delta vision presentation - sacramento county, … news/keith...delta vision recommendations. 1)...
TRANSCRIPT
Agenda
• What is Delta Vision and BDCP?• Background, Setting, and Problem
Summary• Delta History for Context• Delta Vision• Delta Vision Strategic Plan• Bay Delta Conservation Plan• County Policies and Response
Beginnings of Delta Vision• Established by Governor’s Executive Order on
September 17, 2006• Charged with developing a durable vision for
sustainable management of the Delta over the long term
• Restore and maintain identified functions and values important to the Delta’s environmental quality and economic and social well-being of the state
• Seven members appointed to serve by the Governor
Bay-Delta Conservation Plan
• Multi-species habitat conservation plan for the Delta
• Proposed by the water exporters and the state and federal water contractors
• Involves converting Delta agricultural lands to wetlands
• Little or no participation by affected land owners or local government
Delta Facts• Confluence of Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers• Delta islands provide habitat for many animal and plant
species• Source of irrigation water for seven million acres of
agricultural land• Municipal and industrial water supply for two-thirds of
California residents• Delta is a key conveyance point for the states two largest
water projects that transport water to Central and Southern CA– Central Valley Project– State Water Project
Delta Problems
• For decades the Delta has been in decline– Delta quality is getting worse– Islands are subsiding– Numerous species are threatened– Levees are deteriorating
• Conflicts among those within the Delta, those who use water exported from the Delta, and the watershed (upstream)
Modern Delta• 700 mile maze of sloughs, canals, waterways
and islands• Home to more than 500,000 people, Contains
500,000 acres of agriculture• Provides habitat for 700 native plant and
animal species• Provides water for more than 25 million
Californians, 3 million acres of agriculture
Water conveyed through the Delta sustains $400 billion of CA’s statewide economy
Federal Central Valley Project (CVP)
• Authorized in 1937• Consists of 20 dams, canals, 11 million acre
feet of storage (includes Shasta, Folsom)• Delivers 7 million acre feet contract water
annually• Contracts
– 85% Agriculture, 15% Urban
Area of Origin Protections
State Water Project
• State Electorate approved Bonds in 1960• Facilities include Oroville Dam, canals• Water contracts for 4.2 million acre feet to
29 public water agencies• Deliveries limited to 2.3 million by SWRCB
D-1485 in 1978
Delta Protections
• Delta Protection Act (1959)• Delta Protection Commission (1992)
– Purpose is to ensure that “development” as defined by the Delta Protection Act and associated General Plans is consistent with the Resource Management Plan developed by the Commission
– 24 member Commission comprised of local elected and State appointed members
State’s Effort to Solve Water Supply Problems (CalFed)
1994 – Formation of CalFed, 18 state and federal agencies came together to address Delta conditions
– June 1994: Framework Agreement– December 2004: Bay-Delta Accord
CalFed Principles1. Ecosystem Quality2. Water Supply3. Water Quality4. Vulnerability of Delta Functions
Beginnings of Delta Vision• Established by Governor’s Executive Order on
September 17, 2006• Charged with developing a durable vision for
sustainable management of the Delta over the long term
• Restore and maintain identified functions and values important to the Delta’s environmental quality and economic and social well-being of the state
• Seven members appointed to serve by the Governor
How the Delta Vision Was Developed
• Task Force held 14 days of public meetings• A 43-member Stakeholder Coordination Group met
publicly for 15 days, and provided input to the Task Force
• Task Force recommendations were informed by Delta Science Advisors, other state and federal agencies and public testimony
• Three drafts and a final version of Our Vision for the California Delta were published as a result of this process
The Delta Vision
• An independent approach to the crisis in the Delta resulted in 12 recommendations and 7 near-term actions
• Recommendations are integrated and linked together – they are not designed to be “cherry picked”
Delta Vision Recommendations
1) “Delta ecosystem and reliable water supply are the primary, co-equal goals for sustainable management of the Delta.”
Delta Vision Recommendations
2) “The California Delta is a unique and valued area, warranting recognition and special legal status…”
3) “The Delta ecosystem must function as part of a healthy estuary.”
4) “California’s water supply is limited and must be managed with significantly more efficiency to be adequate for its future population, growing economy, and vital environment.”
Delta Vision Recommendations
5) “The foundation for policymaking about California water resources must be the longstanding principles of ‘reasonable use’ and ‘public trust’; these principles are particularly important and applicable to the Delta.”
Public Trust Doctrine
Embodies the principle that the State as sovereign owns “all of its navigable water ways and the lands lying beneath them ‘as trustee of a public trust for the benefit of the people’”
Delta Vision Recommendations 6) “The goals of conservation, efficiency, and sustainable
use must drive California water policies.”
7) “A revitalized Delta ecosystem will require reduced diversions, or changes in patterns and timing of those diversions, upstream, within the Delta and exported from the Delta at critical times.”
8) ”New facilities for conveyance and storage, and better linkage between the two, are needed to better manage California’s water resources, the estuary and exports.”
