DATE: January 10, 2017
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Supervisor Buddy Mendes
SUBJECT: Approve sending a letter of protest to the State Water Resources
Control Board On Phase 1 of the Bay-Delta Plan
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
Authorize the Board of Supervisor to sign a letter to the State Water Resources Control Board in protest of the adoption of the Phase 1 Revised Draft Substitute Environmental Document (SED) of the State Water Resources Control Board's Bay-Delta Plan.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Board can decide against sending a letter to the State Water Resources Board
DISCUSSION:
In Phase I, the State Water Board is proposing to update two elements of the Bay-Delta Plan:
San Joaquin River flow objectives for the protection of fish and wildlife: the flow element of the proposed plan update would increase the required flows to be left in the rivers and would change the area currently protected by flow requirements by adding compliance locations on the Stanislaus, Tuolumne, and Merced Rivers, instead of only on the San Joaquin River at Vernalis.
Southern Delta salinity objectives for the protection of agriculture: the salinity element of this proposal would adjust the salinity requirements to a slightly higher level to reflect updated scientific knowledge of salt levels that reasonably protect farming. Monitoring and compliance locations would be changed to better reflect overall salinity levels and protection of agriculture.
Staff will prepare a draft final SED for consideration by the State Water Board's members. The Board members will consider the draft final SED before approving the project, and the SED will become final upon project approval. The Board will consider approving the proposed Bay-Delta Plan amendments at a public meeting that will be held in early 2017.
San Joaquin Valley communities are struggling with drinking water quality and water supply challenges. The State Water Board's SED further imperils the residents of these commun...
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