Hi3 Water

California Water Assets

Pacific

California has the most complex water rights system in the US, combining riparian and prior appropriation doctrines. SGMA is transforming groundwater management.

Dual (Prior Appropriation + Riparian)59 counties tracked43744 active alerts
137,892
Total Assets
50.3
Avg WIS
52,964
Verified
2
High WIS (75+)

California Water Intelligence Report

Hi3 Water tracks 137,892 water assets across California, spanning 59 counties and 8 distinct asset types. The average Water Intelligence Score (WIS) across California is 50.3/100, with 2 assets scoring in the high-value range (75+). California operates under Dual (Prior Appropriation + Riparian) water law, which directly affects water rights acquisition and asset valuation in this state.

The dominant water asset type in California is Well (82,836 assets, avg WIS 42.7). The highest concentration is in San Bernardino County with 10,654 tracked assets.

43,744 active regulatory alerts are currently tracked in California, including EPA violations, drought declarations, and state water board enforcement actions. Always check the regulatory intelligence for any asset before making acquisition decisions.

Data sources: USGS Water Data, EPA ECHO, state water boards, and verified field reports. Water Intelligence Scores are computed across flow rate, geological stability, legal accessibility, sustainability, and rarity. Report last updated: June 28, 2026.

Asset Types in California

Well
82,836
Avg WIS 42.7
River
45,887
Avg WIS 65.3
Lake
4,501
Avg WIS 42.4
Spring
1,992
Avg WIS 43.0
Reservoir
1,712
Avg WIS 47.0
Glacier
961
Avg WIS 42.3
Aquifer
2
Avg WIS 76.0
Fossil Water
1
Avg WIS 76.0

Intelligence Grade Distribution

How California assets are graded

S (≥90) — Exceptional0 (0.0%)
A (75-89) — Excellent2 (0.0%)
B (55-74) — Good45,936 (33.3%)
C (35-54) — Fair91,954 (66.7%)
D (<35) — Limited0 (0.0%)

Regulatory Alerts

Drought, EPA violations, and enforcement actions affecting California

3377
critical
18018
high
14329
medium
8020
low
0
info
CACHE C SETTLING BASIN SITE C NR WOODLAND CA — Gage Height 22.4 ft
usgs_flood · flood_warning
SACRAMENTO R BL WALNUT GROVE BR A WALNUT GROVE CA — Gage Height 15.1 ft
usgs_flood · flood_warning
NEMETH SLOUGH NR COURTLAND CA — Gage Height 12.1 ft
usgs_flood · flood_warning

Top Counties in California

San Bernardino
10,654 assetsWIS 44
Kern
8,504 assetsWIS 43
Santa Barbara
6,674 assetsWIS 42
Riverside
6,489 assetsWIS 43
Fresno
6,317 assetsWIS 43
Los Angeles
4,936 assetsWIS 44
Tulare
4,698 assetsWIS 42
San Diego
4,164 assetsWIS 42
Merced
2,993 assetsWIS 42
San Joaquin
2,570 assetsWIS 42
Madera
2,034 assetsWIS 42
Imperial
1,983 assetsWIS 43

Aquifer Type Mix

unconfined
3,911
Avg WIS 45
confined
453
Avg WIS 54
fossil
1
Avg WIS 76

Top 10 Water Assets in California

Ranked by Water Intelligence Score — California's highest-scoring springs, wells, and aquifers.

View all on map
  1. 1

    Central Valley Aquifer — San Joaquin Valley

    Aquifer
    Fresno County·1,500 GPM
    80
    WIS
  2. 2

    San Joaquin Valley Deep Fossil Aquifer — Tulare Basin

    Fossil Water
    Tulare County·800 GPM
    76
    WIS
  3. 3

    Central Valley Aquifer — Sacramento Valley

    Aquifer
    Butte County·2,000 GPM
    72
    WIS
  4. 4

    Bowman Arch

    Reservoir
    ·8,752,205 GPM
    71
    WIS
  5. 5

    L. L. Anderson

    Reservoir
    ·7,271,062 GPM
    71
    WIS
  6. 6

    Bucks Lake

    Reservoir
    ·6,732,465 GPM
    71
    WIS
  7. 7

    Ice House Dike No. 1

    Reservoir
    ·10,098,698 GPM
    70
    WIS
  8. 8

    Kangaroo Lake

    Reservoir
    ·6,732 GPM
    69
    WIS
  9. 9

    Bare Creek

    River
    ·1,655 GPM
    69
    WIS
  10. 10

    Cottonwood Creek

    River
    ·2,167 GPM
    69
    WIS
Avg Flow Rate
219,288 GPM
Avg Depth
320 ft
For Sale
0
Fossil Water
1

Explore California on the Interactive Map

View all 137,892 water assets, aquifer boundaries, water rights data, and regulatory alerts for California.

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