The Delta: Opening the Black Box Michael Patrick George, Delta

The Delta: Opening the Black Box Michael Patrick George, Delta Watermaster Presentation to California Water Association Sacramento, May 19, 2016

Disclaimers I am not speaking for the SWRCB or the DSC I am not presenting State policy I am expressing personal observations and opinions, except where specifically referenced to published materials

Delta Orientation Today’s Delta has been shaped by public and private interests carrying out government policies Transition from estuary and marsh to “reclaimed” land dedicated to agriculture Water “development” made the Delta the “crossroads” of the State’s plumbing system

Water: “Over, Under, Around and Through” the Delta 1500 to 2,000 separate surface water diversion structures in the Delta Pumps, siphons, weirs, gates

Upstream development Irrigation from tributaries [Antioch] Reduced flushing Increased salt water intrusion [Contra Costa WD Study]

The Projects: CVP & SWP Area of Origin protections Project purposes Upstream storage reservoirs Pumping and conveyance facilities Contractors pay for the facilities to get “available water” from junior water rights Temporary misuse of the Delta for conveyance (1960) Peripheral Canal: rejected by voters in 1982

Stress on the Delta Channelization Dikes and subsidence Tributary depletions Project exports Invasives Pollution

Current Issues: Responses to Decline of the Delta Who Cares? – Environmentalists – Bureaucrats and regulators – Farmers inside and outside of the Delta – Water users (from Redding to San Diego) – Those who like to eat, drink and breathe The Delta drains 60% of California’s land mass

Unscrambling the Egg CVPIA (1992), CalFed (1994) and the State Water Board’s Decision-1641 (2000): Imposing Conditions on Projects Temporary but unsustainable expedient Time, money and regulatory space to evaluate alternatives Monitoring, litigating, and studying Restoration versus reconciliation

Water Quality Control Plans: Balancing beneficial uses of water Competing demands for limited supplies Priorities, Riparians, Public Trust and Reasonable Use Process, Phases and Timing Fear and trembling among water rights claimants The co-equal goals “’Coequal goals’ means the two goals of providing a more reliable water supply for California and protecting, restoring, and enhancing the Delta ecosystem. The coequal goals shall be achieved in a manner that protects and enhances the unique cultural, recreational, natural resource, and agricultural values of the Delta as an evolving place.” (CA Water Code §85054)

Pending Regulatory Issues Implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act Delta Water Quality Control Plan update Measurement of agricultural diversions State Water Contractors’ complaint alleging unlawful diversion from the Delta Petition for change in Projects’ water rights for WaterFix