PRESS RELEASE: State Water Contractors release annual science Report ~ MAVEN'S NOTEBOOK

Report shares updates on six studies funded by SWC’s Science Program designed to guide California water management techniques to protect fish and wildlife

Press release from the State Water Contractors

Today, the State Water Contractors (SWC) released its Annual Science Report for the 2024-25 fiscal year. The report provides updates on six studies, initially funded by more than $4 million from SWC’s Science Program in 2023, designed to generate actionable science that supports fish and habitat protection while maintaining a sustainable water supply. In addition to research funding, the report highlights SWC’s efforts to share the resulting science with partners to broaden the research’s impact.

“The past year brought us insights from new studies that provide California’s resource managers with a greater understanding of how and when targeted adjustments can be made to mitigate impacts on fragile ecosystems,” said Darcy Austin, Science Manager for the State Water Contractors.“SWC is committed to putting science first, and our approach is to fund research on the basis of reducing the scientific uncertainties that would assist managers in making decisions.”

The studies focus on four water management priorities: 1) compliance; 2) habitat and ecology; 3) non-operational stressor reduction; and 4) outflow. Topics include:

Examining how environmental and hydrodynamic factors, like flow, turbidity, temperature and percentage of source water, influence salmonoid behavior and distribution near State Water Project (SWP) and Central Valley Project (CVP) export pumps.
Analyzing the impact of pesticides on juvenile Chinook salmon in the Delta, the results of which will help determine thresholds necessary to preserve the existing salmon population.
Assessing current gaps in water accounting and reporting, and recommending innovative solutions to address current water management challenges.

“SWC is committed to sustainably providing the water resources needed to drive our state’s economy,” said Jennifer Pierre, General Manager for the State Water Contractors. “That is why our Science Program is so important. We’re funding and sharing studies that ensure water management decision-making in California has access to the most up-to-date research. Every day, our members protect important ecosystems and deliver essential water to Californians and the scientific research we fund supports their ability to accomplish both without compromise.”

The report also highlights the efforts taken by SWC to expand the impact of this important research. This past year, SWC participated in a panel at the Bay Delta Science Conference, maintained membership on the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes (HRL) Science Committee, presented to the State Water Board, and more to advocate for science-based water management policies.In 2026, SWC will continue to share research at the annual SWC Science Symposium in spring 2026, in the new SWC Science Portal, where a synthesis of SWC-funded research will live.

Click here to read the report.

To learn more about the SWC’s Science Program and read this year’s Annual Science Report, visit www.swc.org/resources/science-resources.