BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT:
Title
Update on the State Water Resources Control Board's Amendments to the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan and Agency-Proposed Voluntary Agreements, and Agreements Related to the Operations of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project and the California WaterFix.
End
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
A. Receive an update on the State Water Resources Control Board's Amendments to the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan and agency-proposed Voluntary Agreements; and
B. Receive an update on agreements related to operations of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project, and related to the California WaterFix.
Body
SUMMARY:
On December 12, 2018, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) approved Resolution No. 2018-0059, that included adopting its staff's proposed Phase 1 amendments to the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Bay Delta Plan), which set flow and water quality objectives for the San Joaquin River and its major salmon bearing tributaries, including the Tuolumne, Stanislaus, and Merced Rivers (Attachment 1). The Phase 1 amendments also revised the southern Delta salinity objective to protect agricultural supply beneficial use in the Delta.
Over the past year, State departments, including the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) engaged in negotiations with water users and other stakeholders to develop voluntary agreements for the anticipated update to the Bay Delta Plan, and to resolve outstanding issues related to operations of the State Water Project (SWP) and Central Valley Project (CVP). These efforts reached a significant milestone on December 12, 2018, with presentation by the State to the SWRCB (which develops the Bay Delta Plan) of a framework for voluntary agreements.
Despite the significant progress made by the State on developing voluntary agreements, the SWRCB adopted ...
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