The Delta on Fast Forward - Thinking Beyond the Next Crisis (Summary for Policymakers of the State of Bay Delta Science 2016)

University of California, Davis (UC Davis) | December 1st, 2016

Delta science needs to push beyond its tendency to focus on short-term policy mandates and near-term crises. Taking a longer, 50- to 100-year viewpoint has been part of v

Delta science needs to push beyond its tendency to focus on short-term policy mandates and near-term crises. Taking a longer, 50- to 100-year viewpoint has been part of various planning exercises including Delta Vision. That kind of long-range thinking now needs to be more strongly incorporated into the whole Delta science and management endeavor. An appreciation of the changes that are coming, particularly those associated with climate change, needs to inform all our research and planning. In the meantime, despite management actions that in some instances appear heroic, native fish continue to decline in the Delta. The food web has changed dramatically, new stressors are added daily to existing ones, and several native species are virtually extinct. While we must continue to try to shore up the delta smelt, for example, it is time for serious debate about more radical alternatives to habitat restoration, including assisted relocation, assisted evolution, even perhaps cryopreservation (freezing of genetic materials). Agency mandates based on the past should not prevent us from taking actions that prepare us for a very different future. The capacity of the Delta to absorb extremes of all kinds is declining. In the future, water managers will have to adjust to reduced and more variable inflows to the Delta and to less predictable sources of water supply. Sustaining a Delta ecosystem hospitable to native species will be much more difficult. In that case, it may become necessary to refocus on managing for novel plant and animal communities that provide desirable ecosystem services. Delaying action until the next crisis is upon us will greatly increase the risk and costs of failure.

The Delta on Fast Forward: Thinking Beyond the Next Crisis

CALFED | September 1st, 2016

The Delta Plan: Ensuring a reliable water supply for California, a healthy Delta ecosystem, and a place of enduring value

Delta Stewardship Council (Delta Council) | May 16th, 2013

The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is the grand confluence of California’s waters, the place where the state’s largest rivers merge in a web of channels—and in

The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is the grand confluence of California’s waters, the place where the state’s largest rivers merge in a web of channels—and in a maze of controversy. The Delta is a zone where the wants of a modern society come into collision with each other and with the stubborn limitations of a natural system. In 2009, seeking an end to decades of conflict over water, the Legislature established the Delta Stewardship Council with a mandate to resolve long-standing issues. The first step toward that resolution is the document you have before you, the Delta Plan.

The Delta Pool

State of California | January 2nd, 1961

The Disposition of Mining Debris in California

Scientific American | July 18th, 1891

Among the reports submitted to the last Congress was one from the Secretary of War on the treatment of mining debris in California. The report contained the conclusion

Among the reports submitted to the last Congress was one from the Secretary of War on the treatment of mining debris in California. The report contained the conclusions of the Board of Engineer officers which was prepared in compliance with an act of Congress, approved October 1st, 1888, which directed that three officers from the Engineer Corps of the United States army be constituted a commission for the purpose of making a thorough examination of the mining debris question in California, and determining whether some plan cannot be devised whereby the present conflict between the mining and farming sections may be adjusted, and the mining industry rehabilitated.

The Draft State Water Project Delivery Capability Report 2021

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | December 31st, 2021

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has authority under state law to construct, operate, and maintain the State Water Project (SWP) to manage, store and de

