Ambitious Bay Delta Plan Unveiled for Public Review

Following seven years of planning and one of the driest years ever recorded, state and federal agencies this week released the public draft of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, which includes Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan for building two massive water conveyance tunnels. The Bay Area Council, under the leadership of our Water Committee Co-Chairs Jim Levine of Montezuma Wetlands LLC and Suffolk Construction West Coast President Andy Ball, has been working closely with state and federal officials as the plan has moved forward. The Bay Delta Conservation Plan was conceived with the intent to meet the co-equal goals of ecosystem recovery and water supply reliability relating to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the backbone water supply for 25 million Californians. The delta is a critical resource for the Bay Area, through which flows about 33 percent of the region’s overall water supply. In Silicon Valley, that figure jumps to 50 percent. Everybody agrees that the status-quo in the delta – which has resulted in ecosystem decline and unreliable water supplies – is unsustainable. The Bay Area Council is grateful for the hard work of the Brown and Obama administrations to advance the process to a formal public draft which initiates the official 120-day comment period this Friday. The Bay Area Council looks forward to reviewing the documents and engaging with the many stakeholders involved to finalize the plan. To engage in the Council’s water policy work, contact Policy Manager Adrian Covert.