How it works: The Bay Delta Conservation Plan

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 4, 2009 at 8:19 am

From the Contra Costa Times:

In early 2005, state biologists began sharing some alarming new information: The populations of an entire suite of Delta fish species had begun a nose dive three years earlier. Since one of those fish was protected under endangered species laws, the findings meant Delta pumps surely would be more tightly regulated.

This confronted big water agencies with two basic problems: First, they already knew the channels that convey water to the southern Delta pumps were becoming increasingly unreliable. Second, endangered species laws were now threatening to restrict their access to Delta water.

The solution was to attempt an escape from the strict, extinction-preventing rules of the Endangered Species Act by turning to a more flexible section of the law. The shift would allow water agencies to partially escape tight regulatory oversight, but it also requires them to come up with a detailed “habitat conservation plan” to improve the fate of all sorts of wildlife, including endangered fish.

The success of such plans has been mixed, but in theory they turn efforts away from single species to broader conservation goals. In the process they can provide regulatory stability — in this case, assurances that water supplies will be predictable.

Read more from Mike Taugher at the Contra Costa Times by clicking here.

July 4, 2009 · Filed Under Bay Delta Conservation Plan

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State official: Local residents will have say in new Bay-Delta plan (full story now available)

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 12, 2009 at 2:32 pm

From the Lodi Sentinel, the complete story is now posted:

Karla Nemeth made no bones about it when she addressed the Walnut Grove Rotary Club on Monday. She works for the Schwarzenegger administration, which wants to ship more Delta water to the southern San Joaquin Valley and to Southern California. “A lot of people really hate this,” Nemeth told what she envisioned to be a hostile audience full of residents of the Highway 160 corridor. “I get this.”

Rotarian Larry Emery, pastor of Walnut Grove Presbyterian Church, complained about Northern Californians, and especially Delta residents, not having sufficient representation in deciding the Delta’s future. “We don’t have any representation except at these kinds of meetings (like Rotary),” Emery said. “When it comes to decision making, we’re not at the table.”

Nemeth, communications director for the California Natural Resources Agency, the lead agency in developing the Bay-Delta plan, said the plan will involve input from local jurisdictions.

Daniel Wilson, a sixth-generation Delta farmer, said he has trouble understanding how Delta and other regional interests can be represented on committees related to the peripheral canal proposal, considering that the only way to get the canal built will be to get rid of Delta-area interests.

Read the full story from the Lodi Sentinel by clicking here.

May 12, 2009 · Filed Under Bay Delta Conservation Plan

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‘We’re not at the table’: State official assures local residents will have say in new Bay-Delta plan

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 12, 2009 at 7:46 am

From Lodi Sentinel:

Karla Nemeth made no bones about it when she addressed the Walnut Grove Rotary Club on Monday. She works for the Schwarzenegger administration, which wants to ship more Delta water to the southern San Joaquin Valley and to Southern California.

“A lot of people really hate this,” Nemeth told what she envisioned to be a hostile audience full of residents of the Highway 160 corridor. “I get this.”

Rotarian Larry Emery, pastor of Walnut Grove Presbyterian Church, complained about Northern Californians, and especially Delta residents, not having sufficient representation in deciding the Delta’s future. “We don’t have any representation except at these kinds of meetings (like Rotary),” Emery said. “When it comes to decision making, we’re not at the table.”

A little more at the Lodi Sentinel by clicking here; the major portion of this story apparently is only available in the print version :(

May 12, 2009 · Filed Under Bay Delta Conservation Plan, Peripheral Canal

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Delta water agencies challenge Bay Delta Conservation Plan process

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on April 22, 2009 at 8:22 am

From Jacqueline McDonald of Somach, Simmons & Dunn:

On April 13, 2009, the Central Delta Water Agency and South Delta Water Agency (Delta Water Agencies) filed a Complaint for Declaratory Relief, Injunctive Relief, and Mandamus challenging the preliminary actions of various state and federal agencies, urban and agricultural water purveyors, agricultural interests, and environmental groups related to the collaborative Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) process. (Central Delta Water Agency et al. v. United States Fish and Wildlife Service et al., United States Eastern District Court, Case No. 09-CV-01003-JAM-GGH.) In recent years, politicians, state and federal agencies, and various stakeholders have advocated the BDCP process as a means to improve the failing San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) ecosystem and increase the reliability of water supplies exported through the Delta, including consideration of a potential isolated conveyance facility.

