Abstract
My objective here is to present an overview of water resources development and management in California from a historical perspective. First, I will make some observations about the growth that the state has experienced in the 150 years of its existence. Then, I will briefly discuss the geography of the state in terms of its water resources together with the water development system that has been constructed. I will describe the nature of our water rights system and then conclude with a discussion of some of the new directions in water policy that we are experiencing.
