NOW AVAILABLE: NOAA Fisheries Final Biological Opinion for the Long Term Operations of the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project

NOAA Fisheries issues no jeopardy/no adverse modification biological opinion

The biological opinion by NOAA Fisheries for the long-term operations of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project is now available.  (For more on biological opinions, click here.)

The document states that the proposed action more effectively aligns Reclamation and the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) operations in the Delta, introduces a new operational framework for Shasta Reservoir operations that improves drought resilience for operations and fish conditions, and introduces changes to Clear Creek, Stanislaus River, and American River flows and temperature management.

From the Transmittal letter:

“NMFS has evaluated the proposed action for this consultation as a “mixed programmatic” action as defined by 50 CFR 402.02 because it includes some action components for which no additional consultation will be necessary and others that are considered at a framework-level. The enclosed final opinion will be effective upon Reclamation’s issuance of a Record of Decision pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act and will supersede the NMFS 2019 Biological Opinion for the Reinitiation of Consultation on the Long-Term Operation of the CVP and SWP.

The final opinion included in this document concludes that Reclamation’s proposed action results in the following determinations for the listed species and designated critical habitats:

The document

For more information …

• The US Fish & Wildlife Service biological opinion is here.
• Bureau of Reclamation webpage for the biops.  Also includes DFW’s Incidental Take Permit.