Bay Delta Conservation Plan

In 2006, in response to increasing and anticipated future water shortages related to the rapid decline of the Delta ecosystem, a newly formed BDCP “steering committee” commenced public discussions to create a habitat conservation plan pursuant to section 10 of the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). This plan could potentially also satisfy the more stringent requirements for a conservation plan under the California National Community Conservation Planning Act (NCCPA). As such, the BDCP would provide coverage for the incidental take of state and federally listed threatened and endangered species affected by existing or potentially modified United States Bureau of Reclamation Central Valley Project (CVP) and California Department of Water Resources State Water Project (SWP) operations in the Delta. Since the initial meetings in 2006, additional stakeholders have joined the steering committee in investing considerable time, money, and energy analyzing options to improve the Delta ecosystem and increase water supply reliability. Throughout 2007, the steering committee evaluated alternative conceptual water conveyance and ecosystem restoration opportunities for the Delta. One of the water conveyance options proposed and subsequently selected for consideration was an isolated conveyance facility to move water supplies around, rather than through, the Delta.

Get more background and analysis from Jacqueline McDonald of Somach, Simmons & Dunn by clicking here.

April 22, 2009 · Filed Under Bay Delta Conservation Plan

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Delta plan draws ire of locals; BDCP meeting in Clarksburg called “one of their liveliest” meetings

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on April 2, 2009 at 1:17 pm

From the Capital Press:

State officials constructing a conservation plan for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta made a long circuit of public-input events up and down the state last month, delivering a Powerpoint outline of alternatives in a plan to save the delta’s collapsing native fish habitat while maintaining water exports in future dry years.

It was all part of the required public-comment process for the state’s Bay Delta Conservation Plan. Some previous meetings had been calmer. Others - especially those in and near the delta, where locals feel they’re on the losing end - were more lively.

Their last meeting was one of their liveliest events.

On March 26, the middle school auditorium in the tiny town of Clarksburg, which hugs the western levee of the Sacramento River south of the capital, was packed to standing room.

The team of federal and state officials made its usual presentation, and the following comment period lasted the rest of the night. The surrounding Clarksburg winegrape appellation accounted for a number of speakers, who protested a move toward higher salinity in delta waters and the loss of property values they said would result.

References to past wars were abundant. One speaker compared the plan to the aggression of Nazi Germany, another to the internment of Japanese-Americans, saying its confiscation of rights and possessions would be similar. The entire plan was denounced as a water grab for Los Angeles. Four-letter words were used. Some speakers drew a connection from restored wetlands to West Nile virus, including a woman recently left paralyzed by a mosquito bite.

“We are not prepared to see the delta restored to its natural state, as environmentalists are clamoring for,” said Dave Sterling, a resident of nearby Walnut Grove. “Please don’t throw those of us who call the delta home under the bus.”

Read more from the Capital Press by clicking here.

April 2, 2009 · Filed Under Bay Delta Conservation Plan

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State Water Contractors: State Water Project delivery allocations increase 5%, but picture remains grim due to cumulative impacts of drought & regulatory restrictions

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on March 19, 2009 at 8:20 am

From the State Water Contractors:

The State Water Contractors welcomed the California Department of Water Resources’ announcement that State Water Project (SWP) delivery projections have increased from 15 percent to 20 percent, but the organization says that the overall picture remains unchanged. The state continues to face a three-year drought and a deep and growing water crisis. The cumulative impacts of drought and ongoing regulatory restrictions have led to water rationing, fallowed farm lands, job losses and water rate increases throughout the state.

The announcement indicates that the State Water Contractors, the public water agencies that purchase water from the SWP, are projected to get 20 percent of the water they are contracted to receive in 2009. The 20 percent projection is one of the lowest in California’s history. Collectively, the State Water Contractors serve 25 million people, 750,000 acres of farmland and businesses throughout Northern, Central and Southern California.

“We are grateful for the sip of relief we’ve gotten from recent storms and the allocation increase,” said Laura King Moon, assistant general manager of the State Water Contractors. “We need to remain cautious though. Employment figures for farm workers will not improve as a result of a marginally increased water allocation from the state. Water rates will not come down for families in the Bay Area or Southern California. Reservoirs will not suddenly fill. Salmon and other fish facing extinction risks in an unhealthy ecosystem will not magically recover.”

In the past two years, overall water runoff from California’s major watersheds fell significantly, coming in at 53 percent of average in 2007 and 58 percent last year. Even with the recent rains, this year’s overall runoff is forecast to be just 64 percent of average. As of last week, the state’s seven major reservoirs were at 55 percent of their capacity.

“What is important to remember is that a drought is not a snapshot, but rather the cumulative result of too little precipitation over too long a time. At the same time, the drought situation has been exacerbated by a series of new limitations on water pumping by state and federal regulators and court orders,” added Moon.

The ongoing regulatory restrictions, aimed at saving declining fish populations such as the Delta smelt, cut the SWP’s water supply by nearly 30 percent in 2008 and have prevented water providers from being able to sensibly save and manage runoff. Even if massive rainstorms hit, this regulatory noose prevents water agencies from capturing and delivering the water nature has provided.

