SACRAMENTO, June 20, 2008 -- State Water Resources Control Board staff has prepared a draft plan of activities related to solving problems in California's important Bay-Delta area.
This draft plan identifies how the State Water Board will achieve Bay-Delta commitments the Governor identified for it in his Feb. 29, 2008 letter to legislative leaders.
The draft is being circulated to stakeholders and the public and is scheduled to be presented to the State Water Board by staff at its regular meeting on July 1st and considered on July 15th.
The draft workplan identifies a range of actions to deal with conditions in the Bay-Delta region. The State Water Board asked for the workplan last December. At that time it was not yet clear that California would face a drought and the draft workplan includes measures to assist in meeting Governor Schwarzenegger's goal of twenty percent water conservation.
The draft workplan identifies a broad range of possible actions for the State Water Board to improve Delta conditions. The actions require participation by all parties contributing to Delta problems, including those polluting the Delta and entities diverting water for use in the Delta, upstream of the Delta, and for export from the Delta.
The State Water Board has broad authority in this area, but it does not have all the authority or all the resources to tackle all the problems.
The proposals call for the State and Regional Water Boards to work with existing Delta processes, such as the Delta Vision and Bay-Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP), to solve the Delta's problems.
The State Water Board will receive public input until Noon on July 9th and input will be considered at the State Water Board meeting July 15th.
Approval of the workplan does not prejudge issues or results. Rather it simply would direct staff efforts over the next few years. It does not affect the outcome of hearings and other proceedings identified in the workplan.
The draft plan is available at http://www.waterrights.ca.gov/baydelta/strategic_workplan.htm
The State Water Control Board and nine Regional Boards are responsible for protecting water quality and water supplies in California. The State Water Control Board is also responsible for the allocation of surface water supplies for agricultural, public trust and urban purposes throughout the state.
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Also see: -- "Statement by Timothy F. Brick on Delta Vision draft strategic plan"
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