Gavin Newsom needs a plan for California's endangered water supply

The changing climate and more volatile weather patterns make the valley again susceptible to flooding. Sacramento, in fact, is among the U.S. cities most vulnerable to inundation. Any water plan for California should start with protection from flooding and with projects that capture, reroute and store floodwaters.

That means a different approach from the last century’s great engineering projects. Instead of dams, California today needs projects that meet multiple needs at once: reducing flood risk, recharging depleted groundwater and restoring degraded wildlife habitat. Voters have approved a number of such projects already, but Newsom’s leadership can ensure that they are completed more quickly.