The current drought underscores the deeper structural problems facing California. The existing water delivery system, created half-a-century ago, no longer meets the state’s needs. It is an inflexible, limited system that is not working, in a drought or otherwise.

“It is critical for Californians to realize we are at a major crossroads in the way we manage and supply water across the state. The primary water delivery system, which runs through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, needs modernization and repair. The needs are urgent and critical,” added Moon. As a result, water providers, scientists, policy experts and environmentalists are working together to redesign the way water is moved in California. The goal is to restore the health of the fisheries in the Delta while providing a reliable water supply to the state.

The comprehensive redesign is being developed through the Bay Delta Conservation Plan in an open and collaborative process. A new canal to move freshwater around the Delta is part of the vision, as are many other elements such as continued freshwater flows through the Delta, habitat restoration, water quality improvements and new safety measures for fish.

For more information on the BDCP, please visit http://www.resources.ca.gov/bdcp/.

The State Water Contractors is a statewide, non-profit association of 27 public agencies from Northern,
Central and Southern California that purchase water under contract from the California State Water
Project. Collectively the State Water Contractors deliver water to more than 25 million residents
throughout the state and more than 750,000 acres of agricultural lands. For more information on the
State Water Contractors, please visit www.swc.org.

March 19, 2009 · Filed Under Bay Delta Conservation Plan, Drought, Weather & Snowpack

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Details of peripheral canal emerge through the Bay Delta Conservation Plan

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 23, 2009 at 8:01 am

From Stockton’s Record:

Piece by piece, details are emerging about a peripheral canal that could skirt water around, rather than through, the Delta.

While officials planning for the estuary’s future say no definite decisions have been made, documents under review as part of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan call for a relatively large canal that would divert anywhere from zero to two-thirds of Sacramento River flows depending on the time of year, under one scenario.

Officials are also leaning toward wrapping the canal around the east side of the Delta, rather than the west side, meaning it will likely cut through farmland in west San Joaquin County.

A new public comment period has opened and a series of meetings will be held around the state, including in Stockton on March 24.

“The good news is it’s becoming clearer. The bad news is it’s becoming clearer,” retired County Counsel Terry Dermody told San Joaquin County water commissioners last week. Dermody is watching Delta issues for the county.

The conservation plan is a complex mesh of habitat restoration, water supply and environmental goals that would ultimately give water contractors from the Bay Area, the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California legal authority to continue diverting water.

Read more from The Record by clicking here.

Public scoping meetings for the Bay Delta Conservation Plan are being held around the state during March. To find a location near you, click here. To find out more about the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, click here and here.

Note: last week, there was a ‘webinar’ on the Bay Delta Conservation Plan. If you were unable to watch on that day, you can watch it now by clicking here.

February 23, 2009 · Filed Under Bay Delta Conservation Plan, Peripheral Canal

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Public scoping meetings scheduled for Bay Delta Conservation Plan environmental review process

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 19, 2009 at 8:20 am

From the Department of Water Resources, the Bureau of Reclamation, U. S. Fish & Wildlife, California Department of Fish & Game, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Army Corps of Engineers:

Public Scoping Meetings Scheduled for BDCP Environmental Review Process

Sacramento – State and federal agencies in March will host a series of statewide public scoping meetings to solicit input and participation from the public, Tribes, and agencies in the environmental review of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP).

BDCP is a planning and environmental permitting process to restore habitat for Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta fisheries in a way that reliably delivers water supplies to 25 million Californians. Once complete, the plan will identify actions to improve water supply reliability, improve the ecosystem of the Delta, and aid in the recovery of several at-risk species.

A joint Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) is currently being prepared by the California Department of Water Resources, the Bureau of Reclamation, NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and in cooperation with the California Department of Fish and Game, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Studies to support the EIR/EIS will evaluate water conveyance options, potential habitat restoration measures and management strategies, endangered species protection, and other resource issues including invasive species and toxic pollutants. The EIR/EIS will also address issues related to levee stability, seismic concerns, and climate change.

The meetings will be an open house format to allow the public to attend at any time during the 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. allotted time. (The meetings in Los Angeles and Sacramento are from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. because of facility constraints.) The meetings will also provide an opportunity to discuss the current status of the BDCP. For more information about the BDCP EIR/EIS environmental review process, visit http://www.water.ca.gov/deltainit/bdcp.cfm. This website will also provide links to more information about the BDCP planning process and the Draft Overview Conservation Measures Strategy.

