Voices in Water

Call me an optimist, but it looks like the policy debate over Delta flows may be moving in the right direction.

That’s my take on a recent letter by the Delta Stewardship Council to the State Water Resources Control Board regarding the role of flows in addressing a suite of problems affecting the Delta ecosystem and key species such as smelt and salmon.

The State Board has launched a process to evaluate potential changes to Delta outflow and inflow requirements and other measures as part of its review of water quality objectives for the Bay-Delta.

ACWA Region 4 held its first event of the new term last week with a tour of the Delta levees. Leading the tour was Gilbert Cosio, Jr., P.E., MBK Engineers; Chris Neudeck, P.E., KSN Inc.; and Melinda Terry, executive director, California Central Valley Flood Control Association. The focus of the tour was showcasing the progress that’s been made in upgrading Delta levees in recent years.

The recent debate in Congress over H.R. 1837, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley Water Reliability Act, revealed sharp differences over how to address our state’s long-term water problems.

Those problems are complex, but one of the key issues is that the Endangered Species Act is not working. There is a constructive role for ACWA to play by engaging in the process and providing specific ideas on how to better administer the ESA.

ACWA’s President Randy Record, Immediate Past President Paul Kelley and Executive Director Tim Quinn sat down with members of Region 3 in Copperopolis last week to talk about the Delta Stewardship Council’s Delta Plan, the upcoming process to set flow objectives, and how to better come together as we move forward in shaping the future of California’s water.

With the next staff draft of the Delta Stewardship Council’s Delta Plan due to be released soon, the coming weeks will be pivotal for ACWA members and others working to move the council in a direction that can truly meet the coequal goals of improved ecosystem health and water supply reliability.

ACWA has been holding a series of forums around the state to update its local water agency members on plans and activities for the year.

ACWA's regions closed out a busy 2010-2011 term at the ACWA Fall Conference with the last nine membership meetings and two Region Issue Forums in Anaheim.

All eyes will be on the Delta Stewardship Council tomorrow as it issues a long-awaited draft environmental impact report (EIR) for the Delta Plan.

The document is reportedly 2,000 pages in length. Based on recent comments by council staff, however, it is unclear whether the content of those pages will get us any closer to achieving to co-equal goals of improved water supply reliability and ecosystem restoration.

There can be little doubt that California’s water system is in need of a major upgrade. Large-scale investments are needed in everything from water storage capacity to water recycling facilities to levees. Substantial investments in ecosystem restoration and habitat improvements also are needed if we are to meet the co-equal goals of improved water supply reliability and ecosystem health.

The California Water Commission convened a workshop today on one of the most important topics facing this generation of water managers: the future of water storage in California.

Students of history know that water storage and delivery systems built by previous generations of Californians fueled the rise of everything from the high-tech enclaves of Silicon Valley to the fertile farmland of the Central Valley to the vibrant cities and industries of Southern California.