(January 15, 2009) After two years of work and countless meetings by stakeholders, the Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force and the Delta Vision Committee, the final report outlining strategies to safeguard the fragile Delta and provide a reliable source of water for millions of Californians was sent to the Governor on December 31, 2008.

The report lays out an ambitious timeline over the next two years to jumpstart strategies.

Most controversial in the report are the recommendation for dual conveyance of water through and around the Delta and a proposal for a governance council.

The Delta Vision process was created by executive order in 2006 tasked with finding common ground on the two coequal goals of improving water supply and protecting the fragile resources of the Delta. The disastrous flooding in Louisiana underscored the precariousness of the Delta levees protecting thousands of residents, thousands of acres of farmland and the drinking water source for 25 million Californians.

Conveyance and Storage

The report concludes that a dual conveyance system would seem to be the best option to improve water quality in the Delta and provide a reliable source of drinking water to those served by the State Water Project.

Levees would need to be strengthened to withstand natural disasters like floods or earthquakes. More flexibility to control water flows at certain times of the year would be necessary to balance environmental needs with water supply needs. A peripheral canal would provide that flexibility.

The proposed canal is not a new idea. It originally was proposed in the 1980s, but was the subject of a referendum. More recently, academics have released reports that the peripheral canal must be considered if the Delta is to be preserved. Continuing drought conditions add a sense of urgency to the need to fix the Delta and yet provide sufficient water for people of the state.

Other key elements of the final report include proposals to build two new reservoirs (the locations are not specified). Additional water storage provides the State Water Project operational flexibility to manage flow requirements for environmental purposes, to improve water quality in the Delta and assure a reliable water supply.

The plan also calls for fast-tracking the construction of the peripheral canal by the executive branch through the state Department of Water Resources. A 1984 legal opinion from the state Attorney General suggests that the Governor could direct the Department of Water Resources to break ground on the peripheral canal without approval from the Legislature.

Delta Governance Proposal

As many as 200 agencies have shared jurisdiction over various activities in the Delta in past years. The California Bay-Delta Authority, a mix of state and federal agencies and public members, was largely ineffective in its efforts to coordinate Delta policy. The Delta Vision Committee opted to modify the task force’s recommendation and proposes a new framework for governance.

The Interim Delta Policy Group would begin developing a long-term governance plan (Delta Plan) that negotiates the coequal goals of Delta governance in coordination with local governments around the Delta region.

Specifically, the group would consist of the agency secretaries of Natural Resources; Environmental Protection; Business, Transportation and Housing; Food and Agriculture; the directors of the Department of Water Resources and the Department of Fish and Game; the executive director of the State Water Resources Control Board; the president of the Public Utilities Commission; and one elected official from the five Delta counties. The Secretary of the Interior would be invited to participate.

The Policy Group would oversee implementation of all Delta activity until long-term governance is in place. Meanwhile, the group would begin developing memoranda of agreement with Delta region counties.

Once the Policy Group completes work implementing a new governance structure, the existing Delta Protection Commission will focus on land use and economic development. It also will ensure that all projects in the Delta are consistent with the plan.

A new Delta Conservancy also would be established to develop a strategic plan to perform restoration activities in the Delta region, including purchasing and managing lands. The Conservancy would be empowered to enter into contracts, buy and sell land and other property and receive and expend grants as it sees fit, among other powers.

Ecosystem Restoration

Finally, the report emphasizes ecosystem restoration. The report recommends completion of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan and associated environmental assessments by 2010.

The conservation plan is intended to provide the long-term strategies for ecosystem restoration, including habitat restoration, implementation of the Total Maximum Daily Load program, increasing fish populations, protecting water supplies against earthquakes and floods, installing Delta gates and barriers, and continued funding of the CALFED Ecosystem Restoration Program, among other strategies.