From the State Water Contractors:
The State Water Contractors (SWC) today issue a Request for Proposals (RFP), seeking to invest up to $3 million in high-quality science projects that will advance the understanding of complex systems in San Francisco Bay, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) and upper watersheds.
“This request for proposals is an exciting milestone for the SWC and the SWC’s Science Program. The SWC Science Program has always sought to support science that addresses unanswered questions and creates a better shared understanding of the realities of our complex and interconnected watersheds,” said Darcy Austin, Science Manager for the State Water Contractors.
The SWC was established in 1982 to promote the common interests of 27 member agencies that contract with the State Water Project (SWP) for portions of their water supplies. The SWP conveys an average of 2.4 million acre-feet of water per year, supplying irrigation water for 750,000 acres of farmland and 27 million people in the Bay Area, Central Valley and Southern California, as well as essential benefits to protect our fish and wildlife, water quality, and the ecosystem.
Although regulatory permits reduce exports, listed species continue to decline. Much of the Delta science has historically focused on water project operations; however, it is clear that a multitude of factors are contributing to the continued decline and that Delta science must expand to better understand the totality of factors impacting the Delta ecosystem and species. This solicitation seeks solution-based studies that will inform critical uncertainties related to SWP water operations, including habitat and ecology, Delta outflow, and non-operational stressors.
Full proposal submittals will be due by 5:00 p.m. PT on March 27, 2023, with final decisions to be announced in the summer.
Learn more about the SWC Science Program by reviewing our 2023 Annual Science Plan.
For more information on the RFP or to learn more about the State Water Contractors, please visit www.swc.org.
The State Water Contractors is a statewide, non-profit association of 27 public agencies from Northern, Central and Southern California that purchase water under contract from the California State Water Project. Collectively the State Water Contractors deliver water to more than 27 million residents throughout the state and more than 750,000 acres of agricultural land. For more information on the State Water Contractors, please visit www.swc.org.