Click “Read More” to find a meeting in your area. Read more

February 19, 2009 · Filed Under Bay Delta Conservation Plan, Events

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Bay Delta Conservation Plan informational ‘webinar’ today at 9am

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 18, 2009 at 8:20 am

Don’t forget the webinar this morning:

You are invited…To a Webinar about the BDCP

Webinar purpose:
• Provide an in-depth orientation to the BDCP and related Delta issues
• Share information about the various conservation measures being considered for the BDCP
• Answer questions about the BDCP to help the public better understand the subject matter and prepare to actively participate in upcoming public meetings
• Preview March statewide public scoping meetings that will solicit input about the environmental
review process being completed to support the BDCP

Meeting date and location:
• Wednesday, February 18, 2009, 9 a.m. to Noon
• Online: www.resources.ca.gov/bdcp/ Access to the live webinar link will be available at least 72 hours prior to start of meeting. Log on to watch the live meeting and submit questions to be answered during the Q&A session
• In person: State of California Natural Resources Building Auditorium, First Floor; 1416 Ninth Street; Sacramento, CA 95814

Meeting format:
• 2 hour presentation about BDCP
• 1 hour Q&A session

More information:
• For more information, visit: www.resources.ca.gov/bdcp/
• Meeting facilities are accessible to persons with disabilities or who need assistance to participate. For more information, or to request assistance or translation services, contact Karla Nemeth at (916) 651-7587 or by email at karla.nemeth @ resources.ca.gov.

An archived video of the meeting will be will available online by February 23, 2009 at
www.resources.ca.gov/bdcp.

Save the Date
BDCP public scoping meetings are scheduled for March 2009.
Visit www.resources.ca.gov/bdcp for dates and locations.

February 18, 2009 · Filed Under Bay Delta Conservation Plan

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Palmdale supports aqueduct-feeding delta

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 29, 2008 at 7:00 am

From the Antelope Valley Press:

Statewide water shortages could leave the Antelope Valley like a sitting duck if supplies from the State Water Project - the California Aqueduct - are cut off.

Realizing the need to act now to prevent a future crisis, the Palmdale district’s board of directors in early December voted 5-0 to contribute from $360,000 to $399,000 to the Delta Habitat Conservation Conveyance Program - an effort to save the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, which feeds the aqueduct.

Jon Pernula, the Palmdale district’s water and energy resources director, recommended that board members adopt a resolution supporting the funding agreement based on information he learned about conditions in the delta. “I enjoyed the briefings we had on this fairly complex issue,” Pernula told the board. “This (resolution) authorizes the (board) president and (district) general manager to sign the funding agreement.” A solution for the delta is “sorely needed,” Pernula said.

“It’s important to us to have that happen,” board President Dick Wells said.

Director Raul Figueroa agreed and moved to approve Pernula’s request.

Without a fix, the Antelope Valley faces a double dilemma. The region is hydrologically described as a closed groundwater basin, meaning the underground streams do not flow in and out from other areas. The aquifer contains a limited supply, not enough to meet local water demand in an area plagued by rapid population growth.

Further complicating the issue, the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta has been the recent target of environmental concerns that focus on dwindling populations of indigenous fish species including the delta smelt, prompting a judge’s decision to reduce the amount of water flowing into the aqueduct.

Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.

December 29, 2008 · Filed Under Bay Delta Conservation Plan, Other Delta Issues, Peripheral Canal

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San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District joins Bay Delta Conservation Plan study

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 25, 2008 at 8:16 am

From the Highland Community News:

The San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District (Muni) has decided to take a seat at the table when plans are made for a trans-delta system to bring water to Southern California while protecting endangered species.

The present system has been severely limited because it tends to kill off the endangered delta smelt, a tiny fish that gets sucked into the pumping system that serves the California Aqueduct.

A Peripheral Canal was proposed by State Senator Ruben Ayala in the 1970s which would have accomplished the same thing, but was rejected by voters with strong opposition from Northern California.

The idea gained fresh support, however, when a federal judge ruled that pumping had to protect the delta smelt, which reduced the amount of water taken. That, combined with the recent drought, left Southern Californians and Central Valley farmers looking for new sources of water.

A Bay Delta Conservation Plan has broad support for developing a way to address the combined issues of delivering water to the State Water Project and protecting endangered species.

Read more from the Highland Community News by clicking here.

December 25, 2008 · Filed Under Bay Delta Conservation Plan

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Delta issues hold key to future water supply reliability

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 23, 2008 at 1:04 pm

From the California Farm Bureau Federation:

Three key developments involving the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in the past week set environmental parameters for protecting delta species and laid the foundation for addressing the region’s environmental problems and the future reliability of the state’s water supply. Experts say drought conditions, court decisions and a collapsing ecosystem have turned up the heat on finding solutions to these problems, elevating the importance of solid planning and prompt action.

A Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force forwarded its final recommendations last week to state agency heads, who in turn sent them on to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. An implementation plan comes in January.

A few days later, a completed draft conservation strategy for the Bay Delta Conservation Plan was presented to stakeholders, tentatively identifying a plan for water conveyance through and around the delta.

Added to that, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service delivered its biological opinion on the effect of pumping water from the delta. The opinion found that operation of the federal Central Valley Project and the State Water Project jeopardizes the continued existence of a protected fish, the delta smelt, and adversely modifies its critical habitat. The opinion outlines what the FWS calls “reasonable and prudent alternatives” intended to protect each life stage and critical habitat of the delta smelt.

For the State Water Project, deliveries throughout California could be permanently reduced by up to 50 percent under the biological opinion. Water deliveries to cities, farms and businesses throughout much of the state will be reduced about 20 percent to 30 percent on average, but cuts could be even greater under certain hydrologic conditions, analysts said.

“Recent headlines about the interruption of export water pumping operations in the delta to protect fish species underscore for all Californians what farmers and ranchers have been acutely aware of for years–the water supply for much of the state is in jeopardy,” said Chris Scheuring, managing counsel of the California Farm Bureau Federation Natural Resources and Environmental Division. “Without workable solutions for a reliable water supply, agriculture and the entire state economy are in peril.”

December 23, 2008 · Filed Under Bay Delta Conservation Plan, Delta Vision Task Force, Judge Wanger delta smelt ruling

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Many Delta regulations miss the mark, says commentary

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 21, 2008 at 7:56 am

From the Sacramento Bee, this commentary by Laura King Moon, assistant general manager of the State Water Contractors:

Every day, Sacramento’s wastewater treatment plant sends 13 tons of ammonia downstream to the Sacramento- San Joaquin Delta, potentially disturbing the Delta’s food web in profound and destructive ways. Agricultural runoff flows freely through the estuary’s waters. Exotic species of clams consume much of the critical food supply. Nonnative fish prey on native smelt and salmon.

Unchecked and unmanaged, these and other threats to the Delta’s fisheries are tolerated on a regular basis. Yet, in an imbalance that grows greater with every passing month, the already heavily regulated water projects in the Delta - projects that supply water to millions of California residents, businesses and farmers - get hit with restriction after restriction on water flows.

It happened in November, when the California Fish and Game Commission made a decision that could drastically reduce water supplies in an attempt to protect a single species, the longfin smelt. It happened again this week, when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service imposed new restrictions - cutting up to half of the traditional water supplies in dry years - because of a different species, the Delta smelt. Come spring, still more restrictions may be looming for two different species of salmon.

The endless churn of bureaucracy and conflict surrounding the singular issue of water pumping is not creating a healthier Delta. Too many other stresses contributing to the Delta’s decline have been left unaddressed.

Read the rest of Laura King Moon’s commentary in the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.

December 21, 2008 · Filed Under Bay Delta Conservation Plan, Other Delta Issues

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Bay Delta Conservation Plan gets underway

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 22, 2008 at 6:23 am

From the Antioch Press:

A study to save the Delta’s ecosystem while still providing water to 25 million Californians and 3 million acres of farmland is about to kick into high gear, a process that could eventually lead to construction of a peripheral canal.

The Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) is the latest attempt to find the best compromise between thirsty water agencies seeking an abundant, quality water supply and environmental groups and others seeking to ensure the health of a fragile, troubled Delta ecosystem.

The plan might call for the construction of a peripheral canal that takes fresh water from the Sacramento River in the north Delta and conveys it south along the east side of the Delta. That possibility worries local officials, who fear it would lead to a worsening of water quality, including an increase in salinity.

The first step in putting together the plan is the preparation of environmental impact studies that will identify the most environmentally friendly option or options. Officials from the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) traveled to Antioch last week to meet with Delta landowners to let them know that they might be seeking permission to go onto their land to conduct some of the studies beginning in early 2009.

DWR Deputy Director Richard Sanchez kicked off the Aug. 14 meeting in the flower hall at the county fairgrounds, which was as steamy as a greenhouse.

“We are here to work with you,” he said. “We are very concerned with the Delta. There’s various issues: whether it’s water supply reliability, ecosystem restoration; fishery counts are down; flood protection is an issue. We are here to work with you on solutions.

Read more from the Antioch Press by clicking here.

For more information on the Bay Delta Conservation Plan: http://www.resources.ca.gov/bdcp/

August 22, 2008 · Filed Under Bay Delta Conservation Plan

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Bay-Delta threatens water supplies; comprehensive plan is needed, commentary says

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 8, 2008 at 8:29 am

From the San Diego Union Tribune, this commentary, written by Tom Wornham, chairman of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation and a member of the San Diego County Water Authority board of directors:

If the plumbing in your home or business was broken, you’d get it fixed right away. Today, the plumbing system that is critical to the quality of life and economic well-being of more than 25 million Californians – including the 3 million residents of San Diego County – is broken, and we need to fix it now.

