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Ten Ways to Fix the Delta
A splash of freshwater here, a flooded island there.... A new canal, a rebuilt levee, a big reservoir, a small diversion... Wider river meanders, broader Delta channels, shadier streamsides.... Less water wasted and polluted, more water for cities, fish and farms... This is the stuff, in various shapes, sizes and combos, of CALFED's list of ten ways to fix the Delta.
CALFED - a collaborative effort among ten government agencies and myriad stakeholders aimed at solving the Bay-Delta's water supply and environmental problems in the long-term - proposed 20 alternative fixes in March and recently whittled the list down to 10. Three of these alternatives emphasize development of major new "conveyances" to reroute water from upstream supplies to downstream users and around the sensitive Delta. Such conveyances, combined with new diversion points, could greatly reduce fish entrainment due to water exports and increase supply reliability. But they could also significantly alter an already heavily-tinkered-with estuarine ecosystem, and they harken back to past proposals for a Peripheral Canal.
Four other alternatives emphasize a combination of new water conveyance, diversion and storage facilities with improvements in management and/or the capacity of the current system. One matches a small conveyance capable of moving 5,000-7,000 cubic feet of water per second along the Delta's east side with improvements to existing Delta channels to speed through-flow, for example. Another develops new storage facilities up and downstream of the Delta which would in turn enhance flexibility in timing diversions so that fish loss at the pumps is minimized.
The three remaining alternatives stress improving management and facilitates in the existing system. The first focuses on aggressive "demand management" - reducing the demand for diversions via methods such restructuring water pricing, conserving urban and agricultural water, reclaiming urban wastewater, and retiring farmland from production. The second would improve through-Delta water conveyance and downstream storage to increase water delivery flexibility. The third mixes major habitat restoration efforts with a new in-Delta facility to store water for environmental purposes - based on the premise that healthier, happier fish and other aquatic organisms will be less vulnerable to diversions.
Beyond the basic emphasis of each alternative is a carefully balanced diversity of other measures ranging from fish screens and wetland restoration to levee upgrades and pollution prevention. CALFED says it's carefully put these kinds of measures together so that each alternative offers a comprehensive, ecosystem-level approach to solving the Delta's problems. The diversity of alternatives presented seems testimony to CALFED's effort to keep all options on the table. But now comes the hard part - shrinking the ten down to 3-5 alternatives by the end of June. To review and or comment on today's ten, request a copy of CALFED's Phase I Progress Report from (916)657-2666.
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