The State Water Board has proposed updates to the Water Quality Control Plan for the Sacramento-Delta region of the Bay Delta. This marks the start of a public review and comment period.
The updates outline two compliance options for water users and agencies to meet water quality standards: the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program, which incorporates voluntary agreements (VAs) from state and federal agencies and other water users, and a regulatory pathway for those not participating in approved VAs. Both options will establish legally enforceable requirements.
Here’s what State agencies, Voluntary agreement participants, Salmon groups, and other stakeholders had to say.
From Governor Newsom
[Yesterday], the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) proposed an update to its Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan that will help protect the Sacramento River, the Delta and associated tributaries (Sacramento/Delta) for generations to come and safeguard water supplies for millions of Californians. The new plan update will help maintain a strong balance between protecting precious ecosystems and ensuring the state can meet the needs of Californians. If adopted, the plan will update environmental science, restore tens of thousands of acres of habitat, and incorporate a groundbreaking program developed by the Newsom administration, creating voluntary agreements with water users, including municipal water agencies, agriculture, and other water rights holders. Advancing California’s Abundance Agenda, the Governor is also introducing a legislative proposal through a separate trailer bill to create new CEQA exemptions for water quality plans.
“I am proud to see the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program represented in this plan update — it’s a testament to California’s commitment to a collaborative, science-driven approach to managing our water for the benefit of our communities, economy, and fish and wildlife,” said Governor Newsom. “However, our work is not yet done — I have proposed legislation to create a CEQA exemption for all Water Quality Control Plans that would accelerate the time it takes to get these critical plans done by removing unnecessary and redundant process requirements. We’re done with barriers and obstacles to our state’s success. We must work together to protect our natural resources for the benefit of the habitats and people of our state.”
The Newsom Administration, along with state, federal, and local leaders, developed the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes (HRL) Program as an innovative alternate approach to traditional regulatory requirements to improve environmental conditions while providing more water supply certainty to communities, farms, and businesses throughout California. Now, the program has advanced to the State Water Board for consideration as an implementation pathway in the Bay-Delta Plan.
“The State Water Board’s draft plan update marks a crucial step toward safeguarding the Bay Delta’s water quality,” said California Environmental Protection Agency Secretary Yana Garcia. “By embracing collaborative, science-driven solutions, the board is actively ensuring a more sustainable water future for communities, ecosystems, and generations to come.”
The Bay-Delta Plan update now includes two regulatory pathways for water users:
- A comprehensive Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program, which would produce ecosystem benefits through a combination of flow and habitat projects.
- A flow-only approach for those who are not parties to the HRL program.
Following a public comment period, the plan will advance before the State Water Board for final consideration. The plan, developed with extensive public input, including public water agencies, environmental nonprofits, tribal partners, and local governments, is a win for all Californians.
Streamlining Government to Work Better
The Bay-Delta Plan for the Sacramento/Delta has not been meaningfully updated since 1995. Continuing to operate under a plan that does not reflect the most current science, a growing population, or a changing climate is a disservice to California’s communities and ecosystems. In 2022, Governor Newsom brought together local, state, and federal partners to submit an actionable framework for the Voluntary Agreements, later named the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program, to the State Water Board.
If adopted by the State Water Board, the HRL program would dedicate a large quantity of water to the environment and restore more than 45,000 acres of aquatic habitat for fish and other animals. In addition, Governor Newsom secured funding commitments totalling $2.9 billion to implement the HRL program over the next 8 years.
“This program will improve the health of our rivers by both restoring river flows and revitalizing habitat,” said California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot. “After all, fish and wildlife need both to thrive. It also improves coordination and collaboration among public agencies charged with improving river conditions and will enable real-time, science-based decision making that we desperately need to better manage our river systems.”
“The Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program will allow for a more collaborative and scientifically sound way to balance conflicting demands for water in an extremely complex watershed. We’re grateful to the State Water Board for embracing this approach as a potential pathway within their regulatory framework,” said California Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth. “Working together, we will find new solutions to the old problem of balancing the needs of ecosystems and economies.”
“The inclusion of voluntary agreements in the development of this plan will be a big win for California, and will help provide more opportunities for our partners across the state to support California’s irreplaceable fish populations and habitats,” said California Department Fish and Wildlife Director Charlton H. Bonham. “By focusing on the science of restoration, and prioritizing additional flows to support healthy habitats, we can ensure the best possible outcomes for California’s precious natural resources, now and in years to come.”
Furthering the administration’s agenda to reduce barriers to progress and move projects that Californians need forward, Governor Newsom has also introduced trailer bill language to streamline the adoption of water quality control plans and create new exemptions for water projects under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). This would expedite the potential adoption of the Bay-Delta Plan and the ecosystem benefits it would provide, while still allowing for vital public process and input.
