1. The Delta Plan: Setting science-informed policy in pursuit of a resilient Delta
Jessica R. Pearson, Executive Officer
Delta Stewardship Council
Aug. 16, 2017

2. Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
City of
Sacramento
 San Francisco Bay Area
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Just a map to orient you to the Delta.
A land of many uses, and perhaps hand in hand to that, also a complex web of governance and litigation.
City of
Stockton 2

3. Today’s talk Why the Delta is so important
How the Delta has changed – consequences of policy choices over time
The 2009 Reform Act & the Delta Plan – opportunities and challenges in addressing a ‘wicked problem’
Amending the Delta Plan – what’s changing?
Dialogue/Questions
Today I’ve been asked to talk about :
The importance of the Delta – why it plays a central role in CA water management, and how it has changed over time – largely as consequences of policy choices
I’ll introduce the Delta Stewardship Council and our Delta Plan – and explain some of our topics of recent focus, as well tools we have at our disposal to tackle what is admittedly a ‘wicked problem’
As some of you know, the Council is currently amending the Delta Plan – what’s changing? And how do we address the storage opportunities that your Commission is identifying and helping to fund?
And, if there’s time, I’m happy to answer questions.

4. How water gets across the Delta1
Sacramento River
San Francisco Bay
San Joaquin River 2
Water mostly falls in northern California mountains/Sierra Nevada as rain or snow, is stored in reservoirs, and released into the Delta.
Large pumping plants in the south of the Delta reverse water flows to pull water across the Delta
Water releases from reservoirs are timed to deliver water, protect against flooding, and must also help repel intruding seawater - manage tidal influence
Pre- pumps and reservoirs there were seasonal floods, dry periods. Now it is a human-managed freshwater system year round, which requires a constant balancing between fresh and salt water, especially during droughts
ALL OF THIS IS HAPPENING IN AN ESTUARY, HOME TO 750 types of Bird and Fish Species, as well as the home and workplace to a couple of hundred thousand Delta residents.
SWP Pumps
CVP Pumps 4

5. Many forces shaped the Delta
Many different forces, aside from water infrastructure, have shaped the Delta
Before the development of the 20th Century the Delta was a vibrant ecological region with many different types of habitats and thriving native species, including salmon, water fowl, etc.
The federal government gave swampland away in late 19th/early 20th century, allowed people to “reclaim” (drain) it for agricultural use –
This policy significantly changed the Delta from a seasonally flooded marsh to a system of drained islands, surrounded by earthen dikes. Much of the land today is farmed.
Only about 10% of natural/native species habitat remains, several species are endangered – including varieties of salmon, delta smelt, sturgeon, etc.
It is a highly altered system that requires it to be highly managed – and we’re all collectively trying to figure out how to do that.
Change in Delta land cover, early 1800s to early 2000s. Graphic by SFEI-ASC

6. Key Delta Risks Seismic Risk Sea Level Rise Fishery Declines
Land Subsidence
Sea Level Rise
The Delta, while “special” is not completely unique in its challenges: we face climate change, aging infrastructure, species extinction, water quality issues, urban development pressure, unstable levees, land subsidence, and agricultural loss similar to many of the major ecosystem regions around the country. However, these challenges are concentrated within a single populated region that also must deliver water to 28 million Californians, all through the heart of an inverted estuary that connects the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the San Francisco Bay and the Great Central Valley. The hub, the switchyards, bottleneck, heart, etc. All apt terms.

7. As summarized in a 2015 report by four former Delta lead scientists, which was prepared at the request of the Obama and Brown administrations:
“If the problem was about allocating freshwater flows, it might be solvable.
Add in the complexity of moving water through a hydrologically and hydro-dynamically complex Delta and it becomes complicated.
Add the uncertainty of ecological responses and the institutional complexity of many actors with many visions and the problem becomes wicked.
Then add the ever-changing water supply and ecological and economic contexts within which decisions must be made, and the problem becomes devilishly wicked.
Such problems can’t be ignored, defy straightforward characterization, and have no simple solutions. Yet they must be actively managed to maximize beneficial use and minimize adverse outcomes.”
One of their key conclusions was “As we enter an era of increasing uncertainty about climate, water supply, the fate of the Delta’s native ecosystem – the solution (rests) (not so much on technical solutions) on the capacity of our organizations, and those organization’s leaders, to navigate institutional complexity and develop collaborative approaches that can solve problems with a sense of urgency.”

