Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Species Act Compensatory Mitigation Policy

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service or USFWS), announce the final Endangered Species Act (ESA) Compensatory Mitigation Policy. The new policy steps down and implements recent Executive Office, Department of the Interior, and Service mitigation policies that reflect a shift from project-by-project to landscape-scale approaches to planning and implementing compensatory mitigation. The … Continue reading “Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Species Act Compensatory Mitigation Policy”

A Commitment to Action: Advancing Integrated Water Management in California

This document highlights the key perspectives and recommendations that emerged during the Integrated Water Management Summit held in Sacramento on April 3, 2013.  The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) hosted the event in partnership with the Water Education Foundation and the California Water Commission, and would like to thank the 200+ attendees and guest … Continue reading “A Commitment to Action: Advancing Integrated Water Management in California”

The Implications of Agricultural Water for the Central Valley

This report is the companion report to last summer’s publication The Economic Impact of the Westlands Water District on the Local and Regional Economy. That study had many important findings, including: Westlands Water District (WWD) directly accounts for nearly 29,000 jobs and $3.6 billion of economic activity. The state’s continued failure to provide the contracted … Continue reading “The Implications of Agricultural Water for the Central Valley”

Long-Term Central Valley Project Operations Criteria and Plan CVP-OCAP

This document has been prepared to serve as a baseline description of the facilities and operating environment of the Central Valley Project (CVP) and State Water Project (SWP). The Central Valley Project – Operations Criteria and Plan (CVP-OCAP) identifies the many factors influencing the physical and institutional conditions and decision-making process under which the project … Continue reading “Long-Term Central Valley Project Operations Criteria and Plan CVP-OCAP”

Integrated Regional Water Management: Stakeholder Perspectives

Integrated regional water management (IRWM) is the application of integrated water management principles at the regional level. IRWM brings local agencies and other stakeholders, with a range of water-related roles and interests, together to address water management needs collaboratively within self-identified regions accepted by the State. The practice of IRWM is rooted in the principle … Continue reading “Integrated Regional Water Management: Stakeholder Perspectives”

California Hydrogeologically Vulnerable Areas Map

In response to Executive Order D-5-99, State Water Board staff created a map where published hydrogeologic information indicates soil or rock conditions that may be more vulnerable (or susceptible) to groundwater contamination: ”Hydrogeologically Vulnerable Areas.” The map was created due to groundwater concerns over releases of MTBE, primarily from leaking underground storage tank sites. However, … Continue reading “California Hydrogeologically Vulnerable Areas Map”

Principles and Requirements for Federal Investments in Water Resources

Chapter I – Principles for Federal Investments in Water Resources 1. Purpose and Scope 2. The Federal Objective 3. Guiding Principles A. Healthy and Resilient Ecosystems B. Sustainable Economic Development C. Floodplains D. Public Safety E. Environmental Justice F. Watershed Approach Chapter II – Requirements 1. General Requirements A. Evaluation Framework B. Best Available Science … Continue reading “Principles and Requirements for Federal Investments in Water Resources”

Federal Investments for the California Bay-Delta Region

The San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Bay-Delta) region of California is an ecosystem of national significance. It is also the hub of the nation’s largest water delivery system—infrastructure that is the foundation for economic activity in the agricultural, industrial, and recreational sectors of the economy, and provides drinking water to a population of over 25 … Continue reading “Federal Investments for the California Bay-Delta Region”

The Economic Impact of the Westlands Water District on the Local and Regional Economy

To anyone who visits the Westlands Water District (the District), the one reality that is most obvious to the observer is that agriculture IS the economy in the communities within and immediately surrounding the Westlands Water District. It is an area characterized by wide open fields-often populated with crops and occasional small pockets of residential … Continue reading “The Economic Impact of the Westlands Water District on the Local and Regional Economy”