Today, the United States Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) announced that it executed a Record of Decision on the Reinitiation of Consultation on the Coordinated Long-Term Operations of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project, concluding the review process required by the National Environmental Policy Act and establishing new operations for the CVP and SWP.
“Today’s action by Reclamation elicits mixed reactions – On the one hand it attempts to better align coordination between the Central Valley Project and State Water Project operations”, said Federico Barajas, Executive Director of the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority. “On the other hand, the selected operations regime will reduce surface water supply reliability for the communities, farms, and ecosystems reliant on water provided by the Water Authority’s member agencies by nearly 100,000 acre-feet annually, complicating efforts of our members to provide affordable surface water supplies and sustainably manage groundwater.”
“As key stakeholders in the operations of the CVP, we appreciate the diligent efforts of Reclamation staff to respond to issues raised during our review of prior draft documents. In particular, we want to acknowledge the positive efforts to improve operational triggers associated with steelhead and the inclusion of a more effective adaptive management approach to project operations that is responsive to new scientific knowledge.
Over the past 30 years, the Water Authority’s member agencies have faced a sharp decline in water supply reliability, disproportionately impacting frontline communities in the western San Joaquin Valley. Unfortunately, the adoption of the selected operations regime continues this disproportionate trend by including actions that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has determined do not provide the intended benefit to species but do have a significant water supply impact and by not fully analyzing or disclosing impacts to CVP operations that may result from analysis of modified Trinity River operations.
“The Water Authority looks forward to working with Reclamation and other stakeholders to improve the selected operations regime through adaptive management and to continue to work collaboratively to improve conditions for and ultimately recover species of concern.”