Delta Conveyance is most critical project for Calif. water future, new report finds

A new report from California's Department of Water Resources (DWR) outlines how various strategies, particularly the Delta Conveyance Project, can enhance the reliability of the State Water Project (SWP) for 27 million residents facing long-term climate challenges. 

The Delta Conveyance Project plans to add new facilities to divert water and upgrading the current conveyance system to include a single underground tunnel. The project plans involves multiple construction components including North Delta Intakes, tunnels and shafts, a pumping plant and connections to existing facilities.

This first-ever State Water Project Adaptation Strategy discusses over a dozen actions being considered by DWR. The analysis suggests that while climate change is expected to lead to a decline in SWP’s annual water deliveries in the long term, a mix of actions can mitigate much of this decline.

The SWP Climate Adaptation Strategy highlights the importance of:

• Maintaining and restoring water infrastructure, especially in areas affected by subsidence.
• Implementing Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO), which, despite its limited water supply contribution, is a safe and cost-effective strategy that should be prioritized.
• Exploring additional South-of-Delta water storage, recognizing its limitations without the Delta Conveyance Project in place.
• Emphasizing a combination of strategies to effectively address various climate stressors.

DWR Director Karla Nemeth stated, “Anything that compromises the State Water Project poses a threat to public health and economic success. This analysis helps us understand the best science-based strategies to ensure continued SWP deliveries in the face of both greater aridity and more powerful storms.”

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