Last year, more than a third of all water used in San Diego County came from the Sacramento River-San Joaquin River Delta east of San Francisco Bay. This region, commonly called the Bay-Delta, is an estuary comprising a vast network of aging levees, channels and other water infrastructure. For years, it tried to serve as both a water delivery system and a viable aquatic ecosystem. Now it’s breaking down, and the impacts are starting to ripple across the state.

….

In Southern California, water agencies are making up for the shortfall by pursuing short-term water transfers and withdrawing water from reservoirs and groundwater storage accounts. While these measures will help us avoid rationing this year, we cannot count on these water “savings accounts” to forestall water shortages for much longer.

Clearly the Delta is failing, says Mr. Wornham, and he discusses the issues and the pressures affecting this region. A comprehensive plan is needed, he writes:

The BDCP would help map out a comprehensive Bay-Delta solution by creating a long-term conservation plan for restoring habitats for key Bay-Delta species in a manner that also allows for reliable water supply deliveries. The BDCP is currently undergoing stakeholder input as part of its development process.

This BDCP is not a “silver bullet” that will address all of the Bay-Delta’s problems and issues. But the BDCP deserves support because it makes restoring habitats and restoring water supply reliability equal priorities. That puts it on the right track for addressing the most pressing and critical issues impacting the Bay-Delta and, in turn, water supply reliability in regions such as San Diego County.

Read the full text of Mr. Wornham’s commentary in the San Diego Union Tribune by clicking here.

It will be interesting to see how the Bay Delta Conservation Plan will work with the Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force’s plan, and how all of these will interface with the governing structures already in place. Seems to me the Delta has suffered from ‘too many cooks in the kitchen’.

July 8, 2008 · Filed Under Bay Delta Conservation Plan

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Bay Delta Conservation Plan: Congressmen express concerns

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 25, 2008 at 6:34 am

From the San Jose Mercury News:

Five members of Congress from Northern California fired a warning shot Tuesday across the bow of a swift-moving plan that calls for a controversial aqueduct to deliver water around the Delta as its centerpiece.

The letter accuses the federal regulatory agencies that must approve the plan of failing to protect Delta fisheries in the past and pointedly asks for assurances that the latest plan to save the Delta will fare better.

“It is troubling to us … that this Bay-Delta planning process seems to be driven by those with an interest in (Delta water) exports, rather than by those who depend on a healthy watershed and sustainable fisheries,” said the letter, which was signed by Reps. George Miller, D-Martinez; Ellen Tauscher, D-Walnut Creek; Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton; Mike Thompson, D-Napa; and Doris O. Matsui, D-Sacramento.

The plan the Congress-people are concerned about is the Bay Delta Conservation Plan. So just what’s in this plan?

The Bay Delta Conservation Plan is being championed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s administration and the state’s biggest water users as a way to fix the Delta’s problems, comply with endangered species laws and get a new aqueduct built around the Delta.

The plan would exempt massive Delta pumps from traditional endangered species permits that regulate water pumping in ways that are supposed to protect Delta smelt, steelhead and imperiled salmon runs. In place of those permits, a sweeping conservation plan would be developed to conserve fish.

At the center of that plan is a proposal by water users to build a canal or pipeline that would take water around the Delta. Doing so would remove the threat that the big Delta pumps pose to fish in the south Delta. But such an aqueduct, which would most likely be used in combination with the existing pumps and plumbing, could increase pollution in the Delta by reducing the amount of dilution from the Sacramento River, critics contend.

The conservation plan also would grant 50-year assurances to water agencies that they would not face further water supply disruptions.

Read the full text of this article from the San Jose Mercury News by clicking here.

June 25, 2008 · Filed Under Bay Delta Conservation Plan

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Cal-FED’s water plan can continue, says Supreme Court, but wording may help losing side defeat canal

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 6, 2008 at 7:47 am

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

The state and federal governments can form a long-range plan for managing water shipments through the bay and delta region without examining the option of reducing exports to Central and Southern California, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

Environmentalists had argued that the plan favored dams over conservation, and farmers said they feared they might be bypassed in favor of city dwellers. But the court ruled unanimously that CalFed, the state-federal consortium drawing up the long-range plan, had balanced water supply needs against ecological and other concerns.

The decision upheld an environmental review of the plan, which the agency developed between 1995 and 2000 to try to address urban and agricultural water needs while protecting the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, where river diversions, development and pollution have damaged water quality and wildlife habitat.

The CalFed proposal includes increased shipments through the delta, with the goal of assuring reliable supplies for water users to the south. A state appeals court ruled in 2005 that the environmental review was inadequate because it failed to include the option of reduced water shipments, which would avoid the need for additional dams, and did not identify where the extra water to be shipped south would come from.

