San Francisco Bay

Water Facilities Including a Peripheral Canal [Proposition 9]

Department of Justice (DOJ) | June 9th, 1982

Water Facilities Including a Peripheral Canal Referendum Statute

State of California | June 1st, 1982

WATER FACILITIES INCLUDING A PERIPHERAL CANAL. REFERENDUM STATUTE. A "yes" vote approves, a "no" vote rejects, a law that will : Designate additional facilities and pr

WATER FACILITIES INCLUDING A PERIPHERAL CANAL. REFERENDUM STATUTE. A "yes" vote approves, a "no" vote rejects, a law that will : Designate additional facilities and programs, including a peripheral canal as units of Central Valley Project. Specify requirements regarding feasibility, environmental impacts, design construction, operation, financing, and protection and enhancement of fish and wildlife for project units. Require Water Resources Department to contract with named Delta agencies regarding users' rights, water quality, and benefit payments; and to immediately proceed with specified prerequisites to construction of peripheral canal . Required compliance with designated water quality standards and conditions . Specify other responsibilities and matters. Summary of Legislative Analyst's estimate of net state and local government fiscal impact: As Project has been planned and operated to be self-supporting, implementation under present policies would not require increase in state taxes or reduce funds for other state programs . Potential construction costs at 1981 prices are in excess of $3 .1 billion plus unknown additional costs, plus interest, to be financed by increased user charges.

Water for a Growing Bay Area: How the region can grow without increasing water demand

Pacific Institute | October 21st, 2021

The San Francisco Bay Area is at a crossroads. The region, blessed with a beautiful natural setting, multiple shipping ports and world-class universities, is a driver of

The San Francisco Bay Area is at a crossroads. The region, blessed with a beautiful natural setting, multiple shipping ports and world-class universities, is a driver of global economic growth. But the region’s housing supply has not kept up with population growth. Many low-income households, disproportionately made up of people of color, have been forced into overcrowded and substandard housing or displaced from the urban center to new neighborhoods far from their jobs, friends and families. The most vulnerable have lost their homes entirely and are among the region’s 35,000 unhoused people. Over the next half-century, the Bay Area’s need to add housing will only grow more intense. The region is projected to add 2 million new jobs by 2070, which would attract as many as 6.8 million people, and needs to build at least 2.2 million new housing units just to prevent housing affordability from worsening. This represents 83% more people, 74% more housing units and 38% more jobs over the next 50 years.

Water Quality Challenges in the San Francisco Bay/ Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary: EPA’s Action Plan

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) | August 22nd, 2012

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed this Action Plan after assessing the effectiveness of current regulatory mechanisms designed to protect water qua

