California approves Delta Conveyance Project to modernize water infrastructure
(UI) – On Thursday, Dec. 21, California’s Department of Water Resources (DWR) approved the Delta Conveyance Project, a modernization of the infrastructure system that delivers water to millions. According to a news release, DWR has certified the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and completed an extensive environmental review. DWR selected the “Bethany Reservoir Alignment” for further engineering, design and permitting.
According to DWR, California is expected to lose 10% of its water supply by 2040 due to extreme weather conditions. Extreme weather will result in more intense swings between droughts and floods, intensely straining California’s 60-year-old water infrastructure.
The Delta Conveyance Project will modernize the state’s water infrastructure to capture and move more water during wet seasons to better endure dry seasons. The project will also minimize future losses from climate-driven weather extremes and protect against earthquakes disrupting water supplies while continue meeting regulatory water quality and fishery requirements.
The project will also include a Community Benefits Program to ensure local communities get the means and resources to achieve tangible and lasting benefits.
“Today marks another significant milestone in our efforts to modernize state water infrastructure and adapt to the challenges of changing precipitation patterns,” said Karla Nemeth, Director of the California Department of Water Resources. “As our recent white paper, “The Economy of the State Water Project” shows, the State Water Project is one of the most affordable sources of water in California, and we need to help local water agencies in protecting both reliability and affordability for their ratepayers.”
There are 17 public water agencies from the Bay Area, Central Valley, Central Coast, and Southern California participating in the project. Their customers are among the 27 million people and 750,000 acres of farmland that rely on the SWP to provide an affordable source of high quality, clean and safe water.
In certifying the EIR and approving the project, DWR has determined the environmental review complies with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). DWR has also identified feasible mitigation measures that must be included in the project approval to address potential environmental impacts.
“We made several notable design refinements specifically to avoid or minimize local construction impacts,” said Graham Bradner, Executive Director of the Delta Conveyance Design and Construction Authority, the agency responsible for engineering and design work, and eventually project construction. “We reduced the number of tunnel shafts, chose state-of-the-art fish screens to improve performance and reduce the size of the on-bank structure, and found a way to connect straight to the California Aqueduct. These creative solutions really help to reduce the overall project footprint.”
DWR will now pursue state and federal permits and authorizations, including those required by the State Water Resources Control Board, the Delta Stewardship Council, and compliance with state and federal Endangered Species acts.
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