Long Term Operation of the State Water Project in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Incidental Take Permit No. 2081-2019-066-00 (ITP)

Long Term Operation of the State Water Project in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Incidental Take Permit No. 2081-2019-066-00 (ITP)

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) will continue to operate the State Water Project (SWP) facilities in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) and Suisun Marsh. The SWP includes water, power, and conveyance systems, conveying an annual average of 2.9 million acre-feet (AF) of water. The principal components of the Project are operations of the Harvey O. Banks Pumping Plant (Banks Pumping Plant), the Clifton Court Forebay (CCF), the John E. Skinner Delta Fish Protective Facility (Skinner Fish Facility), the Barker Slough Pumping Plant (BSPP), the South Delta Temporary Barriers, San Luis Reservoir, the Delta Mendota Canal/California Aqueduct Intertie, the Georgiana Slough Migratory Barrier, and Suisun Marsh facilities including the SMSCG, Roaring River Distribution System (RRDS), Morrow Island Distribution System (MIDS) and Goodyear Slough Outfall (GYSO). DWR holds contracts with 29 public agencies in northern, central, and southern California for water supplies from the SWP. Water stored in the Oroville facilities, along with water available in the Delta (consistent with applicable regulations) is captured in the Delta and conveyed through several facilities to SWP contractors. The SWP is operated to provide flood control and water for agricultural, municipal, industrial, recreational, and environmental purposes. The discretionary approval by CDFW is the issuance of the ITP identified above. The ongoing operations of the SWP in the Delta and Suisun Marsh as approved by the lead agency is expected to result in incidental take and impacts to habitat of Delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) and winter-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) which are designated as endangered species under the California Endangered Species Act and longfin smelt (Spirinchus thaleichthys) and spring-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) which are designated as threatened species under the California Endangered Species Act. The ITP referenced above as issued by CDFW authorizes incidental take of Delta smelt, longfin smelt, winter-run and spring-run Chinook salmon that may occur as a result of ongoing operations of the State Water Project facilities in the Delta, as is more specifically described in the ITP.

Contra Costa, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Yolo