Program: Delta Plan

Bond Act: Proposition 84

Agency of Appropriation: Department of Water Resources

Bond Statute: 75026, 75027(a)(12) and (b)

  • Front-end
  • In-progress
  • Follow-up (Audit)

The Delta Stewardship Council (Council) was established by SB No. 1 (Ch 5, Stats. 09-10, 7th Ex Sess.), which took effect February 3, 2010. Pursuant to legislation, Water Code §85084 and Water Code §85300, the Council is required to develop, adopt, and commence implementation of an interim plan that includes recommendations for early actions, projects and programs and a Delta Plan and CEQA/NEPA compliance documents (EIR/EIS) on or before January 1, 2012. The Delta Plan must also meet federal consistency requirements. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Reform Act of 2009 established as state policy the coequal goals of (1) providing a more reliable water supply for California, and (2) protecting, restoring, and enhancing the Delta ecosystem. The Delta Plan is required to advance the coequal goals and will include sub goals and strategies to assist in guiding state and local agency actions related to the Delta. The funding to support the Delta Plan effort will be funded entirely with  funds from  Proposition 84, the California Safe Drinking Water, Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006, Chapters 2 and 4.

 

The Delta Plan basics as required under SB 1 include:

-          Further the co-equal goals of providing a more reliable water supply for California and protecting, restoring, and enhancing the Delta ecosystem.

-          Include sub goals and strategies to assist in guiding state and local agency actions related to the delta.

-          Identify specific actions that state and local agencies may take.

The Delta Vision Strategic Plan will be used as a guiding document in addition to the SB 1 provisions.

 

There are four key elements that are essential in order to fulfill the statutory requirements of adopting a Delta Plan by January 1, 2012 (Water Code §85300) and also developing an interim plan as an early action (Water Code §85084). Those key elements include:

-          Final Interim Plan: August 27, 2010

-          Draft Delta Plan and Project Description: November 2010

-          Public Draft EIR/EIS: June 2011

-          Final Delta Plan, EIR and Notice of Decision: December 2011

 

To maintain effective public engagement during the development of the interim plan and Delta Plan, a  public  outreach and communications program  will also be developed. The elements of this plan will include:

-          Posting of all materials, documents, reports and comments on the Council website

-          Form workgroups representing all interest groups

 

Additional information on the interim plan and Delta Plan can be found on the Delta Stewardship Council website.

Funds authorized under Chapters 2 and 4 of Proposition 84 for the Delta Plan will be used over a two year term for contracting beginning April 30, 2010 to complete specific tasks related to the work described in the Front-end Accountability statement. Progress on the interim plan and Delta Plan must also be reported monthly to the Delta Stewardship Council. Any projects that are developed as a result of the interim plan and Delta Plan will be tracked in the Council’s Program Performance and Tracking (PP&T) system known as CIPPIS.  PP&T assists state and federal implementing agencies with tracking and reporting of performance measures associated with projects and programs in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

On a monthly basis, the Delta Plan Contract Manager will review the status of budget expenditures to insure that annual budget allocations will not be exceeded. The program manager will also oversee the consultant contract and review monthly invoices to verify that deliverables are acceptable and that the work is completed to the satisfaction of the Council. Schedules will be tracked using Microsoft Project Software.  The Delta Plan and the CEQA/NEPA compliance documents will be presented to the Council for adoption by January 1, 2012, and submitted for approval to the appropriate federal agencies for purposes of ensuring federal consistency.
Following completion of the interim plan and Delta Plan, a close out report will be provided to the Delta Stewardship Council and the Department of Water Resources. This report will summarize the activities that took place to achieve the interim plan and Delta Plan as outlined in the Front-end Accountability Statement. Performance will be measured by the completion of the Delta Plan and CEQA/NEPA compliance documents (EIR/EIS) by January 1, 2012 as specified by law.  

Projects within this Program: