Department of Water Resources California – DWR Contact, Programs, Water Data, Floods & State Water Project

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California DWR guide – verified August 7, 2026

Find the Right California DWR Contact, Water Data Tool or State Program

Use this guide to reach California Department of Water Resources headquarters, check reservoirs and snowpack, review groundwater conditions, report a flood or State Water Project incident, request records, or find grants, jobs and regional assistance.

California DWR is a statewide water resources and infrastructure agency. It normally does not collect household water bills, open residential accounts, repair neighborhood service lines or issue most water-right permits.

Open Official California DWR DWR Contact and Directory Check Water Conditions Flood Information Line
DWR Headquarters 916-653-5791
Hours Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Street Address 715 P Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
Flood Information 800-952-5530
SWP Emergency 916-574-2714
Public Records 916-557-4575
Start with the correct agency

Does California DWR Handle Your Water Problem?

California water duties are divided among DWR, the State Water Resources Control Board, local utilities, cities, counties and emergency agencies. Use the agency named on your bill, permit, notice or project document.

Your task Correct place to start Why
Pay a household water bill City utility, local water district, county utility or private water company DWR does not normally bill residential customers.
Start or stop home service Provider printed on the bill Local providers manage customer accounts and meters.
Report a local main break Local utility emergency line, public works or city 311 Local crews operate local distribution systems.
Check reservoirs or snowpack California Water Watch or CDEC DWR publishes statewide hydrologic information.
Find groundwater or well data California Groundwater Live or DWR well resources DWR maintains groundwater and well-report systems.
Apply for a water-right permit State Water Board Division of Water Rights The State Water Board administers most water-right permitting.
Report a flood or SWP incident DWR Flood Operations Center or SWP Operations Center These are direct DWR responsibilities.
Name warning: California DWR is not California Water Service, Cal Water, LADWP, a city water department or the State Water Resources Control Board.
Choose the fastest official route

California DWR Tool and Contact Router

Current Water Conditions

Use California Water Watch for precipitation, reservoirs, snowpack, groundwater, streamflow and local watershed conditions.

Open Water Watch

Flood and River Data

Use CDEC and the Flood Operations Center for river stages, precipitation, forecasts and flood incident reporting.

Open flood data

Groundwater and Wells

Use California Groundwater Live for levels, well infrastructure, dry-well reports, subsidence and SGMA dashboards.

Open Groundwater Live

Public Records

Use the records portal linked from the DWR Contact page. Name the project, facility, county, date range and record type.

Open DWR Contact

Grants and Assistance

Use DWR grants, GRanTS and regional technical assistance for eligible agencies, Tribes and nonprofits.

Review grants and loans

Jobs and State Exams

Use DWR Careers for classifications, examinations, current vacancies and recruiter help.

Open DWR Careers

Jump to the California DWR Answer You Need

Statewide water agency responsibilities

What the California Department of Water Resources Does

DWR manages California water resources, systems and infrastructure, including the State Water Project. Its work combines water supply, flood safety, dam regulation, groundwater planning, science, climate adaptation, energy, ecosystem restoration and assistance to local agencies.

State Water Project Operates reservoirs, aqueducts, pipelines, pumping plants and power facilities that move water across California.
Flood management Supports forecasting, flood operations, emergency coordination, planning and local risk reduction.
Dam safety Reviews design, construction, repair, alteration and removal work for state-jurisdictional dams.
Groundwater management Collects data, evaluates basins, supports SGMA and provides technical and financial assistance.
Water efficiency Supports urban and agricultural conservation, planning and public education.
Science and climate Develops data, models, forecasts and adaptation strategies for drought, flood and snowpack change.
Unsure which program applies? Use the DWR All Programs directory.
Choose the data source by question

California DWR Water Data Tools Compared

California Water Watch Best for a map-based snapshot of precipitation, temperature, reservoirs, snowpack, groundwater, streamflow, soil moisture and vegetation.

Open Water Watch

California Data Exchange Center Best for station reports, precipitation indexes, river stages, snow sensors, reservoir storage and technical hydrologic data.

Open CDEC

California Groundwater Live Best for monitoring wells, groundwater trends, dry wells, land subsidence, well infrastructure and SGMA information.

Open Groundwater Live

Water Data Library Best for established groundwater-level, water-quality and related datasets. The platform is being modernized, so the interface may change.

Open Water Data Library

SGMA Data Viewer Best for groundwater basins, sustainability agencies, plans, monitoring and implementation data.

