Butte County Water Commission wary of Delta plan
By: Heather Hacking

OROVILLE -- A conservation plan for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, including plans for a system of tunnels and/or canals to bypass theestuary, raised questions from the Butte County Water Commission last week.

Paul Marshall, operations and planning manager for the Department of Water Resources, mapped out the current status of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan.

During the presentation, water commissioners asked what the plans mean for Northern California, specifically whether a new system around the Delta would open up ways for more water to move from north to south.

Marshall said the plan doesn't affect water contracts and "shouldn't affect the way you get water."

"Northern water users get their water first," he said.

However, Commissioner Larry Grundmann said the concern is that if water is "better delivered, the better to take it away."

Commissioner Ryan Schohr also noted the plan calls for 101,000 acres of land restoration. "Where is the water coming from for that?" he asked.

Marshall said the state is currently pushing for a 20 percent statewide reduction in water by 2020. Also, the plans call for delivery of up to 15,000 cubic-feet-per-second of water through or around the Delta, but that's only if the needs of fish are met first, he said.

That maximum capacity would likely only be used for hours or days at most because of operational rules, he said.

Commissioner Susan Strachan asked who represented the Sacramento Valley on the current Bay Delta

"We want protection for up here," Strachan said, noting that those representatives were not from north of the Delta.

Right now, constraints on pumping from the Delta prevent more water from moving from north to south, she said.

With the capacity to move 15,000 cfs of water through the Delta, even if agencies say that won't happen all the time, "what will protect us?" Strachan asked, especially for groundwater basins.

She again noted that Northern California doesn't have "a seat at the table."

Later in the meeting, Commissioner George Barber asked that the topic be put on next month's Water Commission agenda.

Commissioner John Carlon also clarified that the width of the proposed canal would be "bigger than the Panama Canal."

The conservation plan, which will take place over the next 50 years, is required for issuing endangered species permits for operating state and federal water projects, Marshall explained.

The Delta is the conduit for water for 25 million Californians and supports $30 billion in economic activity, he continued.

The Delta also supports 750 types of plants and animals, 40 of which are threatened or endangered.

In addition, the Delta's system of levees is precarious. Peat soils have contributed to subsidence, which is when the land sinks lower, further contributing to the risks of levee failure.

Marshall said modeling has led scientists to be convinced a large earthquake could cause calamity, including flooding and disruption of water supply to the majority of California's population.

Then, there are the unknowns of climate change, which could change weather patterns and raise sea level.

Right now, water is pumped from the south end of the Delta in giant pumps that are known to harm fish. The plans on the table would change this to diversion from the north Delta.

The alternatives are being studied, with combinations of canals and tunnels. One option is to vary the water diversions, so all the water isn't pumped from one location.

If tunnels are used, they would be 150 feet below the ground, where there are solid soils and where the conveyance would not interfere with rivers and underground aquifers, he explained.

The current alternatives range in price from $7.8 billion to $11 billion.

The Bay Delta Conservation Plan focuses on the benefit to fish and other species, including land restoration and water delivery that most benefits wildlife.

Marshall explained the way the system works now, water is stored in reservoirs and released during the summer. This means that water isn't flowing as needed during the spring.

"That works for us (humans) but doesn't provide water in rivers when species need it," Marshall said. By putting water in a canal or tunnel, "we are giving more incentive to run the water in spring months."

Marshall said the hope is to have a draft environmental impact report by the end of the year.

Agencies involved include the Department of Water Resources, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Reclamation.

State water boards will also come up with flows that will be safe for fish.