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ATTACHMENT # 2 Exeruttue Department State of(California EXECUTIVE ORDER B-37-16 MAKING WATER CONSERVATION A CALIFORNIA WAY OF LIFE WHEREAS California has suffered through a severe multi-year drought that has threatened the water supplies of communities and residents, devastated agricultural production in many areas, and harmed fish, animals and their environmental habitats; and WHEREAS Californians responded to the drought by conserving water at unprecedented levels, reducing water use in communities by 23.9% between June 2015 and March 2016 and saving enough water during this period to provide 6.5 million Californians with water for one year; and WHEREAS severe drought conditions persist in many areas of the state despite recent winter precipitation, with limited drinking water supplies in some communities, diminished water for agricultural production and environmental habitat, and severely- depleted groundwater basins; and WHEREAS drought conditions may y persist in some parts of the state into 2017 and beyond, as warmer winter temperatures driven by climate change reduce water supply held in mountain snowpack and result in drier soil conditions; and WHEREAS these ongoing drought conditions and our changing climate require California to move beyond temporary emergency drought measures and adopt permanent changes to use water more wisely and to prepare for more frequent and persistent periods of limited water supply; and WHEREAS increasing long-term water conservation among Californians, improving water use efficiency within the state's communities and agricultural production, and strengthening local and regional drought planning are critical to California's resilience to drought and climate change; and WHEREAS these activities are prioritized in the California Water Action Plan, which calls for concrete, measurable actions that "Make Conservation a California Way of Life" and "Manage and Prepare for Dry Periods" in order to improve use of water in our state. LL 4