The State Water Project and the water that flows through its vast network of infrastructure is the backbone of the state’s invaluable water supply for 27 million Californians. The Delta Conveyance Project is a landmark investment in the state’s incomplete and aging water infrastructure and a vital project for California’s future. The state-of-the-art water conveyance solution described in Alternative 5 of the Draft EIR will ensure that tens of millions of Californians will have clean, reliable, and affordable water for generations to come.

Collectively, our comments on the Draft EIR focus on three primary themes that are important in the ongoing dialogue and consideration relating to certification of the EIR and advancement of the project:

• Critical need for new Delta Conveyance as a climate adaptation strategy
• Importance of new Delta Conveyance in embracing the commitment to protection and advancement of the Human Right to Water
• Value of Delta Conveyance to the Southern California and statewide economies.

While versions of this project have been proposed over the years, today’s proposed project is a sharp departure from previous iterations. The Delta Conveyance Project proposed today has been downsized, refined, rerouted, and redesigned to better meet the needs of the communities it serves.

Read the full letter in support of the Delta Conveyance Project Environmental Impact Report.

The post Broad Coalition Supports Delta Conveyance EIR appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.

BELOW IS THE CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR’S OFFICE NEWS RELEASE:

California’s Water Supply Strategy outlines actions needed now to invest in new sources, transform water management

Without action, state officials believe extreme weather could diminish California’s water supply by up to 10% by 2040

ANTIOCH – Hotter and drier weather conditions spurred by climate change could reduce California’s water supply by up to 10% by the year 2040. To replace and replenish what we will lose to thirstier soils, vegetation, and the atmosphere, Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday announced California’s latest actions to increase water supply and adapt to more extreme weather patterns caused by climate change.

Thursday’s announcement follows $8 billion in state investments over the last two years to help store, recycle, de-salt and conserve the water it will need to keep up with the increasing pace of climate change, generating enough water in the future for more than 8.4 million households by 2040.

The actions, outlined in a strategy document published by the Administration called “California’s Water Supply Strategy, Adapting to a Hotter, Drier Future” calls for investing in new sources of water supply, accelerating projects and modernizing how the state manages water through new technology.

This approach to California’s water supply management recognizes the latest science that indicates the American West is experiencing extreme, sustained drought conditions caused by hotter, drier weather. The warming climate means that a greater share of the rain and snowfall California receives will be absorbed by dry soils, consumed by thirsty plants, and evaporated into the air. This leaves less water to meet the state’s needs.

“The best science tells us that we need to act now to adapt to California’s water future. Climate change means drought won’t just stick around for two years at a time like it historically has – extreme weather is the new normal here in the American West and California will adapt to this new reality,” Governor Newsom said at the Antioch Brackish Desalination Project. “California is launching an aggressive plan to rebuild the way we source, store and deliver water so our kids and grandkids can continue to call California home in this hotter, drier climate.”

To help make up for the water supplies California could lose over the next two decades, the strategy prioritizes actions to capture, recycle, de-salt and conserve more water. These actions include:

• Creating storage space for up to 4 million acre-feet of water, which will allow us to capitalize on big storms when they do occur and store water for dry periods
• Recycling and reusing at least 800,000 acre-feet of water per year by 2030, enabling better and safer use of wastewater currently discharged to the ocean.
• Freeing up 500,000 acre-feet of water through more efficient water use and conservation, helping make up for water lost due to climate change.
• Making new water available for use by capturing stormwater and desalinating ocean water and salty water in groundwater basins, diversifying supplies and making the most of high flows during storm events.

These actions are identified broadly in the Newsom Administration’s Water Resilience Portfolio – the state’s master plan for water released in 2020 – but they will be expedited given the urgency of climate-driven changes. To advance the infrastructure and policies needed to adapt, the strategy enlists the help of the Legislature to streamline processes so projects can be planned, permitted and built more quickly, while protecting the environment.

