Statement from the Southern California Water Coalition on the Notice of Preparation of the Environmental Impact Report for Delta Conveyance, a key water infrastructure project.
On January 15, 2020, the State of California released its Notice of Preparation of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for Delta Conveyance, an essential effort to modernize the state’s water infrastructure that serves 27 million Californians. This notice commences the environmental review process.
SCWC Executive Director Charles Wilson released the following statement on this latest news.
“Every journey begins with a single step and we are pleased that through today’s notice the State has advanced the process of creating a more secure water supply for the 27 million Californians who depend on the State Water Project for drinking water.
Crumbling infrastructure in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta threatened by earthquakes and climate change must be fixed, and today’s notice that environmental documents will be prepared for the construction of a modern pipeline through this region is good news for Southern California and the state as a whole.
Two-thirds of Southern California’s water supplies come from the Sierra Nevada Mountains via rivers and streams that flow to the Delta. That water moves through fragile dirt levees vulnerable to earthquakes, sea level rise and natural disasters. Updating this system is critical to the success of the state’s 2020 Water Resilience Portfolio, which includes recommended actions for dealing with some of California’s biggest challenges including extreme droughts and floods, rising temperatures and aging infrastructure. Building a modern pipeline known as single-tunnel Delta Conveyance is critical to ensuring a reliable water supply.”
Read Frequently Asked Questions on Delta Conveyance
Read SCWC’s Delta Conveyance Fact Sheet