Although the justices cleared the way for a planning process for dams, reservoirs and other projects contemplated in the 30-year program, the ruling may not have much impact. CalFed, a group of 18 federal and state agencies formed in 1994 to work on long-term solutions to delta water problems, has made little headway and is being bypassed by combatants in the water wars.

But Stockton Record’s article says even though Cal-FED is dying a slow death, the ruling is still important:

But the court’s decision Thursday is not moot. CALFED’s plan is still the foundation for many studies that are under way in the Delta, said CALFED spokesman Keith Coolidge. And the ruling will be looked to by those who are crafting new strategies.

That’s why Stockton attorney Dante Nomellini, although on the losing end, was encouraged. The court acknowledged that federal and state law means water exports must be “subordinated” to environmental needs, he said.

CALFED was based on the theory that it’s possible to restore the Delta’s ecology while maintaining or even increasing water exports. “If practical experience demonstrates that the theory is unsound, Bay-Delta water exports may need to be capped or reduced,” the ruling says.

Good news, said Nomellini, who represents Delta farmers. “I think it’s a very important statement that will have an impact” on current Delta planning, he said.

Read the full text of the story from the San Francisco Chronicle by clicking here. Read the full text of the article from Stockton’s Record by clicking here.

June 6, 2008 · Filed Under Bay Delta Conservation Plan, Other Delta Issues

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CSPA Files Comments on Bay Delta Conservation Plan

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 30, 2008 at 9:08 pm

From IndyBay.org, posted by Dan Bacher but written by Jerry Neuburger, the CSPA has filed comments on the DWR’s Bay Delta Conservation Plan:

May 30, 2008. In comments sent to Ms. Barbara McDonnell, Chief of the Division of Environmental Services Department of Water Resources, CSPA’s Bill Jennings called the Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) portion of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP), “the most ambitious and far-reaching Habitat Conversation Plan (HCP) ever envisioned coupled with a massive scheme to change the hydrology of the Central Valley.”

However, Jennings, commenting for CSPA, found numerous and fatal flaws in the plan as it is now proposed. Among those are the inconsistencies of protecting and restoring listed species and a conveyance plan involving a massive public works project that will change the hydrology of the estuary and tributary waterways. Further, the plan guarantees water delivery to the south state, a basic inconsistency with habitat preservation. The plan does not consider recent court rulings regarding the Endangered Species Act and does not conform to the governor’s Delta Vision statement. Numerous other faults were found which lead Jennings to conclude, “The plan is little more than a Bay-Delta Conveyance Plan masquerading as an HCP.”

Read more from IndyBay.org by clicking here.

May 30, 2008 · Filed Under Bay Delta Conservation Plan

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Delta conservation group gathers community input on Bay Delta Conservation Plan

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 1, 2008 at 6:14 am

From the Chico Enterprise-Record:

As state water officials are declaring the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta broken, plans are in the work for a comprehensive conservation plan for the area.

A meeting in Chico Tuesday night was held to gather early input from Northern California residents on the environmental impact work for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta Conservation Plan.

A recent federal court decision will cut water supplies from the State Water Project and the Central Valley Project by up to a third to protect fish. A dry spring has areas south of the delta asking residents to conserve water and using water use strategies such as limiting outdoor irrigation. Locally, Lake Oroville is expected to be so low this year, that plans are in the works to extend boat launch ramps so that boaters can still access the water.

The state has long been looking at the Delta and trying to make long-term plans for the system, which provides water to two-thirds of the state through its intricate system of tributaries, estuary and pumping facilities. Meanwhile, fish populations have plummeted, levees are vulnerable to earthquakes and a future with climate changes needs to be considered.

A conservation plan for the delta plays into the “Delta Vision” process, which resulted in recommendations last year including an alternative conveyance system and protection of species, along with providing water supply reliability.

At the Tuesday meeting in Chico, Carl Wilcox of Fish and Game explained the issues of helping endangered and threatened species and statewide water supply were “co-equal objectives” within the Delta Conservation Plan.

More from the Chico Enterprise Record by clicking here.

May 1, 2008 · Filed Under Bay Delta Conservation Plan, Delta Issues

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Delta Vision Task Force meets tomorrow & Friday; Bay Delta Conservation Plan begins public scoping meetings next week

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on April 23, 2008 at 2:37 pm

Important meetings regarding the Delta coming up this week & the next:

The Delta Vision Task Force will once again be meeting to discuss the preliminary recommendations for the Strategic Implementation Plan from four stakeholder workgroups. The workgroups are addressing issues on water supply reliability, governance and strategic finance, Delta-as-place and the estuarine ecosystem. Meeting information, including staff reports, agenda, and weblinks can be found by clicking here.

