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Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water
Delta Plan and Bay-Delta Conservation Plan
March 13, 2012
The Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee held a public hearing on Tuesday, March 13, 2012 on future plans for the Delta and the Bay-Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP). This hearing continues the Legislature's effort to both understand and work towards a comprehensive water solution for the state that features the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta - a critical California ecosystem, as well as an important freshwater diversion point for the State Water Project.
The first set of speakers featured representatives from some of the largest interests in the Delta's future-use and governance, including the Delta Counties Coalition, the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Westlands Water District and the Natural Resources Defense Council.
The second part of the meeting allowed for public comment from members of the public who had packed the committee hearing room to address the Committee and express their concerns about the Delta's future. Many of these speakers were residents of Delta communities.
The third and final part of the meeting allowed for response from two state entities responsible for managing the Delta and state water flows: the Delta Stewardship Council and the Department of Water Resources.
One of the central issues of contention during the hearing was over the volume of water that will be taken out of the Delta and where that water will end up. Other policy questions included: Will the volume be the same as it is currently? Will it increase, justifying capital investment in new conveyance infrastructure or decrease, allowing habitat stability/restoration for endangered or threaten species throughout the Delta ecosystem? The answers to these questions are as varied as the Delta's stakeholders - Northern San Joaquin farm interests, Southern Central Valley farm interests, Southern California residents and environmentalists - and will be weighed throughout the Legislature's effort to forge a statewide water solution.
Committee Website
Agenda
Video of Hearing Part 1
Video of Hearing Part 2
Statement from Department of Water and Power the City of Los Angeles
NGO response to the draft Bay Delta Conservation Plan Effects Analysis
BDCP Effects Analysis Briefing Paper
NRDC, The Bay Institute, and Defenders of Wildlife Comments on the Fifth Draft Delta Plan
Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water
Update on Water Plans
February 28, 2012
The Natural Resources and Water Committee held an informational and oversight hearing on Tuesday, February 28 to receive updates on four strategic plans dealing with aspects of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta - a critical California ecosystem, as well as an important freshwater diversion point for the State Water Project.
The Committee heard updates on the Delta Stewardship Council's Delta Plan, the Bay-Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP), the Delta Protection Commission's Economic Stability Plan and the Delta Conservancy's Strategic Plan. The meeting coincided this week with the release of thousands of pages of scientific research and data for public scrutiny as part of the release of the BDCP Administrative Draft EIS/EIR.
At the end of 2009, after a lengthy collaborative process, the Legislature passed a series of water related legislation that included a bill to authorize placing an $11 billion water bond before the voters, but concern over state spending and the difficult politics of a Gubernatorial election year led state leaders to delay the bond. A wet start to 2011 brought an end to drought conditions, but stakeholders have known that there is still unfinished business to do - including some form of voter-approved water bond - when it comes to the design, long-term funding and ecological sustainability of a safe and reliable state water supply.
In the meantime, a wealth of information on strategic plans for the Delta is available on the Natural Resources and Water Committee website.
Archived video of the full hearing is available through Cal Channel in two parts: Part 1 and Part 2.
Delta Stewardship Council
Bay-Delta Conservation Plan
Delta Protection Commission's
Delta Conservancy
Related Media and Media Coverage
- San Francisco Chronicle Guest Editorial by Senator Lois Wolk (D-Davis) March 1, 2012
- “Calif. delta tunnel plan would increase pumping,” SF Chronicle, March 1, 2012
- Editorial, “Calif. delta water plan requires transparency,” SF Chronicle, February 28, 2012