Open SGMA Data Viewer

DWR Portals Best for open data, GIS, irrigation weather, modeling, documents and specialized program applications.

Review DWR portals

Data warning: Some public values are preliminary or compiled from partner sources. Check the station, date, units and disclaimer before legal, regulatory, engineering or emergency use.
Current-condition workflow

How to Check Current California Water Conditions

Open California Water Watch. Search or browse to the county, watershed, water agency, groundwater sustainability agency or drinking-water provider area.
Select the condition. Choose precipitation, temperature, reservoirs, snowpack, groundwater, streamflow, soil moisture or vegetation.
Check date and geography. Confirm whether the display is daily, water-year-to-date, percent of average, percentile or capacity.
Open CDEC for station detail. Use CDEC for individual reservoir, river, precipitation and snow stations or historical reports.
Read the original disclaimer. Contact the responsible DWR program when the data supports engineering, grant, regulatory or emergency work.
Save the source date. Record the station, units, geographic boundary and access date when sharing the result.
State-owned water storage and delivery

California State Water Project: What It Does and What Allocation Means

The State Water Project is a multi-purpose system planned, built, operated and maintained by DWR. It extends more than 705 miles and includes reservoirs, canals, pipelines, pumping plants, hydroelectric facilities and recreation areas.

More than 705 miles The system spans a large portion of California.
29 contractors Public water agencies receive project supplies and distribute water through local systems.
27 million people DWR says SWP contractors serve water to 27 million Californians.
750,000 acres The project supports about 750,000 acres of farmland.
2026 snapshot: DWR raised the 2026 SWP allocation to 45 percent of requested supplies on May 15, 2026. This percentage can change as storage, snowpack, runoff and regulatory conditions change.
Not a household ration: The allocation is a planned delivery percentage for contractor requests. Your local provider still sets household service rules and billing.

Review the official State Water Project page.

Use the contact for the incident type

California DWR Flood and Emergency Contacts

Incident Official contact Prepare
Flood incident or river information 800-952-5530 or 916-574-2619 Location, water body, time, road or levee impact and immediate safety risk.
State Water Project facility incident 916-574-2714 Facility or landmark, incident type, time and known hazard.
Hazardous material or spill Cal OES: 916-845-8911 Material, location, source, affected water body and risk.
Local street flood or main break 911 for life danger; otherwise local 311, public works or utility Exact address, depth or flow and property or traffic impact.
Safety first: Call 911 for immediate threats to life. Do not enter moving floodwater or approach damaged infrastructure.
Drought, dry wells and conservation

California Drought and Dry Well Resources

Drought conditions and assistance Use the state drought portal for response information, incident reporting and drought-resilient funding resources.

Open drought.ca.gov

Groundwater and reported dry wells Use California Groundwater Live for groundwater levels, well infrastructure and reported dry-well dashboards.

Check groundwater

Household conservation Save Our Water provides indoor and outdoor conservation guidance.

Review conservation tips

Dry household well: Report the condition through the current state route, then contact county environmental health, local emergency management and drinking-water assistance programs.
Groundwater conditions and well records

How to Find a California Well Completion Report

Open the DWR Well Completion Reports page. Launch the map application and search the location as precisely as possible.
Review the available record. Older reports may use approximate locations or limited information.
Use the request form if no report appears. Provide county, parcel or address, owner, driller, approximate year and well use when known.
Send it to the correct regional office. Use the county-region maps. Staff may ask for clarification or advise of an applicable service fee.
Limit: A completion report documents construction. It does not prove ownership, legal water rights, current water quality, safe yield or permit compliance.

Open Well Completion Reports guidance.

State-jurisdictional dam oversight

California DWR Dam Safety Contact and Project Forms

The Division of Safety of Dams reviews plans for construction, enlargement, repair, alteration and removal of state-jurisdictional dams and performs engineering and construction oversight.

General information 916-565-7800
damsafety@water.ca.gov
Office 2720 Gateway Oaks Drive, Suite 300
Sacramento, CA 95833
Applications DWR publishes forms and instructions for dam construction, enlargement, repair, alteration and removal.
Separate approvals: DWR dam-safety approval does not replace a State Water Board water-right permit, local land-use approval or other environmental authorization.

Open the Division of Safety of Dams.

Focused Public Records Act requests

How to Request California DWR Records

Identify the record. State the project, facility, program, county, date range, document type or contract number.
Search public resources first. Check DWR documents, notices, open data, CDEC and program pages.
Open the portal from the DWR Contact page. Select the closest program or record category.
Describe scope and preferred format. Ask for a realistic date range and electronic copies when appropriate.
Save the request number. Use it for status checks and clarification responses.
Records email DWRPRA@water.ca.gov
Records phone 916-557-4575
Records fax 916-653-0952
Do not use the legal-service number: 916-902-7156 is for legal service of process, not general public records requests.

