Water Data Legislation Options: Examples from New Mexico, California, and Oregon

Only two states, New Mexico and California, have existing water data legislation: New Mexico’s 2019 Water Data Act and California’s 2016 Open and Transparent Water Data Act. Oregon’s legislature also passed funding packages in 2021 for its water agencies to design a new integrated water data portal. This policy brief compares processes, outcomes, and costs associated with the legislation and funding for water data initiatives in New Mexico, California, and Oregon.