The dams/reservoirs are finally being repaired/retrofitted after decades of kicking the can down the street. As such, a lot of water is/was allowed to flow down the rivers, into the bays, and out to the Pacific Ocean. They also haven’t built new water storage in a long time. They also have allowed millions of illegals into the state to further stress resources. Desalination would probably be a small blip for the entire state. So. California would just rather steal it from No. California and Arizona.
There is a new one called diamond lake just south of hemit in riverside county 80,000 feet of water. Orange county has aquifer water.
Rather, the dams in the Sierra foothills and canyons continue to be destroyed and ripped out by the enviros.
Their “concerns” about the desalination plants are excuses. Delaying tactics, because they are afraid they really will work.