From the Department of Water Resources:
The Delta Conveyance Project is one of California’s most important infrastructure modernization projects, protecting water supplies for 27 million people and 750,000 acres of farmland in communities across the state.
Significant progress has been made to date in moving this critical project forward and there are additional important milestones anticipated in 2026.
We are starting the new year by reflecting on how much has been accomplished and how this momentum will carry us into 2026 and beyond.
Looking Back
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has made considerable progress in completing complex state and federal planning and permitting processes, in addition to movement on the community engagement, design and engineering, and planning funding aspects of project development. Below are list of milestones to date:
A Stakeholder Engagement Committee (SEC) was established by the Delta Conveyance Design and Construction Authority (DCA) in September 2019 to provide a forum for input on the preliminary design of the proposed Delta Conveyance Project and optional concepts related to reducing possible construction-related localized Delta impacts and improving the effectiveness of mitigation. The SEC held a total of 19 meetings between 2019 and 2021.
- The Participating Public Water Agencies voted twice to support continued project planning, permitting, design and engineering (2020 and 2024).
- DWR completed the California Environmental Quality Act process, including certification of the Final Environmental Impact Report and project approval (2023).
- The DCA prepared an updated cost estimate and associated benefit-cost analysis (2024).
- DWR established an Accountability Action Plan to describe, memorialize, track, and fulfill the numerous commitments made to address effects within the local community during construction of the Delta Conveyance Project (2025).
- DWR prepared a comprehensive Community Benefits Program, including publication of the final implementation plan and guidelines, and execution of community-specific agreements in principle with six local organizations (2025).
- The California Department of Fish and Wildlife issued an Incidental Take Permit under Section 2081 of the California Endangered Species Act for the Delta Conveyance Project (2025).
- DWR presented its Change in Point of Diversion petition case-in-chief to the State Water Board (2025).
- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and State Historic Preservation Officer signed a Programmatic Agreement pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. DWR also signed this agreement as an invited signatory with defined roles and responsibilities for implementing the agreement (2025).
- DWR submitted a Certification of Consistency with the Delta Plan for the Delta Conveyance Project (2025).
- USACE published the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Assessment (EIS) (2025).
DWR has updated the comprehensive Progress Report for the Delta Conveyance Project to include all activities conducted and milestones reached in 2025.
Looking Ahead
2026 promises to be another eventful year with several significant milestones anticipated:
- The Delta Stewardship Council will host a hearing on DWR’s Certification of Consistency in late February, with final determination completed by April 2026.
- Biological Opinions from the National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on project construction are anticipated in early 2026.
- Clean Water Act, Sections 401 and 404, and Rivers and Harbors Act, Section 14, are all anticipated to move forward in mid-2026.
- The Change in Point of Diversion process will continue in 2026.
- The DCA will complete a Basis of Design Report in late 2026.