The Bay Delta Conservation Plan will begin public scoping meetings at various locations statewide. To find a location near you, click here. Per the DWR website, “The BDCP’s purpose is to provide for the conservation of at-risk species in the Delta and improve the reliability of the water supply system within a stable regulatory framework. The process is being conducted consistent with state and federal laws that encourage the development of broad habitat conservation plans that protect natural communities in exchange for regulatory assurances.” The purpose of the meetings is to discuss the EIR/EIS for the plan. More information on the Bay Delta Plan by clicking here.

April 23, 2008 · Filed Under Bay Delta Conservation Plan, Delta Issues, Delta Vision Task Force

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DWR initiates environmental review of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, and announces public meetings to discuss water conservation goals and Delta emergency response planning

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on March 17, 2008 at 1:21 pm

DWR Logo: From the Department of Water Resources:

SACRAMENTO – The Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced today immediate actions to implement Gov. Schwarzenegger’s plan for Delta sustainability. DWR will start the public process to study the environmental impacts of a Delta conservation plan, implement new statewide water conservation initiatives, and strengthen emergency response plans for the Delta.

“The Delta is a great natural treasure and a vital link in the state’s water system, but it is teetering on the edge of collapse,” said DWR Director Lester A. Snow. “To avert an ecological disaster and ensure reliable water supplies for Californians now and in the future, we must act now.”

Last month, Gov. Schwarzenegger outlined a comprehensive plan for Delta sustainability that includes more water conservation, better emergency response and flood protection, and actions to ensure a cleaner, safer water supply.

Initiate Delta Conservation Plan EIR/EIS

March 17, 2008 · Filed Under Bay Delta Conservation Plan, DWR & State Water Project, Water Agency News (all)

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Restore the Delta’s view of water bonds & the Bay Delta Conservation Plan

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 7, 2007 at 10:55 am

From Dan Bacher at IndyBay, org:

In the latest Delta Flows newsletter, Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla updates us the latest developments in the battle of the water bonds and the Bay Delta Conservation Plan process.

Parrilla is very concerned that some environmental NGOs have signed on to the peripheral canal concept in the Bay Delta Conservation Plan process. “While Restore the Delta has had a productive working relationship with these environmental groups in other arenas and a good deal of respect for their past work, we are extremely disappointed that they have made a theoretical statement supporting a peripheral canal without including language that would guarantee flows, water quality, and water quantity in order to protect the needs of Delta fisheries and Delta communities. Habitat restoration without freshwater restoration for the Delta is simply not achievable,” she stated.

I agree completely with Parrilla’s comments. The Governor has put tremendous pressure on environmental NGO’s to support the peripheral canal - and these latest developments are very alarming. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the worst governor in California history for fisheries and the environment, is using the age-old tactic of “divide and conquer” that all corrupt rulers employ to attack those opposing their policies.

Click here to go to the IndyBay.org site and read Restore the Delta’s newsletter.

December 7, 2007 · Filed Under Bay Delta Conservation Plan, Delta Issues

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The Bay Delta Conservation Plan releases its plan for the Delta

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 25, 2007 at 12:10 pm

From the Contra Costa County Times:

The latest proposal to save the Delta ecosystem and deliver dependable supplies of fresh water to users offers some promising ideas on the control and financing of water. It also has the advantage of tentative support of large water users and biologists. But it also appears to be missing a major essential element — storage.

The Bay Delta Conservation Plan would change the way much of California’s water is managed. It would set ground rules for how water will be delivered and how the Delta environment would be protected for the next half century.

The conservation plan seeks to replace the current permit system. Water users would pay for new infrastructure, wetlands restoration and other related projects in return for guaranteed stable water supplies.

Certainly, users should pay the full price for water supplies and delivery systems. However, part of the infrastructure called for by the conservation plan is a controversial aqueduct around the Delta.

This is a smaller version of the Peripheral Canal, which was defeated by voters in 1982. But unlike the 1982 canal, this one would be controlled in conjunction with the existing federal and state intakes near Tracy. A canal by itself is not workable because it would not be able to take more water without violating environmental standards in the Delta.

However, with two intakes, a new one in the Sacramento River and the existing pumps in Tracy, there would be more flexibility in transferring water.

To read the rest of this opinion article, describing the Bay Delta Conservation Plan’s version of the peripheral canal, click here.

Note: this is different from the Governor’s appointed Delta Vision taskforce, which has it’s own ideas for solving problems in the Delta. By the way, the Delta Vision taskforce will be meeting next week on the 29th & 30th, and the meeting will be webcast - click here for more information.

November 25, 2007 · Filed Under Bay Delta Conservation Plan

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