IMO the only one that had the insight and forethought that translated into substantive action for California was Mulholland. As bad as he screwed water rights owners, he at least had the benefit of thinking beyond his lifetime actually benefit their realm.
There is no one I can think of today in California public service that does that in any shape form or fashion.
I have worked with various public entities: Ca. Dept. of Water Resources, East Bay Mud, SF PUD, LADWP, Orange County Water, OC Sanitation.
I have found at the lower levels the engineers to be capable, but lacking experience, smart, but in need of training, eager to do what is right, but also: Their hands are tied by higher ups and politicians. As these people mature in their positions they become: resigned to the situation, unwilling to make decisions, and simply passing the paper work through so as to cover their butts.
There was the federal Central Valley Project and federal dams on the Colorado plus others like Shasta Dam in CA.
There was the State Water Project(1960), which was 14 billion in 2014 dollars.
In 2000 CA voters approved close to 6 billion. Another $8 billion in 2002. Another $11 billion in 2005.
In Nov 2014 voters approved another $7.5 billion. This really began in the 2009 state lege as $11 billion but they didn't have enough votes to pass it in 2010 so they didn't put it on the ballot. Same thing in 2012. So, in 2014, the lege cut it back to $7.5 billion and the voters approved it(Proposition 1).
The feds don't spend money like they used to. CA would like to raise the height of Shasta dam, but Congress will have to approve the money.
Everybody likes to get their information by reading political websites, but they need to be reading at the California Dept of Water Resources, California State Water Plan, California WaterFix.com, or about Proposition 1, or previous water bond votes. Or you might want to read the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, California Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and many many others.