Open DWR Contact and select the Public Records Request Portal.

Funding and regional assistance

California DWR Grants, GRanTS and Technical Assistance

Typical applicants Local public agencies, Tribes and nonprofit organizations are common applicants, but every solicitation has separate eligibility.
Supported work Programs can address watershed resilience, water supply, flood risk, groundwater, conservation, drought and environmental stewardship.
GRanTS The Grants Review and Tracking System may be used for applications, contracts, deliverables and invoices.
Regional help Four DWR regional offices provide technical guidance on groundwater, geology, land and water use, monitoring, GIS and outreach.
Before applying Read eligibility, match requirements, scoring, schedule, environmental requirements and attachments.
Contacts Funding@water.ca.gov
GRanTS help: 888-907-4267
Openings change: Check the current DWR program page, GRanTS and California Grants Portal rather than relying on an old grant list.
Jobs, exams and business opportunities

California DWR Careers and Contracting Resources

Career fields DWR hires in engineering, geology, environmental science, maintenance, IT, administration, finance, legal and communications.

Review DWR careers

State hiring sequence Many applicants must meet classification requirements, take an exam or assessment, obtain list eligibility and apply to individual vacancies.
Recruiter support Recruiter@water.ca.gov
The CNRA Career Center at 715 P Street lists Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Procurement Use DWR procurement and public notices for goods, technical services, construction-related materials and IT opportunities.
Real estate DWR manages land rights, property functions and its Encroachment Permit Program.
Technical assistance Local agencies and regional groups can contact the appropriate DWR regional office.
Headquarters and specialist contacts

California Department of Water Resources Phone, Address and Hours

DWR Headquarters 916-653-5791
Monday-Friday
8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Closed on state holidays
Street Address California Department of Water Resources
715 P Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Mailing Address California Department of Water Resources
P.O. Box 942836
Sacramento, CA 94236-0001
Public Affairs 916-653-1074
media@water.ca.gov
Accessibility 916-653-6192
accessibility@water.ca.gov
California Relay Dial 711. DWR lists English TTY 800-735-2929 and Spanish TTY 800-855-3000.
Call script I need the DWR program for ______ in ______ County. The project, facility, dataset or record is ______. Please confirm the correct office.
Avoid wrong-agency and wrong-data errors

Common California DWR Mistakes

Mistake Why it causes a problem Better action
Trying to pay a local bill through DWR DWR is not the billing provider for most homes. Use the provider and portal printed on the bill.
Confusing DWR with the State Water Board The agencies have different infrastructure, data, quality and water-right duties. Use the agency responsible for the exact permit, notice or program.
Calling DWR for a local main break DWR cannot dispatch every city or district crew. Call 911 for life danger or the local utility, public works or 311.
Quoting Water Watch without date or unit Datasets have different update schedules and measures. Record the source, access date, unit and geographic boundary.
Submitting a broad records request Staff may need clarification before searching many programs and years. Name the project, county, date range and record type.
Treating an SWP allocation as permanent Allocations can change during the water year. Check the latest DWR allocation announcement and date.
Official final actions

California DWR Action Center

Choose the resource that matches the task. For data, record the source and date. For requests or incidents, prepare the location, program, facility and timeline.

Check Water Conditions View reservoirs, snowpack, groundwater and streamflow. Open Flood Data Review CDEC, forecasting and flood resources. Request DWR Records Open the official contact page and public records portal. Find Grants or Jobs Review funding, careers, procurement and technical assistance.
Ten practical answers

California Department of Water Resources FAQs

1. What is the official California DWR website?

The official website is water.ca.gov. Use it for programs, current conditions, contacts, notices, grants, careers, forms and data portals.

2. What is the California DWR phone number?

DWR headquarters lists 916-653-5791. Hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., excluding state holidays.

3. Does DWR handle residential water bills?

Usually no. Billing, account login, start-stop service and local meters are normally handled by a city utility, local district, county utility or private water company.

4. Where can I check reservoirs and snowpack?

Use California Water Watch for an easy overview and CDEC for station-level reservoir, snow, precipitation, river and historical data.

5. What number reports a flood incident?

Call the Flood Operations Center at 800-952-5530 or 916-574-2619. Call 911 first when life is in immediate danger.

