SCH Number 2023060467

Project Info

Title

Long-Term Operation of the State Water Project in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Suisun Marsh, and Suisun Bay

Description

DWR is seeking approval of long-term operations of the SWP facilities in the Delta, Suisun Marsh, and Suisun Bay to continue to provide water supply for agricultural, municipal, and industrial uses, along with benefits to the environment in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, including contractual obligations. The CEQA project encompasses the Sacramento River from the Feather River confluence to the Delta and the SWP facilities in the Delta, Suisun Marsh, and Suisun Bay. SWP operations will be coordinated with DWR’s implementation of the Voluntary Agreements, an alternative implementation approach for satisfying the revised State Water Resources Control Board’s Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan, including flows to satisfy legal obligations under both endangered species laws and the Voluntary Agreements, should the Voluntary Agreements be adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board. Considering other ongoing regulatory processes, the project will provide a framework for future projects involving SWP operations to come online. The Draft EIR evaluates potential impacts associated with long-term operations of the SWP including: • Updated operating criteria, including operations of SWP facilities in the Delta such as pumps, the Suisun Marsh Salinity Control Gates, and the North Bay Aqueduct. • Operational measures that may be adopted to avoid, minimize, or mitigate impacts to listed species resulting from SWP long-term operations pursuant to the California Endangered Species Act. No new infrastructure facilities are included in the proposed project and long-term SWP operations would not change DWR’s water rights or affect the water rights of any other legal user of water.

2 documents in project