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed this Action Plan after assessing the effectiveness of current regulatory mechanisms designed to protect water quality in the San Francisco Bay Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary (Bay Delta Estuary) and its tributaries. EPA’s assessment concludes that Clean Water Act (CWA) programs currently are not adequately protecting aquatic resources of the Bay Delta Estuary. In this document, EPA recommends actions to restore water quality for aquatic species protection using existing EPA authorities and resources, as well as actions EPA believes are important and appropriate for the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board). EPA is one of more than 25 state and federal governmental agencies with responsibilities in the Bay Delta Estuary. EPA’s major statutory mission in the Estuary is to implement the CWA. EPA has delegated many CWA program authorities to the State Water Board while providing financial support,1 technical assistance, and oversight (including, in some cases, review and approval of State actions). Much of EPA's work in this Action Plan (as well as elsewhere in California) is done in support of and in partnership with the State. For example, water quality standards, which define water quality goals for our waterbodies, are typically developed and adopted by the State with EPA assistance, review, and ultimately, approval or disapproval. In the Bay Delta Estuary, EPA focuses on assuring that the many designated uses of the Estuary’s aquatic resources are protected. EPA emphasizes the CWA goals of maintaining and improving water quality – the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the water – to ensure the Bay Delta Estuary can function as a vibrant, healthy estuary. About 90 species of fish are found in the Delta. The Delta’s channels serve as a migratory route and nursery area for Chinook salmon, striped bass, white and green sturgeon, American shad, and steelhead trout. These anadromous fish spend most of their adult lives either in the lower bays of the Estuary or in the ocean. Resident fish in the Estuary include delta smelt, longfin smelt, Sacramento splittail, catfish, largemouth bass, black bass, crappie, and bluegill. All Bay Delta Estuary waters are impaired by one or more contaminants. In addition, the reduction in the quantity and quality of estuarine habitat limits the Estuary’s ability to support aquatic species. EPA’s Action Plan describes a suite of activities to: 1. Strengthen water quality standards to protect estuarine habitat 2. Advance regional water quality monitoring and assessment 3. Accelerate water quality restoration through Total Maximum Daily Loads 4. Strengthen selenium water quality criteria 5. Prevent pesticide pollution 6. Restore aquatic habitats while managing methylmercury 7. Support the Bay Delta Conservation Plan Collectively, these activities will contribute to the restoration of the Bay Delta Estuary. Even if they are all successfully implemented, however, they are not sufficient to resolve the complex problems that have stressed the ecosystem to the point of collapse. Any solution to the ecological problems of the Bay Delta Estuary must be multi-faceted, including providing sufficient flows, physical habitat which is sufficiently large, connected, diverse, and self-sustaining, as well as a reduction of many types of stressors, such as contaminants, invasive species, and predation.

Water Quality Conditions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Suisun and San Pablo Bays during 2009

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | December 28th, 2010

This report summarizes the results of water quality monitoring and special  studies conducted by the Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP) within the Sacramento-San Joa

This report summarizes the results of water quality monitoring and special  studies conducted by the Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP) within the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) and Suisun and San Pablo bays (the upper San Francisco estuary) during calendar year 2009. This monitoring is mandated by Water Right Decision 1641 (D-1641) and this report is being submitted to fulfill the reporting requirements of this decision. The EMP monitored water quality using a protocol implemented in 1996. Under this monitoring protocol, 13 sampling sites—2 of which were added after 1996—representing 8 regions of the upper San Francisco estuary (estuary) were monitored for 15 physical and chemical water quality parameters. The results gathered from the sampling of these 15 parameters are described in this report. Parameters such as water temperature, Secchi disk depth, dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration, specific conductance, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, orthophosphate, and volatile suspended solids were within their historical range. Measured parameters exhibited seasonal variation as well as changes in response to significant rainfall events and in flow rates. In addition to monitoring physical and chemical water quality parameters, biological sampling was conducted to monitor the productivity and community composition of phytoplankton, zooplankton, and benthic communities.

Water Quality Control Plan for Salinity (draft)

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | October 15th, 1988

Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay region

San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (SFBRWQCB) | March 20th, 2015

By law, the Water Board is required to develop, adopt (after public hearing), and implement a Basin Plan for the Region. The Basin Plan is the master policy document that

