California is the largest user of water in the nation, due in part to its large population, extensive agricultural sector, and large industrial base.

California’s water comes from many sources: precipitation, rivers, groundwater, and even from out of state through aqueducts (such as the Colorado River aqueduct) and water transfers. As the state’s population and economy continue to grow, California will need to meet the need for water through sustainable processes that ensure efficient use of existing water resources and that protect the state’s sensitive environment. Only then will California be on the correct path of quenching the thirst of the third largest and most populous state in the nation.