From the State Water Resources Control Board:
As part of the process required to update and implement the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan, the State Water Resources Control Board will begin a three-day public hearing on Friday, Nov. 17, to receive oral comments on the draft staff report that evaluates potential benefits and environmental impacts of possible revisions to the Sacramento/Delta components of the Bay-Delta Plan.
The report assesses a range of alternatives for updating the plan, including those based on regulatory instream flow requirements and voluntary agreements, and proposes incorporating tribal and subsistence fishing beneficial uses based on input from tribes and Delta communities.
State Water Board Chair E. Joaquin Esquivel will provide opening remarks, but no board action will be taken and the hearing will not include sworn testimony or cross-examination of participants.
The hearing will be held in person at the Joe Serna Jr. CalEPA Headquarters in Sacramento, 1001 I Street, Coastal Hearing Room (second floor), on the following days:
- Friday, Nov. 17, beginning at
9:30 a.m. - Friday, Dec. 1, beginning at 9:30 a.m.
- Monday, Dec. 11, beginning at 12:00 p.m.
A webcast will be available for those interested in only viewing the hearing.
After considering public comments and other information, staff will incorporate appropriate changes and release draft plan amendments for an additional public review and comment period in early-mid 2024.
Background: The Bay-Delta watershed is a critical part of California’s water supply system that provides habitat for fish, wildlife and species with ecological, economic and cultural importance. State law requires the board to adopt a water quality control plan that establishes protective measures, periodically review the terms through a public process and make any necessary changes.
Specifically, the Bay-Delta Plan identifies beneficial uses of water for municipal, agriculture, and fish and wildlife, water quality objectives to reasonably protect these uses, and an implementation program to achieve the objectives, which are largely flow-dependent.
In 2018, the San Joaquin River/southern Delta provisions were updated and a framework was released for possible changes to the Sacramento River/Delta components. Currently, the board is considering updates identified in the Sacramento/Delta framework, as well as voluntary agreements water users proposed in 2022 that include both flow and habitat restoration actions.
The State Water Board’s mission is to preserve, enhance and restore the quality of California’s water resources and drinking water for the protection of the environment, public health and all beneficial uses, and to ensure proper allocation and efficient use for present and future generations.
Related content:
BAY DELTA PLAN UPDATE: A deep dive into the staff report for the for the Sacramento Delta update: How do the voluntary agreements stack up?, from Maven’s Notebook
NOTICE: Sacramento/Delta Draft Staff Report: Comment Deadline Extended & Revised Public Hearing Information, from the State Water Resources Control Board
