California Department of Fish and Wildlife Issues Permit to the Department of Water Resources for Long-Term Operations of the State Water Project

On Tuesday, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced the issuance of an Incidental Take Permit (ITP) for the long-term operation of the State Water Project (SWP).

Providing water to more than 27 million people and irrigating three-quarters of a million acres of farmland in California, the SWP balances the needs of water supply and protection of the environment. In past years, DWR relied on federal biological opinions (BiOps) for coverage of the SWP operations. DWR pursued a separate ITP from CDFW in order to ensure SWP compliance with the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) based on real-time conditions in the ecosystem of the Delta and the needs of Californians, regardless of any changes to the federal BiOps.

The full announcement is available here.