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has authority under state law to construct, operate, and maintain the State Water Project (SWP) to manage, store and deliver water for the benefit of the State. This report is intended to provide information about the key factors affecting the operation of the SWP in California, its long-term capability as a source of water for beneficial use, and an estimate of its current delivery capability. This report meets the requirements of Attachment B to the Monterey Plus Settlement Agreement of May 2003. Water provided by the SWP is a major source of the water supplies available to many SWP contractors. SWP contractors consist of 29 public entities that include cities, counties, urban water agencies, and agricultural irrigation districts. SWP contractors’ local/-regional water users have long-term contracts with the DWR for all, or a portion of their water supply needs. Thus, the delivery capability of water from the SWP system is an important component in the water supply planning of its recipients, and ultimately affects the amount of water available for beneficial use in California. The availability of these water supplies may be highly variable. A sequence of relatively wet water years1 may be followed by a varying sequence of dry or critically dry years. Having good and reliable estimates on how much water each contractor will receive each year —- whether it be a wet water year, a critical year, or somewhere in between -- gives contractors a better sense of the degree to which they may need to implement increased conservation measures, or plan for new facilities or back up sources of water to meet their needs. The geography of California and the infrastructure of water transfer from the source areas, located in the Sierra Mountain Range, to areas of demand for water, makes the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta a key feature of the SWP’s ability to deliver water to its agricultural and urban contractors in the North Bay, the South Bay, California Central Valley, and Southern California. All but five of the 29 SWP contractors receive water deliveries by diversions from the Delta. These water diversions are pumped by either the Harvey O. Banks or Barker Slough pumping plants. DWR and the United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR), the managing entities of the two statewide systems of water transfer in California, face numerous challenges in the operation of their diversion facilities in the Delta, and are regulated by several state and federal agencies to maintain, and enhance the Delta’s long-term sustainability. Maintaining suitable quality of water flowing in the channels of the Delta for the numerous in-basin beneficial uses, and the protection of endangered and threatened fish species are important factors of concern for the operators of the Delta export diversion facilities. Ongoing regulatory restrictions, such as those aimed at protecting the estuary’s resident and migratory fish species, are major challenges to a reliable and sustainable water delivery capability of both, SWP and the Central Valley Project (CVP) systems. Complications induced by climate change also pose the threat of increased variability in the frequency and magnitude of floods and droughts. The projected sea level rise caused by the increase in average temperature complicate efforts to manage salinity levels in the channels affected by tides. Additionally, higher ocean levels could result in more frequent water quality degradation in the Delta channels requiring additional Delta outflow to maintain water quality objectives. The 2021 Final Main Report (released at the end of March 2022) may include further information on climate change. Previously, the climate change scenario results were only discussed and presented in the Technical Addendum which is not published during the draft phase of the Delivery Capability Report (DCR). Other challenges include continued subsidence of Delta islands, many of which are already below sea level and supported by relatively unstable levee systems. Thus, the threat of a catastrophic levee failure becomes more significant as water pressure increases against the already fragile levees. The analyses in this report factor in all the current regulations governing SWP and CVP operations in the Delta and assumptions about water uses upstream in the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River watersheds. Analyses were conducted that determined the amounts of water that SWP contractors receive and the amounts of water they choose to hold for use in a subsequent year. SWP Delta exports have decreased since 2005, although the bulk of the change occurred between 2005 and 2009 and in 2019. The former reduction is due to the Delta regulations which constrained exports that culminated in the federal Biological Opinions (BiOps) which went into effect in 2008-2009. These BiOps restricted operations of the CVP and SWP diversion pumps. The later reduction is due to two main factors: 1) the amended Coordinated Operation Agreement (COA) with accompanying project operation changes which reduced SWP exports and increased CVP exports, and (2) a more conservative operation of Lake Oroville by the SWP. Many of the same assumptions on SWP operations described in the 2019 Report remains the same in this update for 2021, however, there were a few notable changes. These include the transition from CalSim II to CalSim 3 and CVP and SWP operational refinements. As a result, the differences between the 2019 and 2021 Reports can be attributed primarily to differences in hydrology, spatial and temporal expansion, more explicit groundwater and surface water interaction representation, and operational refinements. The most salient findings in this report are: Under existing conditions, the estimated average annual delivery of Table A water for this 2021 Report is 2,309 thousand acre-feet (TAF)/year, 105 TAF less than the 2,414 TAF/year estimated for the 2019 Report (Table 5-2). The likelihood of existing condition SWP Article 21 deliveries (supplemental deliveries to Table A water) being greater than 20 TAF/year has decreased by 20% relative to the likelihood presented in the 2019 Report (Figure 5-7).