By law, the Water Board is required to develop, adopt (after public hearing), and implement a Basin Plan for the Region. The Basin Plan is the master policy document that contains descriptions of the legal, technical, and programmatic bases of water quality regulation in the Region. The plan must include: • A statement of beneficial water uses that the Water Board will protect; • The water quality objectives needed to protect the designated beneficial water uses; and • The strategies and time schedules for achieving the water quality objectives. The Water Board first adopted a plan for waters inland from the Golden Gate in 1968. After several revisions, the first comprehensive Basin Plan for the Region was adopted by the Water Board and approved by the State Water Board in April 1975. Subsequently, major revisions were adopted in 1982, 1986, 1992, 1995, 2002, and 2004. Each proposed amendment to the Basin Plan is subject to an extensive public review process. The Water Board must then adopt the amendment, which is then subject to approval by the State Water Board. In most cases, the Office of Administrative Law and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) must approve the amendment as well. The basin planning process drives the Water Board's effort to manage water quality. The Basin Plan provides a definitive program of actions designed to preserve and enhance water quality and to protect beneficial uses in a manner that will result in maximum benefit to the people of California. The Basin Plan fulfills the following needs: • The U.S. EPA requires such a plan in order to allocate federal grants to cities and districts for construction of wastewater treatment facilities. • The Basin Plan provides a basis for establishing priorities as to how both state and federal grants are disbursed for constructing and upgrading wastewater treatment facilities. • The Basin Plan fulfills the requirements of the Porter-Cologne Act that call for water quality control plans in California. • The Basin Plan, by defining the resources, services, and qualities of aquatic ecosystems to be maintained, provides a basis for the Water Board to establish or revise waste discharge requirements and for the State Water Board to establish or revise water rights permits. • The Basin Plan establishes conditions (discharge prohibitions) that must be met at all times. • The Basin Plan establishes or indicates water quality standards applicable to waters of the Region, as required by the federal Clean Water Act. • The Basin Plan establishes water quality attainment strategies, including total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) required by the Clean Water Act, for pollutants and water bodies where water quality standards are not currently met. The intent of this comprehensive planning effort is to provide positive and firm direction for future water quality control. However, adequate provision must be made for changing conditions and technology. The Water Board will review the Basin Plan at least once every three years. Unlike traditional plans, which often become obsolete within a few years after their preparation, the Basin Plan is updated as deemed necessary to maintain pace with technological, hydrological, political, and physical changes in the Region. This Basin Plan contains water quality regulations adopted by the Water Board, and approved by the State Water Board, the Office of Administrative Law, and U.S. EPA. It also contains statewide regulations adopted by the State Water Board and other state agencies that refer to  activities regulated by the Water Board. For the most recent list of statewide regulations applicable in the Region, please refer to the State Water Board’s Compendium of Current, Statewide Applicable Water Quality Regulations. Federal laws and regulations also specify water quality standards and are available at U.S. EPA’s website. To check for amendments and other changes, please visit the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board's basin planning page.

Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Watershed (Draft)

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | July 25th, 2025

The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board or Board) has previously adopted water quality control plans and policies to protect water quality and control

The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board or Board) has previously adopted water quality control plans and policies to protect water quality and control the water resources that affect the beneficial uses of the Bay-Delta. These plans and policies were adopted consistent with section 13000 et seq. of the California Water Code and pursuant to the authority contained in section 13170. This Water Quality Control Plan covers the Bay-Delta estuary and tributary watersheds (Bay-Delta Plan or plan). The State Water Board will periodically review this plan, as discussed in section 4.6, pursuant to Water Code section 13240, to ensure that it provides reasonable protection for the designated beneficial uses. A summary description of the most recent updates to the plan are provided in section 1.4. 1 Current and previous versions of the Bay-Delta Plan and supporting documents are available at: 

Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Watershed (Draft)

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | August 19th, 2026

A water quality control plan consists of: (1) beneficial uses to be protected; (2) water quality objectives for the reasonable protection of beneficial uses; and (3) a pr

A water quality control plan consists of: (1) beneficial uses to be protected; (2) water quality objectives for the reasonable protection of beneficial uses; and (3) a program of implementation for achieving the water quality objectives. This Plan establishes water quality objectives for which implementation can be accomplished by assigning responsibility to water right holders and water users to mitigate for the effects on the designated beneficial uses of their diversions and use of water. Together, the beneficial uses and the water quality objectives established to reasonably protect the beneficial uses are called water quality standards under the terminology of the federal Clean Water Act. Related documents: Main Draft Report Final Staff Report in Support of Sacramento/Delta Updates to the Bay-Delta Plan Appendix G2: Final Scientific Basis Report Supplement in Support of,Proposed Voluntary Agreements for the Sacramento River, Delta, and Tributaries Update to the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Water Quality Control Plan State Water Resources Control Board Index page

Water quality for agriculture

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) | July 15th, 1985