6. What number reports a State Water Project emergency?

Report State Water Project facility incidents to 916-574-2714.

7. How do I request DWR records?

Use the public records portal linked from the DWR Contact page. DWR lists DWRPRA@water.ca.gov and 916-557-4575 for records questions.

8. How do I find a well completion report?

Start with DWR’s Well Completion Reports map. If the report is not online, submit the WCR Request Form to the regional office responsible for the county.

9. Does DWR issue water-right permits?

Most water-right permitting is handled by the State Water Resources Control Board Division of Water Rights. DWR separately operates the State Water Project and regulates dam safety.

10. How do I find DWR grants or jobs?

Use DWR Grants and Loans and GRanTS for funding. Use DWR Careers and CalCareers for classifications, exams and vacancies.

Official-source verification

Official California DWR Resources Used

California DWR Home Main programs, current conditions, notices and resources. DWR Contact Phone, addresses, hours, records, emergency and accessibility contacts. What DWR Does Water supply, flood, drought, dam safety, science and infrastructure duties. All Programs Directory of DWR programs and tools. California Water Watch Current statewide and local water-condition maps. CDEC Hydrologic stations, reservoirs, snow, precipitation and rivers. Groundwater Live Groundwater, wells, subsidence and SGMA dashboards. State Water Project System scope, contractors, facilities and operations. Flood Data CDEC, river forecasting and flood resources. Well Reports Map, request steps and regional contacts. Grants and Loans Funding programs and application resources. DWR Careers Classifications, exams, vacancies and recruiter help.
Verified August 7, 2026: Headquarters details, records contact, flood and SWP emergency numbers, data tools, State Water Project facts, 2026 allocation, dam-safety contact, grant and career routes, and official URLs.

Water-Department.org is an independent informational website. It is not California DWR, the State Water Resources Control Board, a local utility or an emergency agency. Complete official actions through the responsible government system.

Water conditions, SWP allocations, grant openings, contacts and data interfaces can change. Confirm time-sensitive information before a legal, engineering, financial or emergency decision.

Free Water Bill & Utility Service Assistant

Pay Smarter, Check High Bills, Start Service, Avoid Shutoff and Find Official Water Department Links

Use this free tool before paying a water bill, setting up autopay, starting or stopping service, checking a high bill, requesting leak help, or looking for the official water department portal. It gives practical next steps without collecting your account number or personal details.

Start Water Bill Helper
8 toolsBill pay, high bill check, leak checklist, start/stop service, assistance and official searches.
All utilitiesWorks sitewide for city, county, parish, authority and private water utility pages.
No loginNo account number, email, service address or payment data is required.
Mobile-firstBuilt for customers searching from a phone while trying to solve a bill or service issue.

What water bill or service problem do you need to solve?

Choose your situation. The tool will suggest the safest next step, what to prepare, and which official page to check first.

Payment safety tip

Start from the official water department, city, county or utility website before entering account details. Avoid random payment ads and look-alike bill pay sites.

High bill tip

Before paying a very unusual bill, check meter reads, toilet leaks, irrigation use, estimated bills, late fees, and whether your utility offers a leak adjustment.

Water Bill Payment Route Helper

Choose how you want to pay. The tool will tell you what to prepare and the safest payment path.

High Water Bill Checker

Compare your normal bill with the new bill and get a practical investigation path before calling customer service.

Use gallons, CCF, HCF or units shown on your bill.

Leak Check and Adjustment Checklist

Use this before requesting a leak adjustment, disputing a bill, or calling the water department about high usage.

Start, Stop or Transfer Water Service Helper

Use this before moving, opening a new account, closing an old account, or transferring service to another address.

Past Due, Shutoff and Reconnection Helper

Use this if your account is late, disconnected, at risk of shutoff, or you need a payment plan or assistance program.

Simple Water Usage Cost Estimator

Estimate a rough bill from base charge, usage units, rate per unit, sewer charge, stormwater fee and service fees. Official tiered rates may be different.

Example: if usage is gallons, enter cost per gallon.

Official Water Department Resource Finder

Enter city/utility and state to create safe searches for the official water bill portal, phone number, outage page, assistance, start service, leak adjustment, and Water-Department.org guide.

Water Department vs Payment Processor

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Best sitewide placement

Add this tool after the main payment section or before FAQs. It helps users solve the next problem after reading the article.

Important safety note

This tool gives educational guidance only. Always confirm payment portals, phone numbers, account balance, assistance rules and reconnection steps with the official water department or utility.

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