San Francisco Bay/Sacramento – San Joaquin Delta Estuary (Bay-Delta) Watershed Efforts
Announcements
Save the Date! At the State Water Board meeting on June 7, 2023, the Board will hold an informational item regarding the potential addition of tribal beneficial uses to the Bay-Delta Plan.
Bay-Delta Plan Update and Implementation
Protecting the Bay-Delta watershed and its many beneficial uses is one of the State Water Board’s primary responsibilities and top priorities. The State Water Board is responsible for adopting and updating the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta Estuary (Bay-Delta Plan), which establishes water quality control measures and flow requirements needed to provide reasonable protection of beneficial uses in the watershed. The State Water Board is now engaged in urgent efforts to address prolonged and precipitous declines of native aquatic species in the Bay-Delta and the ecosystem they depend upon.
The Bay-Delta Plan is being updated and implemented through separate processes (Plan amendments).
- Lower San Joaquin River Flows and Southern Delta Salinity - First, on December 12, 2018, through State Water Board Resolution No. 2018-0059, the State Water Board adopted the Plan amendments and Final SED establishing the Lower San Joaquin River flow objectives and revised southern Delta salinity objectives. On February 25, 2019, the Office of Administrative Law approved the Plan amendments, which are now in effect. View information regarding implementation and the adoption history of these Plan amendments.
- April 11, 2023 – Notice of Preparation of Environmental Documentation and Scoping Meeting for Possible Amendment of the Bay-Delta Plan to Incorporate Voluntary Agreement for the Tuolumne River. The scoping meeting is scheduled for May 18, 2023. The deadline for written comments is Thursday, May 25, 2023 (at noon).
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August 8, 2022 – REVISED Notice of Preparation and California Environmental Quality Act Scoping Meeting for a Proposed Regulation to Implement Lower San Joaquin River Flows and Southern Delta Salinity Objectives in the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The scoping meeting is scheduled for August 10, 2022. The deadline for written comments is Friday, September 9, 2022 (at noon).
- Public Comments (Follow this link for a list of commenters and instructions for obtaining access)
- Video
- Staff Presentation
- July 15, 2022 – Notice of Preparation and California Environmental Quality Act Scoping Meeting for a Proposed Regulation to Implement Lower San Joaquin River Flows and Southern Delta Salinity Objectives in the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
- Implementation of Lower San Joaquin River flows and southern Delta salinity objectives
- Sacramento River, Delta, and Eastside Tributaries - Second, the State Water Board is also considering Plan amendments focused on the Sacramento River and its tributaries, Delta eastside tributaries (including the Calaveras, Cosumnes, and Mokelumne rivers), Delta outflows, and interior Delta flows. View information regarding the Sacramento/Delta update of the Bay-Delta Plan.
- Release of Draft Scientific Basis Report Supplement in Support of Proposed Voluntary Agreements for the Sacramento/Delta Update to the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan
- Environmental Justice Focused Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan Listening Sessions
- June 7, 2023:
- March 27, 2023:
- During an information item at a regularly scheduled meeting on January 19, 2023, the State Water Board informed the public about upcoming actions related to the above processes to update and implement the Bay-Delta Plan, including consideration of Voluntary Agreements.
- January 19, 2023 Agenda Item and Meeting Agenda
- During an information item at a regularly scheduled meeting on December 7-8, 2021, the State Water Board informed the public about past and upcoming actions related to the above processes to update and implement the Bay-Delta Plan. Information from that informational item is available below.
- December 8, 2021 Agenda Item and December 7-8, 2021 Meeting Agenda
- Public Comments (Follow this link for a list of commenters and instructions for obtaining access)
- Staff Presentation
For questions related to Lower San Joaquin River Flows and Southern Delta Salinity please contact LSJR-SD-Comments@waterboards.ca.gov. For questions related to Sacramento River, Delta, and Eastside Tributaries, please contact Bay-Delta@waterboards.ca.gov.
Related to the Bay-Delta Plan update and implementation process, the California Natural Resources Agency is currently engaged in an effort to develop proposed voluntary agreements with various water users in the watershed. View information regarding the proposed voluntary agreements process.
For information regarding outreach and consultation with California Native American Tribes, please visit our tribal consultation webpage.
Drought Information
For more information on drought activities in other regions of the state, visit the main drought webpage.
For information regarding drought activities in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Watershed, please visit the Delta Watershed Drought Information webpage.
The following links include information on past and current drought response actions:
Bay-Delta Compliance
Information on some of the Bay-Delta compliance issues is located at the following links:
Water Quality Control Plans and Associated Water Right Decisions
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