CALFED Bay-Delta Program
Contact: Jeff McCracken, (916) 978-5100
The Administration is committed to long-term water supply improvements and environmental restoration in California. The CALFED Bay-Delta Program is a collaborative effort that addresses four interrelated, interdependent resource management objectives - water supply and reliability, water quality, ecosystem restoration, and levee system integrity. The CALFED agencies are also working with stakeholders in the development of the Bay-Delta Conservation Plan and the Governor's Delta Vision and Strategic Plan. Twenty-five State and Federal agencies are implementing the various Program elements, while the California Bay-Delta Program staff assists in providing coordination and oversight of Program activities. In addition, a 25 member Bay-Delta Public Advisory Committee, made up of qualified representatives of various stakeholder groups selected based on experience and expertise in relevant fields serves as a federally chartered group to advise the Secretary of the Interior on Program implementation.
President Bush signed legislation in October of 2004 authorizing the eleven federal agencies to carry out such activities as defined in the Act in furtherance of the CALFED Bay-Delta Program as set forth in the Record of Decision. Public Law 108-361 also authorized $389 million for four new and expanded authorities--$184 million for conveyance projects that would improve water quality and water supply reliability, $90 million for the Environmental Water Account, $90 million to rebuild and reinforce Delta levees, and $25 million to administer the Program. The Act supplements a number of existing authorities which Reclamation and the other Federal agencies have relied on to sustain their involvement.
For FY 2009, the President's budget request is $32 million for CALFED implementation in Reclamation's Budget to fund the following activities:
- $7.0 million for the Environmental Water Account
- $6.45 million for the Storage Program
- $7.05 million for Delta conveyance improvements
- $1.5 million for Ecosystem Restoration
- $5.0 million for water quality improvements in the lower San Joaquin River and South Delta
- $3.0 million for CALFED science activities
- $2.0 million for Planning and Management activities
Program Phases and Elements
The CALFED Bay-Delta Program was undertaken in three phases: Phase I identified and defined the problems (completed in September 1996); Phase II completed a comprehensive programmatic environmental review and issued a ROD (completed in August 2000); and Phase III began implementation of proposed ROD actions and is expected to take at least 30 years to complete.
The Program's four objectives are addressed through eleven Program Elements as a way of sustaining the Program's balanced and comprehensive approach:
- Water Management: encompasses an array of projects and approaches to expand water supplies and ensure efficient use of the resource.
- Storage: pursues more water storage capacity in both surface reservoirs and underground aquifers in meeting both California's growing population needs and providing much-needed flexibility to improve water quality and restore ecosystems.
- Conveyance: provides reliability in moving water to state and federal export pumps as efficiently as possible to increase the system's flexibility while increasing water deliveries, improving ecosystem health, water quality, and levee stability.
- Water Use Efficiency: interests in local water conservation and recycling, increases the use of efficient agricultural and urban use practices, and improving wetlands management.
- Water Transfers: promotes transfers from willing sellers to buyers while protecting other water users, local economies, and the environment through development of an effective water transfer market.
- Environmental Water Account: allows for the purchase of water that can be used for the benefit of fishery resources while minimizing additional water supply reductions for cities, farms and businesses.
- Drinking Water Quality: ensures continuous improvements in the water quality of the Bay-Delta for all beneficial uses.
- Watershed Management: restores ecological health and improves water management by working with the community at a watershed level.
- Levee System Integrity: protects water supplies needed for the environment, agriculture, and urban uses by reducing the threat of levee failure and seawater intrusion.
- Ecosystem Restoration: helps restore and improve the health of the Bay-Delta system and its tributaries for native species.
- Science: integrates world-class science and peer review into every aspect of the Program, developing the best scientific information possible to guide decisions and evaluate actions critical to success