Transcript URL - bay delta live

Southern California
Water Committee
March 26, 2010
Ontario
KARLA NEMETH, Natural Resources Agency
Why is the Delta Important?
Unique Environment
• Confluence of CA’s two biggest watersheds
• 750 plant and animal species
• More than 40 threatened and endangered species
Economy and infrastructure
• Agriculture, recreation, transportation, energy
reserves, flood protection
Water conveyance
• Drinking water for 25 million people
• Irrigation for ~3 million acres of farmland
Where are we today?
 Pelagic Organism Decline
 ESA lawsuits re: delta smelt and
salmon
 Additional species candidates for
listing
• Green Sturgeon
• Longfin smelt
 Drought
How Water Currently Flows
Across the Delta
1 Sac River
– Delta Cross Channel
– Mokelumne River
– Old & Middle Rivers
3
Sac River
Reverses
2
Ocean/Tidal
High salinity
South Delta
River Reversals
SWP Pumps
CVP Pumps
San
Joaquin
River
What is the BDCP?
Multiple species,
contribute to longrecovery
+
Conservation
Strategy
+
Aspects of
implementation
+
Conservation
Plan
=
Water
supply
reliability
Stable and
healthy fish
populations
ESA - HCP
NCCPA - NCCP
Equal Goals
Water Supply Focus
Equal Goals
Ecosystem
Focus
It is a major challenge
to restore an ecosystem in an environment like the Delta that is
highly altered and largely unnatural.
Plan Development
• Planning Agreement – 2006
• Stressors identified; Options evaluated
• Points of Agreement Document – 2007
• Independent Science Reports
• BDCP Conservation Principles
• Adaptive Management
• Terrestrial Species
• Overview of Draft Conservation Strategy – 2009
• Modeling
• Preliminary Draft Conservation Strategy – Fall/Winter 2010
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Steering Committee
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Department of Water Resources
Bureau of Reclamation
Santa Clara Valley Water District
Kern County Water Agency
Metropolitan Water District of
Southern California
San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water
Authority
Mirant Energy
Westlands Water District
Zone 7 Water Agency
US Fish and Wildlife Service*
CA Department of Fish and Game*
National Marine Fisheries Service*
*Ex Officio status
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PREs
Environmental
organizations
Fish Agencies
Other
organizations
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American Rivers
Defenders of Wildlife
Environmental Defense Fund
Natural Heritage Institute
The Bay Institute
The Nature Conservancy
North Delta Water Agency
California Farm Bureau Federation
California Resources Agency
Contra Costa Water District
Friant Water Authority
Covered Species
• Delta smelt
• Longfin smelt
• Chinook Salmon
– winter, spring, fall and late fall
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Green and white sturgeon
Central valley steelhead
Sacramento splittail
About 48 terrestrial species
Aquatic Conservation Measures
Biological Goals
& Objectives For
Covered Fish Species
Improve survival
Improve fitness
Improve distribution
Improve growth rate
Habitat Restoration
Conservation Actions
Phytoplankton and
zooplankton (fish food)
Spawning and rearing
Decrease mortality
Other Stressors
Conservation Actions
Reduce contaminants
Reduce predation effects
Improve fish passage
Reduce Disease
Reduce non-natives
Water Operations
Conservation Actions
Improve water quality
Reduce entrainment
Improve water flow and
habitat conditions
Dual Conveyance Flow and Habitat
Fundamentals
1 East/west
3 Water
flow pattern
reliability
and quality
2 Habitat
interaction
Ocean/Tidal
High salinity
SWP Pumps
CVP Pumps
Draft Conservation Strategy – Major Elements
Habitat
Restoration
• Up to 80,000 acres tidal
marsh, riparian, and
floodplain
• Enhanced floodplain in
the Yolo Bypasstemporary inundation
• 20-40 linear miles
channel restoration
Water Facilities &
Operations
•North Delta diversion
5 intakes
15,000 cfs design
capacity
Tunnel/Pipeline subject
of focused study in
BDCP
Minimum flows to
ensure healthy habitat
and water quality
Sacramento River flows
are always greater than
exports
Other Stressors
•Reduce methylmercury
•Remove non-native
aquatic plants
•Reduce illegal harvest
•Establish hatchery and
genetic management
plans
•Support Delta and longfin
smelt propagation
programs
•Reduce predators
•Construct non-physical
barriers to re-direct
juvenile salmonids
Draft Conversation Strategy - Flows
Inflow requirements
Outflow requirements and
management of X2
Rio Vista Flow Requirements
Delta Cross Channel gate operations
Ratio between San Joaquin River
inflow and South Delta exports
Old and Middle River flows
Preferential South Delta diversions
New North Delta diversion bypass
flows
Water quality standards set forth in
State Board rule D-1641
Potential Habitat Restoration
Channel Margin – 20 to 40 linear
miles
Floodplain (new) – up to 10,000
acres
Floodplain (enhanced existing)
Tidal Marsh – up to 65,000 acres
Riparian – 5,000 acres
Potential Tunnel Conveyance
35 miles twin bore 33’ ID
8 miles single bore 23’ – 33’ ID
intake tunnel
Forebay in the north with 750
acres of water surface area
+/- 150’ deep
5 Intakes between Freeport to
Courtland
BDCP Conveyance Options
• Five water intake facilities along
the Sacramento River, between
Freeport and Courtland
• Isolated Conveyance Facility
(East/West/Tunnel)
• Through-Delta
(armoring the Delta)
• Dual Conveyance System
Natural Communities & Terrestrial Species
• 48 Species for Coverage
• 70,000 acres tidal
marsh/riparian restoration also
supports 28 terrestrial species
• Propose approx. 45,000
additional acres
• Total Terrestrial Restoration
Target approx 101,000 –
115,000 acres
Key Issues - Conservation Strategy
• Refine/determine proposed conservation
measures.
– Effects of plan on biological resources, other scientific
efforts
– Climate change
– Design aspects of conveyance (pipeline/canal)
• Metrics, monitoring and adaptive management
• Coordination with other conservation plans in the
Delta
– Address conflicts between aquatic and terrestrial habitat
restoration
Key Issues & Challenges
Regulatory assurances in light of scientific
uncertainty
Cost and financing of conveyance, habitat
restoration, and other stressor measures
Limited control over other factors
affecting fish species
By whom and how the plan would
be implemented
Public support
Public Input & Schedule
• Delta Community Workshops Held in 2009
– Technical focus on draft conservation strategy
• Ongoing Steering Committee Meetings- Open to the
Public
• Ongoing Stakeholder Briefings
– Local jurisdictions, Recreational interests, Water users,
Agriculture, Tribes, Environmental Justice communities
• Public Draft Conservation Plan – Fall 2010
Environmental Review Process
Karla Nemeth
916-651-7587
[email protected]
www.baydeltaconservationplan.com