The Statewide Flood Management Planning Program is led by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) through the FloodSAFE Initiative and the Division of Integrated Statewide Water Management in collaboration with local, State and federal agencies and tribes throughout California. The Statewide Flood Management Planning Program will help guide the State's decisions, and inform federal decisions, about policies and financial investments related to integrated flood management throughout California.

The Statewide Flood Management Planning Program will:

• Characterize current and future flood risks throughout California based on the best available information.
• Inventory and document major components of existing flood management infrastructure throughout the State.
• Identify opportunities for integrated flood management.
• Describe the challenges and opportunities for improving flood management.
• Identify options to finance the system improvements and continuing operations and maintenance.
• Develop recommendations to improve integrated flood management.

The Statewide Flood Management Planning Program will produce a report titled Flood Future: Recommendations for Managing California's Flood Risk (Flood Future Report). A public review draft of the Flood Future Report will be issued in early 2012, and a final version will be issued in 2014.

The Flood Future Report will provide the first characterization of statewide flood risk, along with the challenges, opportunities and recommendations for improving and financing integrated flood management. The Flood Future Report will also explore financing, institutional, legislative and policy options available to help improve local and regional flood management systems.

DWR is using a three step process to develop the Flood Future Report:

1. Collect information from federal, State, tribal and local agencies to characterize current and future flood risks; and identify where information gaps exist.
2. Explore options to address the flood risk by identifying current and planned flood management projects throughout California, as well as evaluating options to improve and finance integrated flood management.
3. Summarize key findings from the first two steps. Make recommendations for how State and federal government agencies can assist local implementation of integrated flood management improvements.