Planning for the future of the Delta

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 9, 2008 at 8:24 pm

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE OF THE DELTA

Several planning processes for the Delta are currently underway, the two most notable being the Bay Delta Conservation Plan and the Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force.

The Bay Delta Conservation Plan

The Bay Delta Conservation Plan is being developed with the goal of creating an ecosystem-based approach that will protect at-risk species while providing for reliability of water project operations. It is being prepared by a group of state, federal, and local water agencies, state and federal fish agencies, and environmental organizations.

The BDCP is being prepared to meet the requirements of both federal and state endangered species laws, as well as the National Communities Conservation Planning Act. The BDCP will consider alternatives such as the restoration of floodplains, intertidal marshes, channel and openwater habitat, as well as invasive species control. The BDCP hopes to identify an improved way to move water through and/or around the Delta to create a more natural estuarine environment, as well as reduce species entrainment. This may include finding new points for diversion of water, as well as other changes to existing SWP & CVP facilities.

One of the objectives of the BDCP is to obtain 50-year permits to operate water and energy projects and result in the issuance of ‘take’ permits from the state & federal agencies for covered activities.

The plan is currently in the scoping process, with a basic conservation strategy available around the end of 2008, with the full plan scheduled to follow mid-2009. It is hoped that by the end of 2010, the BDCP and permits will be approved.

For more information on the Bay Delta Conservation Plan:

Bay Delta Conservation Plan website, California Resources Agency
Bay Delta Conservation Plan EIR/EIS, Department of Water Resources

Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force

In 2006, Governor Schwarzenegger formed the Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force, and gave the newly formed task force the task of developing a long-term vision for sustainable management of the Delta.

The task force first report, released in December of 2007, identified twelve ‘integrated and linked’ recommendations, intended to be implemented together as an integrated solution, working in tandem to achieve success. The task force has identified two of the twelve recommendations as key elements of it’s vision:

The Delta ecosystem and a reliable water supply for California are the primary, co-equal goals for sustainable management of the Delta. Both are irreplaceable assets and one must not be secured at the expense of the other.

The California Delta is a unique and valued area, warranting recognition and special legal status from the state of California. The Delta’s uniqueness and value must be protected through special designation to safeguard its assets, its culture, and its economy.”

In October 2008, the Delta Vision completed its fifth and final version of the Delta Vision Strategic Plan. The task force identified specific strategies and actions to implement their co-equal goals of restoring the ecosystem and creating a reliable water supply for California:

Legally acknowledge the co-equal goals of restoring the Delta ecosystem and creating a more reliable water supply for California by writing these goals into the constitution or statute, and incorporate them into the mandated duties and responsibilities of significant agencies involved with the Delta.

Recognize and enhance the unique cultural, recreational, and agricultural values of the California Delta as an evolving place, an action critical to achieving the co-equal goals. The task force recommends applying for designation as a National Heritage Area, creating more state recreation areas into the Delta. They also recommend developing a regional economic plan and establishing a Delta Investment Fund to provide funds for economic development.

Restore the Delta ecosystem as the heart of a healthy estuary. Recommended strategies include restoring large areas of interconnected habitats, establishing migratory corridors, reducing risks of fish kills and harm from invasive species, restoring Delta flows and channels to support a healthy estuary, and improving water quality to meet long-term goals.

Promote statewide water conservation, efficiency, and sustainable use. The task force recommends achieving a statewide reduction of 20% per capita reduction in water use by 2020, and reducing dependency on Delta water by diversifying regional water supply portfolios.

Build facilities to improve the existing water conveyance system and expand statewide storage, and operate both to achieve co-equal goals. The task force recommends expanding options for water conveyance, storage, and improved reservoir operations, as well as integrating Central Valley flood management with water supply planning.

Reduce risks to people, property and state interests in the Delta by effective emergency preparedness, appropriate land uses, and strategic levee investments. Improving emergency protection for people, assets, and resources, discouraging inappropriate land uses, and developing a long-term levee investment strategy are among the task force’s recommendations.

Establish a new governance structure with the authority, responsibility, accountability, science support, and secure funding to achieve these goals. The task force recommends establishing a California Delta Ecosystem and Water Council to replace the Bay-Delta Authority and take over CALFED programs, and require the new entity to prepare a legally-enforceable plan.

“The disparate interests with a stake in the Delta have attempted for years to reach agreement on the Delta’s future. Those efforts, most recently the CALFED process, have failed. This task force is keenly aware of that history and the peril California faces from continued failure,” wrote Phil Isenberg in his letter to Governor Schwarzenegger in the final report. “ … Through our co-equal goals and the linked steps that go with it, the Task Force has tried to present a vision and strategies to break through our long years of water wars and begin to effectively address the future. …. California must embrace a practical near-term and decades-long strategy that, with hard work and good will by all parties, creates a healthier, more sustainable future for the Delta and our state.”

While much attention has focused on water exports from the Delta, the task force notes that upstream diversions also impact the Delta. The the Hetch Hetchy system and the Mokelumne Aqueduct divert water that would have otherwise drained into the Delta and instead carry the water across it to the cities they serve. “You can’t have your own pipes crossing the Delta with water that used to flow through the Delta and claim it has no effect,” said Phil Isenberg, the chairman of the Delta Vision task force said in a recent Contra Costa Times article. “It isn’t just them. It’s us.”