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130 Part i california Water for the Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force identified more than 100 within the Delta alone, and this was considered an incomplete list. Excessive decen- tralization has greatly reduced the ability of fragmented scientific and technical activity to provide coherent and consistent advice to policymakers. In addition, investments in science have not kept up with demands for increas- ing information and analysis. Federal investments in science for California water through the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, and U.S. Geological Survey have been modest and centered mostly on narrow agency missions and mandates, with little broader synthesis or exploration of strategic solutions to long-term problems. Major construction projects, which provided an overall focus, ended decades ago, and, since then, technical management in these agen- cies has deteriorated badly. The three state agencies responsible for statewide water management and regulation—Department of Water Resources, State Water Resources Control Board, and Department of Fish and Game—have seen a steady erosion of their technical capacity. California has many universities famous for their extensive and high-quality scholarly water research. But this work is often ad hoc, with little coordination or integration beyond a few efforts at a handful of campuses. One of the largest concerns regarding California’s scientific infrastructure comes from changes in how agencies are staffed. For the last 30 years, a strong political drive has shrunk agency staffing and funding while increasing the scope and complexity of their responsibilities. The result has been a long-term shift from in-house agency expertise to reliance on external, for-profit consult- ing firms to complete both major and minor initiatives. Many major ongoing studies of water management in California—Bay Delta Conservation Plan, Delta Stewardship Council, State Plan of Flood Control, Delta Risk Management Study, and more—are run by consultants directed by agencies. Although this shift reflects fiscal necessities, the loss of in-house expertise—particularly more senior and experienced technical and scientific managers with deep knowledge of operations or ecosystems—reduces the ability of agencies to be nimble and authoritative in their responses or the management of consultants. Finally, there is a growing information gap regarding water in the state. Dramatic advances have occurred in technology for monitoring water as it moves through the hydrologic cycle. Monitoring the flow and quality of water is essential for water management today and will become increasingly important for an Era of Reconciliation. Yet cash-strapped federal and state agencies, forced