Delta Vision Recommendations
9) “Major investments in the California Delta and the statewide water management system must be consistent with, and integrate specific policies in this vision. In particular, these strategic investments must strengthen selected levees, improve floodplain management, and improve water circulation and quality.”
10) “It is essential to have an independent body with authority to achieve the co-equal goals … while also recognizing the importance of the Delta as a unique and valued area.”
Delta Vision Recommendations
11) “Discouraging inappropriate urbanization of the Delta is critical both to preserve the Delta’s unique character and to ensure adequate public safety.”
12) “Institutions and policies for the Delta should be designed for resiliency and adaptation.”
Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force
Public Meetings
August 18-28, 2008
The Delta Vision
Strategic Plan
Delta Vision Task Force Strategic Plan Implementation
1. Water Supply ReliabilityStrategies 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
2. EcosystemStrategies 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10
3. The Delta as a PlaceStrategy 11
4. Governance and FinanceStrategies 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18
Delta Vision Task Force Strategic Plan ImplementationWater Supply Reliability
Strategy 1 Vastly Improve the Efficient Use of WaterStrategy 2 Optimize Regional Self Sufficiency by
Increasing the Diversity of Local and Regional Water Supplies
Strategy 3 Integrate Central Valley Flood Management with Water Supply Planning
Strategy 4 Improve Reliability and Predictability of Water Diverted from the Delta Watershed to SupportCo-Equal Values
Strategy 5 Improve Water Quality for Drinking Water, Agriculture, and the Ecosystem
Delta Vision Task Force Strategic Plan ImplementationEcosystem Improvements
Strategy 6 Restore Extensive Interconnected HabitatsStrategy 7 Restore Delta Flows and Channels to Reflect
California Climate Patterns and Support a Healthy Delta Estuary
Strategy 8 Reduce Ecosystem StressorsStrategy 9 Establish an Effective Adaptive Management
Framework to Support Ecosystem Revitalization
Strategy 10 Establish Multi-Purpose Migratory Corridors Along Selected Delta River Channels
Delta Vision Task Force Strategic Plan Implementation
The Delta as a Place
Strategy 11 Design the Delta as a Unique and Valued Place
Delta Vision Task Force Strategic Plan Implementation
Governance and Finance
Strategy 12 Achieve Levels of Emergency Protection Consistent with Federal and State Policies
Strategy 13 Adopt an Overall Policy for Levee Design, Investment, Financing Priorities, and Maintenance
Strategy 14 Ensure Appropriate Land Uses in the DeltaStrategy 15 Create New Governance System to Manage
the Co-Equal Value sand Other State Interests of the Delta
Delta Vision Task Force Strategic Plan Implementation
Governance and Finance (con’t)
Strategy 16 Create a California Delta Ecosystem and Water Plan to Ensure Flexibility and Consistency of Action Among State, Federal, and Local Entities
Strategy 17 Finance the Activities Called for in the California Delta Ecosystem and Water Plan Through User Fees and Other Effective and Transparent Tools
Strategy 18 Improve the Compliance of Diversions and Use of Water With All Applicable Laws, Regulations, and Constitutional Principles
Finance the Activities Called for in the California Delta Ecosystem and Water Plan through User Fees and Other
Effective and Transparent Financing Tools
• Private beneficiaries pay for benefits; public pays for broader benefits• Funding based on full compliance with CDEW plan and Council decisions• Costs
– Isolated conveyance $4.2 billion: Sacramento County side $7.2 billion: Yolo County side
– Ecosystem revitalization $2.5 billion
– Levee improvements $20 billion
• Next 10-15 year costs– $12-24 billion with no estimates for annual operating costs
• Who pays?– Water contractors (exporters will pay for conveyance)– Beneficiaries – Create multiple revenue streams with layering– Funding provides mechanism to assure consistency with CDEW plan
Governance and Finance: strategy 17
Bay-Delta Conservation Plan
• Multi-species habitat conservation plan for the Delta
• Proposed by the water exporters and the state and federal water contractors
• Involves converting Delta agricultural lands to wetlands
• Little or no participation by affected land owners or local government
1. Mitigate All Significant Adverse Impacts
2. Protect Area-of-Origin and Water Rights Priorities
3. Local Elected Government Representation for any New Governance
Structure
4. Protect Local Government Authorities
5. Integrate SSHCP with Bay Delta Conservation Plan
6. Adequately Fund Flood Control, Transportation, Through-Delta Water
Conveyance Facilities, etc
7. Mitigate for Impacts to the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District and
the Freeport Regional Water Authority Operations
8. Any solution to the problems being addressed in the Delta must account for multiple
causes of the Delta’s decline and not simply focus on one or even a limited number.
Sacramento County Policieswith Respect to Bay-Delta Related Activities Including the
Bay-Delta Conservation Plan and the Delta Vision
Sacramento County Policy Positions With Respect to Delta Actions and
Activities
1. Actions associated with the Delta ecosystem and
water supply reliability for area south of the Delta must
not redirect unmitigated adverse environmental,
economic or social impacts to Sacramento County.