Over the last three years, at the urging of the Governor, state leaders have earmarked more than $8 billion to modernize water infrastructure and management. The historic three-year, $5.2 billion investment in California water systems enacted in 2021-22 has enabled emergency drought response, improved water conservation to stretch water supplies, and enabled scores of local drought resilience projects. The 2022-23 budget includes an additional $2.8 billion for drought relief to hard-hit communities, water conservation, environmental protection for fish and wildlife and long-term drought resilience projects.

The post SCWC Comments on Governor Newsom’s New Water Strategy For a Hotter, Drier California appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.

Delta Conveyance is a much-needed update to California’s water infrastructure, ensuring greater reliability and flexibility from the State Water Project system that provides water from the Sierra Nevada mountains to Southern California, Central Valley and the Bay Area.

While versions of this project have been proposed over the years, today’s proposed project is a sharp departure from previous iterations. The Delta Conveyance Project proposed today has been downsized, refined, rerouted, and redesigned to better meet the needs of the communities it serves.

“The Southern California Water Coalition was founded in 1984 to raise awareness of the need for this modernization of the state’s primary water system. We have the best, most feasible version of Delta Conveyance before us today thanks to the collaboration that went on with the Stakeholder Engagement Group in the Delta.  

Here’s what I know: the system we have is not working. In this latest drought, we’ve had to erect saltwater barriers as we did in the last drought to slow the tides that carry in saltwater and keep the Delta water fresh and usable for drinking water and irrigation. Delta Conveyance solves this problem by moving the intake upstream, where it is less likely to be impacted by seawater intrusion. This will only become more important as we grapple with climate change impacts.

The state has done a great job of listening to local concerns and incorporating them into the project. This latest, best version of Delta Conveyance will not only provide a more reliable water supply for our region, but it will also create jobs, improve water quality, and restore habitat. It’s clear that this project is about much more than just water – it’s about building a better future for our state. I look forward to seeing the Delta Conveyance become a reality in the coming years,” said Charley Wilson, executive director of the Southern California Water Coalition.

The post Delta Conveyance EIR is Released appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.

One thing hasn’t changed though, and that’s the need for clean and reliable water. So we were heartened to see the State published its final vision for meeting water supply challenges like droughts, earthquakes, and aging infrastructure. It is hard to think about anything other than the coronavirus pandemic lately, but it is also a crisis that underscores the importance of access to safe and affordable water as key in fighting the spread of disease and ensuring people can stay safe in their homes. 

July 28 was publication day for the final version of the California Water Resilience Portfolio, a 141-page document accounting for the challenges and opportunities facing the state and its communities as we seek to secure every Californian’s right to water.

For us, the most excellent news was the inclusion of a single-tunnel, modern conveyance solution within the key actions in the portfolio. In our view, modernizing the State Water Project’s water delivery system through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is vital and makes everything else in the portfolio possible. We think it is no less than the linchpin to the state’s future water resilience.

This state-led system serves as the backbone of California’s water supply, delivering water to the homes, businesses and farms of 27 million Californians. Without it, California would have to replace 2.5 million acre-feet of clean, fresh water to meet average annual state demand on that system. Here in Southern California, the State Water Project represents 30 percent of the total water supply, serving 19 million people.

Water delivered through the State Water Project is a cost-effective source of water for Californians. Yet this critical supply has a weak link in its old, man-made dirt levee infrastructure found in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Updating this system is critical to the success of the Water Resilience Portfolio. Not only will it build resilience should the “big one” hit along one of the state’s fault lines, it will also facilitate groundwater recharge in overdrawn basins and prevent saltwater intrusion from sea level rise. Building a large-capacity single tunnel under the Delta protects the state’s most valuable and affordable water supply and protects the public’s investment in the State Water Project, while safeguarding one of the richest ecosystems in the world.

