On Wednesday, RCRC Senior Legislative Advocate Mary-Ann Warmerdam testified at the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) regarding the draft final Bay-Delta Plan update.
Ms. Warmerdam spoke in opposition of SWRCB moving forward with the proposal and urged SWRCB to reconsider:
- Opportunities for a holistic approach to meeting the Delta’s needs, including improvements that will achieve ecosystem-wide sustainability, including the use of Voluntary Stewardship Agreements (VSAs);
- The changes occurring within the watershed itself, including the effects of the wildfire and forest health on both water quality and water supply; and,
- Both the economic and sustainability issues emanating from the draft with respect to implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and the communities dependent on groundwater for their drinking water supply.
Last month, the SWRCB released (1) the draft final Bay-Delta Plan update for the Lower San Joaquin River and Southern Delta, and the associated Substitute Environmental Document (SED), and (2) a draft “Framework” to update flow requirements for the Sacramento River. These two documents (addressing “Phase I” and “Phase II” respectively) propose new and revised flow objectives (equaling 55 percent unimpaired flow objectives on the Sacramento River and 40 percent of unimpaired flows for all the major San Joaquin River tributaries) as well as other specific requirements and conditions that are proposed as narrative objectives.
RCRC’s comment letter on the proposed revisions to the Bay-Delta Plan can be accessed here.