The State Water Resources Control Board released a 6,000-page report Thursday detailing options for updating its Bay-Delta Water Qyality Control Plan. It encompasses the controversial 2018 plan to dedicate up to 55% of the freshwater flows to certain fish species. Staff also analyzed an alternative set of voluntary agreements (VAs) for flows and habitat restoration that water contractors developed last year.
Eric Oppenheimer, chief deputy director at the board, said the “scope and scale of the report illustrate the complexity of the issues” and the analysis.
Tribes and environmental activists immediately lampooned the report. They called for throwing out the VAs and going with the more aggressive flow-only approach.
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Yet California Farm Bureau President Jamie Johansson thanked the governor for his leadership and commitment with the VAs. He said that “maintaining the health of the delta and protecting the viability of farming in that region are top priorities” for the farm bureau.
“It’s long been clear that flow increases without other supportive actions won’t bring back fish,” said Johansson. “This plan would usher in a new era of collaboration, providing healthy ecosystems and water supply reliability for millions of Californians.”
The board is taking public comment and will hold informational workshops this fall.