The Economics of Ending Delta Water Exports Versus the Peripheral Canal: Checking the Data of the PPIC

University of the Pacific | December 16th, 2008

This economic analysis was written by Dr. Jeffrey Michael with the University of the Pacific Eberhardt School of Business. He writes, "The issue of a peripheral canal

This economic analysis was written by Dr. Jeffrey Michael with the University of the Pacific Eberhardt School of Business. He writes, "The issue of a peripheral canal has returned to the center of the debate about the future of the Delta. The case for building a peripheral canal has recently received a major boost from a report by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) that endorses the peripheral canal as the best long-run solution for the Delta. The PPIC report considers alternative strategies, most notably ending Delta water exports. They find that ending Delta water exports is significantly better for the environment than a peripheral canal, but reject the strategy because it is too costly. However, the PPIC’s cost estimates are exaggerated. They depend on inaccurate assumptions that utilize outdated, undocumented, or fabricated sources. When adjustments are made to their population growth, water recycling cost, and desalination cost assumptions to reflect the best, documented sources, the cost of ending Delta exports are likely to be similar to a peripheral canal. With similar costs, ending Delta exports is the best strategy due to its superior environmental benefits."

The Economy of the State Water Project

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | December 14th, 2023

The State Water Project (SWP) is among the world's most extensive water conveyance projects, featuring a 705-mile-long network of dams, reservoirs, hydroelectric faciliti

The State Water Project (SWP) is among the world's most extensive water conveyance projects, featuring a 705-mile-long network of dams, reservoirs, hydroelectric facilities, pumping plants, and canals. The State Water Project plays a key role in the state’s economy. It supplies over 27 million Californians, a majority of the state’s population, along with commercial and industrial customers, including in the technology and manufacturing sectors, that account for a majority of the state’s economic activity. Project deliveries also supply water to the agricultural sector, supporting the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, and nuts, particularly in the Central Valley, the nation’s most productive agricultural region. This reliable water source not only ensures the livelihood of residents, businesses, and farmers but also contributes significantly to the state’s economy through technology, manufacturing, and agricultural exports. This report consolidates publicly available data from the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and other agencies to provide policymakers with a comprehensive overview of the economy that is supported by the State Water Project.

The effects of kaolin clay on the amphipod Eohaustorius estuarius: Part Two

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | April 3rd, 2017

A number of lines-of-evidence suggest that the amphipod Eohaustorius estuarius has variable tolerance to clay in sediments. In Phase 1 of the current RMP special study, l

A number of lines-of-evidence suggest that the amphipod Eohaustorius estuarius has variable tolerance to clay in sediments. In Phase 1 of the current RMP special study, laboratory dose-response experiments were conducted in 2014 with kaolin clay to evaluate whether clay effects varied with amphipod size. The results indicated that smaller amphipods were more tolerant of clay than larger individuals. Average survival was 81%, 79%, and 65% for small, medium and large amphipods, respectively, in concentrations > 50% clay. As part of Phase 2 confirmation studies conducted in 2015-2016, the original kaolin dose-response experiments were repeated. Results of this experiment showed that average amphipod survival was 88%, 63%, and 41% for small, medium and large amphipods, respectively, in concentrations > 50% clay. Standard 96-hour reference toxicant tests with cadmium chloride (CdCl2) were conducted to determine whether there were size-specific differences in response to this metal reference toxicant. The CdCl2 median lethal concentrations (LC50s) for small, medium and large amphipods were 6.78, 5.13, and 4.63 mg/L, respectively. Responses of all three size classes to cadmium were within historic confidence intervals for this reference metal, and were not significantly different from one another based on overlapping confidence intervals. Additional experiments with high clay reference site sediments from San Francisco Bay were conducted to confirm the size related response with field sediments. The results confirm that use of smaller amphipods in routine monitoring of high clay sediments will reduce the influence of this factor on test results. 

The Effects of Salmon Fisheries on Southern Resident Killer Whales

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) | November 30th, 2012