California Construction News staff writer
An Incidental Take Permit has been issued, including measures to minimize, avoid, and fully mitigate impacts on threatened or endangered species as a result of the construction, operation, and maintenance of the Delta Conveyance Project.
“California doesn’t have to choose between safeguarding endangered species and protecting our water supply — this permit demonstrates we can do both,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement.
Construction will upgrade the State water project, enabling California’s water managers to capture and move more water during high-flow atmospheric rivers to better endure dry seasons. The tunnel, a modernization of the infrastructure system that delivers water to millions of people, would improve California’s ability to take advantage of intense periods of rain and excess flows in the Sacramento River.
By developing infrastructure – including intake and tunneling facilities – on the Sacramento River in the Delta region, the Delta Conveyance Project would better equip the State Water Project to take advantage of the types of atmospheric rivers that are becoming more common. This would expand the state’s ability to improve water supply reliability, while maintaining fishery and water quality protections. During atmospheric rivers last year, the Delta Conveyance Project could have captured enough water for 9.8 million people’s yearly usage.
California is expected to lose 10% of its water supply due to hotter and drier conditions, threatening the water supply for millions of Californians. Extreme weather whiplash will result in more intense swings between droughts and floods – California’s 60-year-old water infrastructure is not built for these climate impacts.
The Incidental Take Permit was issued to the Department of Water Resources by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Incidental take permits are most commonly issued for construction, utility, transportation, and other infrastructure-related projects. Permittees must implement species-specific minimization and avoidance measures and fully mitigate the impacts of the project including:
- Erecting protective fencing around sensitive habitat within construction sites.
- Limited operating periods to avoid species breeding, migration, etc.
- Pre-construction surveys to identify and mark sensitive or suitable habitat features.
- Onsite construction personnel education programs covering species identification, protected status, and measures to take if one is found.