More information about the proposed Bay-Delta Plan update is available on the State Water Board’s website.
From Voluntary Agreement participants
Public water agencies across California are joining Governor Gavin Newsom and statewide leaders to applaud the forward progress by the State Water Board for advancing an innovative approach to create Healthy Rivers and Landscapes throughout the Central Valley.
Today, the State Water Board released another draft update to its Bay-Delta Water Quality Plan that includes two regulatory pathways: 1) a comprehensive Healthy Rivers and Landscapes (HRL) Program; and 2) a flow-only approach for parties not participating in the HRL Program.
Advancing the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program will immediately connect new flows in our rivers and through the Delta with important habitat across our landscape to improve conditions for fish and wildlife, while also working in harmony with our economic needs for water for thirty-two million people and sustaining some of the most vibrant farms and ranches in the world.
The Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program will meet state regulatory requirements while improving conditions for the environment, farms, homes, and businesses. A comprehensive science program will utilize the best available science to inform real-time decision-making and includes plans for monitoring and reporting, all under the umbrella of a collaborative governance program. A science-based Bay-Delta Plan means water for families, farms, fish, and fowl; while supporting our collective vision of a prosperous future, as described in a whiteboard video.
“A large coalition of public water agencies and businesses are coming together from Redding to the Mexican border to work with state and federal agencies to advance the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program as a new and transformational approach to managing California’s water,” said Jennifer Pierre, General Manager of the State Water Contractors. “The collaboration demonstrates broad commitment by these agencies to manage the delta watershed in a way that is inclusive, science-based, and responsive to our weather whiplash.”
“The Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program offers a new way forward for California to manage our water resources in concert with our landscape. With our mutual commitment to more strategic flows, accelerated habitat restoration on our landscapes, and accountability, we can work together to meet the needs of our environment and local communities throughout California,” said David Guy, President of the Northern California Water Association.
“We look forward to continued collaboration with the State Water Board, the public, natural resources experts, and other stakeholders in implementing the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program. This program can improve resilience for fish in the Delta and its tributaries while balancing water supply needs for communities,” said Alice Towey, Director of Water and Natural Resources for the East Bay Municipal Utility District.
“The Water Authority has long advocated that the most impactful approach to balancing fisheries needs and water supply reliability is to address all stressors impacting the species. The Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program has the potential to do just that,” said Federico Barajas, Executive Director of the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority. “Maintaining the status quo is not a viable option for our farms, communities, or fisheries, so we’ve been working closely with state, federal and local leaders to develop a program that will improve environmental conditions more quickly and holistically than traditional regulatory approaches that simply redirect water from human use to river flow without pairing that flow with the habitat needed to support species recovery. We look forward to ongoing collaboration with our partners and the public to advance this important work.”
The Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program offers an innovative approach to improve ecological outcomes for the Bay-Delta by leveraging increased flows, new habitat, science, and collaborative decision-making, while still providing more certainty to communities, farms, and businesses throughout California. There is strong and broad support for this approach throughout California from public water agencies in California, local governments and elected officials, the business community, agriculture, and energy producers.
From Salmon Groups (via Dan Bacher)
Two salmon groups, Save California Salmon and the Golden State Salmon Association, blasted the inclusion of the voluntary agreements in the update.
“The Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan (Bay-Delta Plan) update is necessary to protect the water quality in the Bay-Delta and Sacramento River watershed,” said Regina Chichizola, Executive Director of Save California Salmon. in a statement. “This watershed is critically important to salmon, Tribes, and the tens of millions of Californians that get their drinking water from, or live in the Delta.”
“Water is our most precious resource and it is extremely overallocated due to agricultural diversions. This plan should be guided by science, not politics or profit, to ensure enough water is left in the system for ecosystems, fish, and clean drinking water. We are very disappointed to see the board pushing voluntary actions by large scale agricultural interests after decades of inaction and failed voluntary solutions,” she concluded.
Scott Artis, Executive Director of the Golden State Salmon Association, also responded to a briefing by the Water Board on the Bay-Delta with profound alarm.
“Today’s NGO briefing by the State Water Resources Control Board on the Bay-Delta Plan process left conservationists, fishermen, and Tribal and environmental justice advocates deeply alarmed,” said Artis. “The Board appears to be laying the groundwork to approve the Voluntary Agreements (VAs)—a controversial, deeply flawed proposal designed behind closed doors by the very water users who would benefit most from it.”
