Imported Water Committee

January 24, 2013

The Water Authority has consistently supported a solution in the Bay Delta that achieves the coequal goals of improving water supply reliability and ecosystem restoration

The Water Authority provided crucial support to the effort in the Legislature to pass the 2009 Bay Delta bill package

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The Board adopted Bay Delta policy principles in February 2012 and reiterated the principles in adopting the Legislative Policy Guidelines in November 2012

The principles include: ◦ Encourage a Bay Delta solution that promotes

local water supply development ◦ Encourage a Bay Delta solution that is cost-

effective when compared to other sources of water reliability

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Require independent technical analysis of key elements of the Bay Delta solution, including real urban and agricultural demands for water

Support “right-sized” facilities to match firm commitments to pay

Continue to support the co-equal goals of water supply reliability and ecosystem restoration

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Continue to support the co-equal goals of water supply reliability and ecosystem restoration

Support a deliberative process that is designed to ensure a meaningful dialog among the various stakeholders

Improve the ability of water users to divert more water in wet years, when impacts on the ecosystem are less

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Encourage the development of a statewide water transfer market

Work with all stakeholders to ensure a meaningful dialog and that water supply and ecosystem restoration processes are conducted in an open and transparent manner

The current BDCP proposed project is not consistent with these principles

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Natural Resources Defense Council contacted a variety of water agencies to seek support for an alternative solution for the Bay Delta ◦ A conceptual alternative to the current proposed

project for the Bay-Delta Conservation Plan called the “Portfolio Approach” ◦ Portfolio Approach is designed to produce

comparable or better reliability at a lower cost Water Authority was a signatory, along with a

group of water agencies, asking that the NRDC alternative be evaluated in the BDCP

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Build a single-bore tunnel with a capacity of 3,000 cfs or more, with one intake ◦ If needed, more capacity could be added at a later

date Instead of $14 billion for the current

proposed 9,000 cfs double-bore tunnel, estimated cost is $5 billion to $7 billion

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Best available science Protect listed species “Big gulp, little sip” – Take more water in wet

years and less water in dry years Develop storage south of the Delta to

increase reliability Average projected yield: 4.0 to 4.3 million

acre feet

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Invest in local water supplies that will decrease reliance on the Delta by exporters

Savings in the cost of the conveyance project could be used to grow local supplies

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Improve coordination among water agencies to maximize use of water on a regional scale

Integrated Regional Water Management could play major role

Water Authority, City, and County of San Diego have an IRWM Plan that could invest increased state funding

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Add surface water and groundwater storage South of the Delta to improve flexibility and reliability in dry years

Current proposed project lacks sufficient storage to take advantage of large flows in wet years ◦ SWP pumps were halted in 2011 during high flows

due to lack of storage capacity

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Levee improvements would protect the current and future through-Delta conveyance system from catastrophic failure

Levee improvements would provide substantial flood-control and ecosystem benefits to in-Delta interests, potentially lessening resistance to the BDCP

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40,000 acres of targeted floodplain and tidal marsh restoration could provide greater ecosystem benefits at a lesser cost than the larger, less-focused restoration currently proposed

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Ensure best use of objective science through adaptive management

Independent review of science Quantified performance objectives Governance and adaptive management

processes Carefully defined roles for various interests in

the Delta

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The state has not yet made a business case for the current proposed project of 9,000 cfs

A smaller conveyance project would free up billions of dollars with a small decrease in water yield

Investments in local supplies and storage could provide an additional 1 million acre-feet or more, as well as improved water supply reliability

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Encourage a Bay Delta solution that promotes local water supply development ◦ Portfolio Approach calls for local supply development as

part of a comprehensive Bay Delta solution Encourage a Bay Delta solution that is cost-effective when

compared to other sources of water reliability ◦ Portfolio Approach recognizes that financial resources are

not unlimited and outlines a solution that may be more cost-effective

Require independent technical analysis of key elements of the Bay Delta solution, including urban and agricultural real demands ◦ BDCP has not addressed real demands to date, as the

Water Authority has consistently urged

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Support “right-sized” facilities to match firm commitments to pay ◦ Analysis of the Portfolio Approach could lead to a better

understanding of the right size for the Bay Delta solution Continue to support the co-equal goals of water supply

reliability and ecosystem restoration ◦ Portfolio Approach is intended to be balanced approach to

achieving both the co-equal goals Support a deliberative process that is designed to ensure a

meaningful dialog among the various stakeholders ◦ Signers of the January 16 letter, representing 22 percent of

the state’s population, are encouraging a wider dialog

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Improve the ability of water users to divert more water in wet years, when impacts on the ecosystem are less ◦ Emphasis on south of Delta storage allows the diversion and

storage of more water in wet years Encourage the development of a statewide water transfer

market ◦ Portfolio Approach calls for greater coordination among

water agencies to make more effective use of existing facilities, including MWD’s, for moving water to where it is needed

Work with all stakeholders to ensure a meaningful dialog and that water supply and ecosystem restoration processes are conducted in an open and transparent manner ◦ The Water Authority has maintained an open dialog with a

diverse array of stakeholders in the Bay Delta solution

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