We also must applaud the state’s approach that borrows heavily from nature to build and improve water systems that millions rely upon. Some say nature is the best engineer. We certainly agree that we can learn from — and imitate — natural ecosystems as we work toward a water supply system ready to help us cope with extreme droughts and floods, rising temperatures, depleted groundwater basins, and aging infrastructure. All will be amplified by impacts of climate change.

The state’s willingness to draw lessons from nature are evident throughout the portfolio. From smart, multi-benefit projects that combine flood control, farming and wildlife habitat (see the Nigiri Project for an example of how well this can work) to the Delta Conveyance project design that aims to create more natural flow directions in the Delta to help fish, there is a lot to admire in this vision for California’s water future.

It is also a fact that projects such as Delta Conveyance and the Sites Reservoir will benefit the local and regional economy through job creation. Construction of both will require a large skilled workforce for multiple years, an important consideration in light of the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. All told, there is much to admire in this Water Resilience Portfolio and we look forward to supporting the Newsom Administration as it aims to make these goals a reality.

A recent poll asked people ages 14-44 how they hoped U.S. society would change after the pandemic is over. A third said they hoped that everyone would wash their hands more.

Let’s make sure they have the water to do it.

Charles Wilson
Executive Director
Southern California Water Coalition

The post In Praise of California’s Water Resilience Portfolio appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.

While the first steps are often the hardest to make, they rouse the momentum to propel us through the challenges of the future. 2019 marked an important year for California water, as first steps were made toward water supply reliability and infrastructure modernization. As we enter a new year and new decade, where a great deal of the focus will be on what has yet to be done, it is worthwhile to look back at 2019 to see all that has already been accomplished to launch that momentum. 

In 2019, the Southern California Water Coalition worked closely with state and regional officials to address many issues and water challenges. One of the best pieces of water news this year was the announcement by Governor Gavin Newsom, directing state agencies to develop a comprehensive strategy called the Water Resilience Portfolio to meet future water needs and ensure the state’s environmental and economic resilience in light of climate change. The SCWC has long advocated for an “all-of-the-above” approach to water supply for the state — one that includes conservation, local supply development, storage, conveyance improvements, watershed management and groundwater management. We applaud Governor Newsom’s efforts to continue the momentum of building a comprehensive Water Resilience Portfolio for the state, as well as his announcement of support of the critical need for Delta Conveyance. 

Southern California leads the state in its adoption of a portfolio approach to increasing regional water supply resilience in light of climate change. Our diverse water supply, our years of experience managing groundwater basins well, and our region’s major commitments to stormwater capture and reuse set us ahead of the curve in achieving many of the goals set out in the Water Resilience Portfolio. The only thing standing in our way? The need to modernize the state’s water infrastructure to ensure the continued reliability of the State Water Project supplies that provide the base for all other regional resiliency measures. With the beginning of the environmental review process for this important infrastructure now underway, we shall continue our education and advocacy for the modern pipeline that is critical to our region’s economy and reliable water future.

Collaborative, solution-oriented efforts like the Water Resilience Portfolio are the path to the future. The year’s brightest water successes speak to the value and effectiveness of this approach: a sweeping agreement among seven states on how to manage Colorado River water supplies during dry years and a historic statewide funding solution to help disadvantaged communities access safe drinking water. Inclusive partnerships such as this bring fresh perspectives which lead to innovative solutions to challenges. 

The momentum from these 2019 highlights will propel us into our future endeavors. The SCWC has an imperative duty as the knowledgeable voice for all of Southern California on water issues. Looking ahead at 2020, the SCWC looks forward to the first year in a fresh decade of “all of the above” approaches to solve the state’s water problems. By continuing to employ multiple solutions to water supply reliability, our accomplishments in 2019 have surely set in motion a path toward water resiliency and a sustainable state. 

For more about our accomplishments in 2019 and what to expect for 2020, check out the Southern California Water Coalition Annual Report for 2019 by clicking here.

Charles Wilson
Executive Director
Southern California Water Coalition

The post Blog: A Look Back at 2019 appeared first on Southern California Water Coalition.