Delta Plan/Delta Stewardship Council

The State of California Office of Administrative Law (OAL) finished the rule-making process for the Delta Plan and is effective with legally-enforceable regulations since September 1, 2013.  Projects located within the legal Delta, as defined on the Stockton 2035 General Plan Boundary Map, may need to be referred to the Delta Stewardship Council.

The Delta Plan may be reviewed in its entirety on the Delta Stewardship Council's website. A link to the website is provided below under "External Links."

Delta Plan Resources

The Delta Coalition

The Delta Coalition consists of these cities: Escalon, Lathrop, Lodi, Manteca, Ripon, Stockton, Tracy, and the County of San Joaquin, and leaders of the local business and environmental communities.

The Coalition's mission is to help further the long-term sustainability of the Delta and its unique economy and environment.  The Delta Coalition also seeks to collaborate with State agencies to revise the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) and the Delta Stewardship Council's Delta Plan to reflect the importance of these issues and positions:

 

Funding for Near-Term Projects

Support state and federal funding and implementation of priority near-term strategic proposals, projects, and actions, as recommended by the Coalition for Delta Projects and the joint Delta Counties Coalition/California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley "Candidate" list of projects.

 

Water Quality, Quantity, and Ecosystem Restoration and Protection

Reinforce existing area of origin, watershed, and Delta protection concepts.  This includes the non-degradation policy of the State Water Resources Control Board, such that there would be no deprivation of the water needed for reasonable beneficial use, current and future, in those protected areas. Existing water rights in and upstream of the Delta must be protected and continued.  Water quantities, quality, uses, diversions, and flows upstream into and out of the Delta must meet the needs of agriculture, fish and wildlife, municipal, and industrial uses.  Water conveyance in the Delta should remain solely a through-Delta system and not include an isolated facility to transport water around the Delta or otherwise divert water from flowing through the Delta.  The burden for mitigating the impacts of exporting water from the Delta should not be shifted or redirected to others.

 

BDCP Alternatives

The Delta Coalition maintains that the State should fully analyze and evaluate all viable alternatives including through-Delta conveyance and other alternatives that:

"Achieve the two coequal goals of providing a more reliable water supply for California and protecting, restoring, and enhancing the Delta ecosystem. The coequal goals shall be achieved in a manner that protects and enhances the unique cultural, recreational, natural resource, and agricultural values of the Delta as an evolving place." (SBX7_1, 2009, Section 1, (a))  Each alternative must be subject to full Federal and State environmental review, including the impacts throughout the entire estuary, and the flow from the Delta, water quality, aquatic/terrestrial species, habitat and the agricultural economy.

 

Governance

Any governing entity that will develop, approve, and/or implement the BDCP must include local government representatives as voting members.  The Delta Coalition seeks full, fair, and effective participation in the BDCP development and implementation process.

 

Benefit Cost Analysis and Scientific Analysis

All BDCP alternatives that reflect the reasonable spectrum of options available shall be included in the BDCP analysis and shall be equally evaluated and subjected to a peer-reviewed "cost-benefit" analysis. The DWR handbook shall be used fo such analyses.

 

Mitigation

All BDCP proposals, actions, and implementation shall preserve, protect, and enhance the Delta economy and agriculture.  There shall be full mitigation of all direct and indirect negative impacts to the Delta ecosystem and economy – including commerce, transportation, recreation, agriculture, historical value, and communities caused by BDCP actions when implemented.

 

Agriculture

The preservation and enhancement of agricultural land, resources, and the agricultural economy in San Joaquin County must be supported and alternatives to the conversion of agricultural land to habitat as mitigation for past, present, and future water exports must be promoted.

 

Flood Control

Flood control and levee maintenance programs and projects shall be implemented as a prerequisite to the implementation of BDCP actions.

 

Water Rights

All water right priorities including area of origin protections shall be upheld.

 

Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs)

Natural Communities Conservation Plans (NCCPs)

BDCP proposals, actions, and implementation must be consistent with locally developed HCPs/NCCPs goals or objectives.  BDCP shall not invoke eminent domain authority for restoration or mitigation land within San Joaquin County.  Furthermore, BDCP must recognize the link between the Delta and the terrestrial lands (habitat and agricultural).

 

Covered Actions

The regulation of land-use consistent with Federal and California law should remain within the control and responsibility of local government.  In making determinations whether covered actions are consistent with the Delta Plan, the DSC should only consider approved and funded flood control, water conveyance, and habitat projects identified in the Plan.  The review authority of the Delta Stewardship Council ("covered actions") should be strictly limited to the specific appellate authority granted in the enabling legislation. "Covered Actions" should exclude any planned development within urban and urbanizing areas in the Secondary Zone of the Delta, which is consistent with an adopted General Plan and Sphere of Influence, or adopted urban limit line, as of the effective date of the Delta Plan.

 

Delta Coalition Events

The Delta Coalition held a forum titled "The Real Delta Story" at the University of the Pacific on November 4, 2013.  View both Youtube videos under "External Links."  Several related articles posted by local media are listed below as well.