The History of the California Environmental Protection Agency

One of the first environmental challenges the newly formed state government faced in the mid 1800s was debris from hydraulic mining following the gold rush.  Water quality concerns, dangers of flooding, impact on agriculture and hazards to navigation were issues every bit as real to nineteenth century Californians  as they are at the start of the twenty-first century.

From these beginnings, state government’s environmental efforts have expanded over the last century-and-a-half, as Californians have demanded increased  protection of our state’s resources, natural beauty, and quality of life.  Californians have led the nation in recognizing that a healthy economy and  a healthy environment must go hand-in-hand.

We invite you to take a few minutes to read the history of the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA).