About Us

Mission

Seven counties in Southern California receive water and hydroelectric energy from the Colorado River. Colorado River water is used for drinking water by over 19 million people in Southern California and irrigates over 600,000 acres of agricultural lands that produce fruits, vegetables, and other crops that help feed our nation’s families.

The mission of the Colorado River Board of California is to protect California’s rights and interests in the resources provided by the Colorado River and to represent California in discussions and negotiations regarding the Colorado River and its management.

To fulfill this mission, since 1938 the Colorado River Board of California has been charged with:

• Ensuring the long term quantity and reliability of California’s Colorado River water resources.
• Representing California in discussions among the Colorado River Basin States, Indian Tribes, the federal government and others in implementing joint cooperative programs to protect California’s use of Colorado River water and to address environmental and endangered species issues.
• Addressing issues relating to the 1944 U.S.-Mexico Water Treaty through cooperative efforts with the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission and other states.

Board Members

The Colorado River Board of California consists of eight members that are appointed by the Governor, including six representing water agencies and two members of the public, and the Directors of the California Department of Water Resources and California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Members are as follows:

Authorization

The legal authorization for the Colorado River Board is provided in California’s Water Code, Division 6, Part 5 (sections 12500-12560).

State Leadership Accountability Act (SLAA) Report

The State Leadership Accountability Act (SLAA), Government Code sections 13400-13407, was enacted “to reduce the waste of resources and strengthen internal control. SLAA requires each state agency to maintain effective systems of internal control, to evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of these controls on an ongoing basis, and to biennially report on the adequacy of the agency’s systems of internal control” (from the Dept. of Finance’s SLAA website). Download the CRB’s latest SLAA reports below:

• 2024 SLAA Report
• 2023 SLAA Report