Urban Water Institute

The Delta – Who’s in Charge

Craig Wilson

Delta Watermaster

• Delta Issues

• Governance Problems

• Governance Reforms

Delta Water Issues

• The Historical Delta

• The Altered Delta

• Hydrodynamics

• Stressors

• The Co-equal Goals

Delta Hydraulics

• Tides

• River Flows

• Exports \ diversions

Delta Water Conveyance

• Flow patterns• East/West vs. North/South

• Flow amounts• Historical• Present Day

• Present Conveyance System• Worst of all worlds

• Solutions• Separate Fish from Conveyance• Flow amounts: Flow criteria• Other Delta “stressors”

Governance Problems

• No clear mission

• Multiple agencies

• No pathway to decisions

The California Water Package 2009 Overview

• The Water Package– On November 4, 2009, California’s Legislature

approved a historic overhaul of California’s dysfunctional water system centered on the hub of California’s water distribution system, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

– The water package consists of five bills:• SB 1: The Delta Governance and Management• SB 2: The Water Bond Measure• SB 6: Groundwater Monitoring• SB 7: Water Conservation• SB 8: Water Rights Enforcement

The Water Deal of 2009: Governance

What was the problem the Legislature

attempted to address?

• Multitude of agencies involved

• Develop framework to achieve the co-equal goals

• Path to decision making

Major players

• The Three C’s– Delta Stewardship Council– Delta Protection Commission– Delta Conservancy

• The State Water Board

• The Fish Agencies

• The Project Operators

• The Diverters: Water Agencies, etc.

• Environmental Groups

State Water Board’s Role In Implementing The Delta Plan

• Reliable water supply co-equal goal– Conveyance facilities– Storage

• Delta Ecosystem co-equal goal– Flow standards– Stressors– Efficiency

Delta Watermaster

• Position created by Delta Reform Act of 2009

• Appointed by State Water Board: 4-Year Term

• 3 Main Responsibilities:

– Delegated Authority for Monitoring and Reporting (Geographic Limitation)

– Delegated Authority for Enforcement(Geographic Limitation)

– Regular reports to the State Water Board and the Delta Stewardship Council on water issues(no Geographic Limitation)

Watermasters

• Traditional Watermaster

– Water Rights usually well-defined– Small number of diverters– Small geographic area

• Delta Watermaster

– Water rights uncertain– Large number of diversions– Large geographic area– Enforcement authority

Governance Reforms

• Clearer Mission

• Responsible agency (ies)

• Pathway to Decisions

Solutions (Statewide & Delta)

• Portfolio approach (no silver bullet)

• Adaptive Management

• Delta: what do we want it to look like• Keep Farms• Restore Habitat• Improve Flows • Reduce Pollution• Address Invasives