8. The Delta Stewardship Council
Delta Independent Science Board
Delta Stewardship Council
Delta Plan Interagency
Implementation Committee
Delta Lead Scientist
Executive Officer
The Delta Stewardship Council was created by the 2009 Delta Reform Act to provide direction for the long-term future of the Delta in pursuit of specific goals. Our role is to:
Set a long-term vision for the Delta that will achieve the coequal goals: ecosystem protection and water supply reliability, in a manner that recognizes the importance of the Delta as an evolving place, and to do all of this in the form of a “legally enforceable” master plan – the Delta Plan
Overall the Council provides leadership, coordination and also some regulation of projects
We are governed by a 7 member council, ~65 person staff
My staff include a well-respected Science Program – whose job is to synthesize and communicate best available science to decision makers
Our agency was established with the intention of tackling controversial issues with independence (conveyance, levee investment, performance measures, etc.)
and to Inform decision-making with best available independent science
MAKE UP
Chair of DPC
1 Senate Appointee
1 Speaker’s Appointee
4 Gov’s Appointees
The Lead Scientist employed by the USGS, recruited by the Independent Science Board, and appointed by the Council
Delta Reform Act called for us to establish a committee of agencies responsible for implementing the Delta Plan, 17 members, state and federal, meets twice a year and establishes working groups to move initiatives forward throughout the year.
Interagency Ecological Program
Lead Scientist
Delta Science Program
Planning and Performance Division

9. Adaptive Management
We are strong proponents of Adaptive Management – the cycle of Plan, Do, Evaluate and Respond is a management protocol well suited to managing the complexity and uncertainty of a system like the delta. Adaptive management can be scaled up and down – the most successful examples of adaptive management are at the project level – the Council works with and advises individual project proponents on adaptive management.

10. What’s in the Delta Plan?
Recommendations, regulations, and performance measures for:
Water Conservation & Efficiency
Flood Risk Reduction
Ecosystem Restoration
Water Supply Reliability & Water Storage
Protect the Delta as a Unique Place
Ensure Best Available Science & Adaptive Management
Our Delta Plan includes 73 recommendations and 14 regulations and calls for a comprehensive approach to collectively managing the Delta.
The Delta Reform Act requires that projects with significant impact on the coequal goals must certify their consistency with the 14 regulations. Our recommendations are intended to influence, but do not regulate.
The Delta Plan’s goals are :
More efficient use of water by urban and agricultural users
Maximum development of local supplies to reduce pressure and reliance on the delta.
Improvements to emergency planning and response
Strategic investments in flood protection and investments to protect the local economies in the Delta
Improved reliance on science for decision making to reduce controversy and minimize short-sighted decision-making – and understand your Water Storage Investment Program requires this as well.
Restoration of large areas of habitat to aide in the recovery of native species
Improvements to the way the state stores and moves water across the Delta so that we are able to restore some natural function to the estuary – more natural water flows. Pump more during big storms and wet years, pump less rest of the time.
Ensure best available science and adaptive management, we do this through our Delta Science Program, and by working with the Delta Independent Science Board.
Conduct independent science reviews, synthesize science (state of bay delta science), prioritize science needed to better manage the Delta, communicate science, etc. 10

11. Delta Plan Amendments Under environmental review:
Delta levees investment strategy
Conveyance, storage and operations (CSO)
Performance measures
Just getting started ( )
Ecosystem restoration
The Delta Plan was adopted in May A lot has happened in the four years since then.
We amended the Plan in 2016 to make permanent an exemption so that single-year water transfers did not have to file consistency certifications.
Now out for environmental review are three amendments addressing specific issues.
The Delta levees investment strategy updates priorities for State investments in the Delta levee system to reduce the likelihood and consequences of levee failures, to protect people, property, and State interests
The conveyance, storage and operations amendment follows through on a Council commitment to promote conveyance options and better integrate new storage opportunities and improved operations in the absence of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan. I’ll address some specifics on the storage portion of the CSO in a moment.
The performance measures amendment improves the tools for assessing progress in collectively implementing the Delta Plan.
Starting this fall, we’ll be considering amendments to the ecosystem restoration section of the Delta Plan, also largely in response to the absence of the BDCP. 11

12. CSO Amendment
Recommends a suite of actions, including coordinated operations of existing and new water conveyance and storage facilities
Specific Storage Recommendations:
Describes the types and characteristics of infrastructure that could contribute to the coequal goals
Recommends criteria for project proponents to use in evaluating and developing new conveyance and storage projects
Began CSO amendment in Summer of 2015 after BDCP changed course, triggered a commitment in our plan to revisit the law’s directive for us to “promote options for conveyance, storage, operations of both to achieve the coequal goals”.
A set of integrated recommendations which describe the types and characteristics of infrastructure that are most likely to contribute to the coequal goals.
It also identifies recommended criteria for project proponents to use in evaluating and developing new conveyance and storage projects.
In general, the CSO amendment recommends a suite of actions, including coordinated operations of existing and new water conveyance and storage facilities that could
increase water supply for the State’s coequal goals;
improve water supply reliability and operational flexibility through improved groundwater management;
and increase water system resiliency for Delta and Delta watershed environmental benefits.
We worked closely with CWC staff, both on WSIP reg development and reviewing CSO drafts to ensure a collaborative effort and consistency across agencies. 12

13. Delta Stewardship Council www.deltacouncil.ca.gov
Connect with us! 13