Agreements to Support Healthy Rivers and Landscapes

  • Nov 20, 2023

The Agreements to Support Healthy Rivers and Landscapes (Agreements), previously referred to as Voluntary Agreements, represent an unprecedented opportunity to improve the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Bay-Delta) ecosystem by creating a comprehensive program of habitat enhancement projects coupled with more water for fish and wildlife, managed in a collaborative, science-based manner. ACWA strongly supports the Agreements as the best approach to protecting, restoring, and enhancing California’s Bay-Delta.

Updates

Future
1/19/2024: Written comments on the draft Staff Report are due to the State Water Board.
12/11/2023: State Water Board to hold public hearing on draft Staff Report and opportunity for oral comments.
12/1/2023: State Water Board to hold public hearing on draft Staff Report and opportunity for oral comments.
Past
11/17/2023: State Water Board holds public hearing on draft Staff Report and opportunity for oral comments.
11/14/2023: State Water Board extends public comment period from 11/15/2023 to 1/19/2024.
11/2/2023: State Water Board holds workshop on modeling used in draft Staff Report.
10/19/2023: State Water Board holds workshop on overview of draft Staff Report.
9/28/2023: State Water Board releases draft Staff Report in support of Sacramento/Delta updates to the Bay-Delta Plan and the Final Draft Scientific Basis Report Supplement in Support of Proposed Voluntary Agreements.
5/18/2023: State Water Board scoping meeting to solicit input regarding the proposed Tuolumne River Voluntary Agreement.
4/11/2023: State Water Board releases Notice of Preparation of Environmental Documentation for Possible Amendment of the Bay-Delta Plan to Incorporate Voluntary Agreement for the Tuolumne River.
1/19/2023: State Water Board public workshop on the Draft Scientific Basis Report Supplement in Support of Proposed Voluntary Agreements.
1/5/2023: State Water Board releases the Draft Scientific Basis Report Supplement in Support of Proposed Voluntary Agreements.
3/29/2022: State Water Board receives a Memorandum of Understanding Advancing a Term Sheet for Voluntary Agreements.
12/12/2018: State Water Board adopts Bay-Delta Plan amendments and a Final SED establishing updated flow objectives on the Lower San Joaquin River.
7/6/2018: State Water Board releases a Framework for the Sacramento/Delta Update to the Bay-Delta Plan.
10/2/2017: State Water Board finalizes the Scientific Basis Report in Support of New and Modified Requirements for Inflows from the Sacramento River and its Tributaries and Eastside Tributaries to the Delta, Delta Outflows, Cold Water Habitat, and Interior Delta Flows.
1/24/2012: State Water Board initiates process to update the Sacramento/Delta portions of the Bay-Delta Plan.

FAQ

What are the Agreements to Support Healthy Rivers and Landscapes?

Hundreds of organizations either depend on or have a say in the management of the Bay-Delta. And all those organizations agree that the Bay-Delta is in trouble as native aquatic species of fish, such as salmon and Delta smelt, and the ecosystem that they depend on continue to decline. A large coalition of those organizations – federal, state and local agencies such as water and irrigation districts, along with farmers – have united behind comprehensive plans for protecting the Bay-Delta from further environmental harm, while providing adequate water supplies for farms and cities.

These plans are the Agreements to Support Healthy Rivers and Landscapes, previously called Voluntary Agreements. They propose a historic suite of integrated actions that are far broader than the flow-only approach proposed by the State Water Resources Control Board staff. This new approach will also allow water managers to adapt operations based on real-time conditions and enable broad coordination across watersheds to manage flows for maximal benefits. This more flexible, adaptive management is critical as climate change increases uncertainty and drives extreme conditions.

When and how can the Agreements work to improve the Bay-Delta?

The Agreements, if approved by the State Water Board as an implementation pathway for an updated Bay-Delta Plan, could help state agencies meet requirements to protect beneficial uses in the Sacramento and San Joaquin watersheds. Through this approach, California would dedicate a large quantity of water to the environment and restore 45,000 acres of aquatic habitat for fish and other animals. The Agreements provide a promising pathway to protect and restore our environment, enable California’s economy to thrive, and provide a foundation for a more resilient future. When it comes to water in California, now is the time to bridge our differences in pursuit of sustainable solutions that meet our state’s needs.

What is ACWA doing to advocate for the Agreements?

ACWA continues to advocate in support of the proposed Agreements as the superior approach to updating the Bay-Delta Plan and achieving the coequal goals of protecting, restoring, and enhancing the Delta. Following the release of the draft Staff Report in September 2023, ACWA convened its Bay-Delta Working Group and engaged with member agencies, partners, and interested parties to inform its advocacy. ACWA staff intend to provide oral and written comments on the draft Staff Report to the State Water Board.

State Water Contractors’ California’s Voluntary Agreements Fact Sheet

California Natural Resources Agency’s FAQ webpage

Resources

You can learn more about how Agreements to Support Healthy Rivers and Landscapes work through the following websites and videos, which also provide historical background on the process leading to the Agreements.

Documents

Videos