Note: Updated information available: See: UPDATE: Agreement reached on Coordinated Operation Agreement for the State Water Project and the Central Valley Project, cost sharing; Water agencies respond Also, more reactions to State Water Board vote (including Brenda Burman’s statement) are posted here: MORE REACTIONS: Reclamation, Feinstein, Costa, Gray, and MID react to voluntary agreements and State Water Board vote on San Joaquin River tributary flow standards
Agreement reached on Coordinated Operation Agreement for the State Water Project and the Central Valley Project, cost sharing
From the Department of Water Resources:
Yesterday, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the Bureau of Reclamation reached agreement on updating how the State Water Project (SWP) and Central Valley Water Project (CVP) are operated to meet environmental regulations.
“The state and federal projects are intertwined, and we have a joint interest and responsibility to ensure our water system meets California’s needs especially as conditions change,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth.
The Coordinated Operation Agreement (COA) was originally signed in 1986 and defines how the state and federal water projects share water quality and environmental flow obligations imposed by regulatory agencies. The agreement calls for periodic review to determine whether updates are needed in light of changed conditions. After completing a joint review process, DWR and Reclamation agreed to an addendum to the COA to reflect water quality regulations, biological opinions and hydrology updated since the agreement was signed. The original Agreement can be found here and the 2018 addendum is here.
DWR and the Bureau also signed an agreement to formalize the cost sharing formula for projects needed to meet joint responsibilities under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The new agreement calls for costs to be shared equitably between the state and federal projects for work to meet joint responsibilities under the ESA, including monitoring and habitat restoration. The cost sharing agreement can be found here.
While the state and the federal government have reached agreement on the COA, there still is yesterday’s vote at the State Water Board. In response to that, Commissioner Brenda Burman released this statement:
I am very proud of the accomplishments we have made with the state and with our partners on the framework for voluntary agreements to address water flow issues in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Basins. I am also extremely pleased that we were able to reach agreement with the state on an addendum to the Coordinated Operation Agreement that lays the groundwork for improved water management in California for the next generation.
Unfortunately, the State Water Resources Control Board chose to move forward with Phase I of its water quality control plan update. We have consistently opposed this approach. It appears the State Board has left room for future consideration of the voluntary agreements, and we are working to fully analyze the impact the State Board action has on our federal projects.
I am optimistic about the future, and we will continue to work with our partners at the California Department of Water Resources as well as the State Board and our stakeholders to advance reasonable water management solutions for our contractors that meet the needs of California’s farms, families, industries and environmental resources.
I’ll have more reactions to the State Water Board on tomorrow’s Notebook … !
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