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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