“This is a sad day for the State Water Board and one more on a long list of bad days for salmon,” noted Artis. “The Board seems to be collapsing under pressure from the Governor to approve the fatally flawed voluntary agreements. The VAs are a scam that could cost taxpayers billions, enrich water agencies and make the rivers even sicker. The VAs set the stage for even more damaging diversions by the massive Delta tunnel. Commercial fishing in California has been closed for 3 years because of unsustainable water diversions. This looks like a plan to kill California’s most important wild salmon runs and fishing jobs.”
“At the heart of the VAs is a deceptive premise: they offer modest ‘environmental water’ while setting the stage for massive new diversions from projects like Sites Reservoir and the proposed Delta tunnel. These diversions would come from the same existing flows that form the baseline for the new water, meaning overall conditions in the Bay-Delta could become even worse than they are today,” he revealed.
Continue reading from Dan Bacher at the Daily Kos.
Association of California Water Agencies
The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) today issued a statement from Interim Executive Director Marwan Khalifa regarding the State Water Resources Control Board’s release of a revised draft of its Bay-Delta Plan Update and its inclusion of the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes (HRL) Program.
The Newsom Administration, along with state, federal and local leaders, developed the HRL Program as an innovative alternate approach to traditional regulatory requirements to improve environmental conditions while providing more water supply certainty to communities, farms, and businesses. ACWA has been a long-standing supporter of the HRL Program, previously known as the Voluntary Agreements. More information is available in a news release from the Office of Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“ACWA applauds Gov. Gavin Newsom’s leadership in moving the Bay-Delta Plan Update forward and developing the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program, which is vital to the success of the plan,” Khalifa said. “We deeply appreciate Gov. Newsom’s commitment to seeing the Bay-Delta Plan Update completed in a way that sets aside old binaries and opens a new, collaborative pathway toward strengthening the health of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay-Delta ecosystem while preserving water supply reliability for Californians.”
Metropolitan Water District
Metropolitan Water District Assistant General Manager John Bednarski issues the following statement regarding the State Water Board’s release today of a new draft update of the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan that includes the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program:
“The State Water Board has taken an important step today toward building a more sustainable Bay Delta by including the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program in the revised Water Quality Control Plan. We’re grateful to our state, federal and local agency partners who have worked together to develop these solutions to support healthy ecosystems and reliable water supplies.
“This transformational approach allows water managers to respond to challenges in the Bay Delta watershed more comprehensively, using a variety of tools. It incorporates science-based decision-making, improved metrics and monitoring, and dedicated funding sources to improve habitats, enhance water quality and increase flows at optimal times.
“We appreciate the hard work and collaboration of State Water Board staff in refining the WQCP. We look forward to reviewing the plan in detail.”
Regional Water Authority (Sacramento)
Jim Peifer, Executive Director of the Regional Water Authority, which represents nearly two dozen water providers serving 2.2 million people in the greater Sacramento region, issued the following statement in response to the release of the proposed update to the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan, which includes the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program:
“The proposed update to the Bay-Delta Plan and inclusion of the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program represents marks a new phase in California’s efforts to address water supply reliability and ecosystem health through collaborative, science-based, enforceable actions.
“For the Sacramento region, the Program offers a pathway to increasing the pace and scale of the habitat enhancement work we are doing on the American River, providing water to the environment, and funding state and local infrastructure projects that make our water supply more resilient.
“The American River region’s contribution to the Program outlines a locally developed approach to improve conditions for wild, native fall-run Chinook salmon and steelhead trout in the lower American River while maintaining water supply reliability and contributing to broader Delta goals.
“Groundwater storage and conjunctive use—particularly through the Sacramento Regional Water Bank—play an important role in the American River region’s Program. The Water Bank enables more flow in the river particularly when it is most needed, especially during dry and critically dry years.
“We appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with state, federal, and local partners on a practical path forward for the American River and the Bay-Delta watershed. We are committed to supporting implementation of the Program in a way that reflects the coequal goals of environmental stewardship and water supply resilience.”
From the Southern California Water Coalition
Statement from Charley Wilson, Executive Director, Southern California Water Coalition
“California took a big step forward this week with the State Water Board’s proposed update to the Bay-Delta Plan, which now includes the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program. This is a bold and thoughtful move that reflects years of behind-the-scenes work—and it wouldn’t have happened without Governor Newsom’s leadership and vision.
The Governor has brought people together in a way we don’t often see in water policy. Urban, agricultural, environmental, and tribal voices all came to the table to shape a voluntary path forward. That kind of collaboration is rare—and powerful.
Voluntary agreements like these are a smarter, more effective way to solve complex water challenges than relying on regulation or litigation. They build trust, use the best science, and create real, lasting solutions that benefit both our environment and the millions of Californians who depend on a reliable water supply.
We’re proud to support this effort and excited to see it move ahead.”
