September 19th meeting
• Meeting slides

UPWARD Public Webinar

Our first public outreach webinar was held on May 19th, 2023, at 10:30 am. State Water Board staff went over the history of the UPWARD project, anticipated timelines, outcomes, and more and participants were able to ask questions.

Workshop Materials:

• September 19, 2023
  • Video Recording
  • State Water Board Presentation Slides
  • Notice
• May 1, 2024
  • Video Recording
  • State Water Board Presentation Slides

Technical Group Close-Out Meeting

In April 2023, the California State Water Resources Control Board (Board), led by the Telemetry Research Unit (TRU), convened a small, diverse Water Telemetry Technical Group (Technical Group) of interested parties who conduct telemetered water monitoring or use telemetered water data. The Technical Group was formed to help the Board (1) better understand current data standards and data transfer processes; (2) explore best practices that can streamline and enhance telemetered reporting; and (3) develop relationships with interested parties.

Information collected by TRU was synthesized in a Report made available to Technical Group Members after a Close-out Meeting on May 31, 2024. Access to view the Close-out Meeting video can be found here:

• Video Recording

• California Water Resilience Portfolio
• California Water Supply Strategy
• UPWARD Advisory Group
• Department of Water Resources Water Budget Handbook
• Piloting a Water Rights Data System for California, UC Berkeley