California Construction News staff writer
The Delta Stewardship Council has upheld most of the consistency certification for the proposed Delta Conveyance Project, marking a key step forward in the project’s path toward final permitting.
In a recent decision, the council backed the majority of the certification submitted by the California Department of Water Resources last October, finding the project aligns with requirements under the Delta Reform Act and the state’s Delta Plan. Two technical issues remain outstanding and will be addressed in future proceedings.
The project is designed to modernize water delivery through the State Water Project, a vast network that supplies water to roughly 27 million people and irrigates about 750,000 acres of farmland. Officials say climate change could reduce California’s water supply by about 10 per cent by 2040, with reliability of the system potentially declining by as much as 23 per cent without upgrades.
First built in the 1960s, the State Water Project stretches from Oroville to Riverside, using canals, pumping plants and hydroelectric facilities to move water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to 29 public water agencies across the state. Those agencies fund the system’s operations.
The Delta Conveyance Project would add new infrastructure intended to improve water supply reliability while maintaining environmental protections for fish habitat and water quality in the Delta. During recent atmospheric river events, project backers estimate the system could have captured enough water to meet the annual needs of nearly 9.8 million people.
With the council’s decision, the project moves closer to securing full approvals needed for construction.