Sacramento County Policy Positions With Respect to Delta Actions and
Activities
2. Actions and activities associated with the Delta must
honor and adhere to water rights priorities and area-
of-origin protections. Sacramento county opposes
water user fees that would tax water users in the
areas of origin for the cost of mitigation efforts in the
Delta or to provide a water supply for those south of
the Delta.
Water Rights
• Water rights first tied to land ownership– Riparian rights with no priority in time
• Appropriative rights- priority system-“first in time, first in right”
• Post 1914 - State Water Resources Control Board regulates water allocation
• Water rights are generally considered real property
Water Rights (con’t)
• Rights subject to “reasonable use”California Constitution Article X, Section 2
Water Rights (con’t)
• Area of Origin Protections– County of Origin Act
• Provides assurance that any new application to appropriate water for use by a county of origin will not be rejected because of senior export permits based on State-filed applications with earlier priorities.
– Watershed Protection Act• Reserves the right to appropriate water for use by
those within the watershed or immediately adjacent thereto.
Sacramento County Policy Positions With Respect to Delta Actions and
Activities3. Water conveyance facilities routed through
Sacramento County must have no adverse effect on the existing and future operation of the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (“SRCSD”) facilities or on the Freeport Regional Water Project (“FRWP”). Other adverse impacts of water conveyance facilities routed through Sacramento County must be fully mitigated. Sacramento County must be fully involved in routing and operational issues of water conveyance facilities located within Sacramento County.
Sacramento County Policy Positions With Respect to Delta Actions and
Activities
4. Sacramento County will protect its governmental
prerogatives in the areas of its local land use authority,
tax and related revenues, public health and safety,
economic development and agricultural stability.
Sacramento County Policy Positions With Respect to Delta Actions and
Activities
5. Sacramento County will protect its ability to govern, as an elected body, from proposed usurpation through governance by a non-elected, appointed board or council. Any councils, commissions or boards established to “govern” the Delta must include voting membership for elected representatives from Sacramento County, and elected representatives from the Delta counties must be a majority on any of these bodies.
Sacramento County Policy Positions With Respect to Delta Actions and
Activities
6. Sacramento County will work with the BDCP’s efforts
to insure that it does not conflict with County land use
planning, economic development, including agriculture,
and that it is consistent and compatible with the South
County HCP.
Sacramento County Policy Positions With Respect to Delta Actions and
Activities
7. Financial resources must be committed to maintain
and enhance vital transportation and flood control
infrastructure within those areas of the Delta that are
within Sacramento County. Financial resources also
need to be committed to improved emergency
response within the Delta.
Sacramento County Policy Positions With Respect to Delta Actions and
Activities
8. Any solution to the problems being addressed in the Delta must account for multiple causes of the Delta’s decline and not simply focus on one or even a limited number of them.
Summary of the County’s Actions
Delta Vision Strategic Plan released in October 2008.
Board of Supervisors adopts 8 Delta-related policies and principles on October 21, 2008.
Sacramento County is an active member of the 5-County TAC (Contra Costa, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Solano & Yolo). The TAC is coordinating and developing common areas of agreement (e.g., future governance requires a local voice & expand the co-equal goal concept to include “Delta as a Place”).
The legislative advocates and lobbyists of the 5-County coalition are reviewing and analyzing multiple legislative proposals and providing testimony at committee hearings.
Sacramento County leaders are meeting with key Assembly and Senate members, as well as staff of the Governor ‘s Office.
County staff meets internally to discuss outstanding issues and share legislative updates.
2009 Delta-Related Legislation(continued)
Protection of the Delta
• SB 12 (Simitian): A compressive bill that mirrors the recommendations of the Delta Blue Ribbon Task Force.
• AB 13 (Salas): Establishes a Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy.
• AB 39 (Huffman): Will implement Delta Vision.• SB 229 (Pavley): Proposes an “interim” governance structure for
the Delta & re-establishes the Cal Water Commission.• SB 457 (Wolk): Establishes the Delta Stewardship Council.• SB 458 (Wolk): Establishes a Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Conservancy.
2009 Delta-Related Legislation Funding: Four water bond bills
($9 - $10 billion):SB 301 - Florez (Represents Fresno, Kern and
King counties) SB 371 – Cogdill (Represents Fresno,
Madera, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus counties) SB 456 - Wolk (Represents San Joaquin,
Solano and Yolo counties) SB 735 – Steinberg (Represents Sacramento)
Next Steps
• Continue meetings with State leadership and local state and federal elected representatives to address County issues
• Comment on proposed bills consistent with adopted County policies
• Continue commenting on Bay-Delta proposals
• Continue the 5-County coordination and partnerships with agencies having similar concerns
For Additional Informationwww.FreeportProject.org• Freeport Regional Water Project:
www.SCWA.net• Delta information• Vineyard Water Surface Treatment Plant Project