ANNOUNCEMENT: Delta Conveyance Project to Host Informational Webinars

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From the Department of Water Resources:

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is hosting four informational webinars between July and September 2021 to provide background information related to preparation of the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR).  

While not a requirement of the California Environmental Quality Act, DWR is planning the webinars to keep the public and interested stakeholders informed about the current progress related to preparation of the Draft EIR. Each webinar will feature presentations from technical staff about the approaches, methodologies and assumptions to be utilized in conducting impact analyses in the Draft EIR. Information about impact findings and specific mitigation measures is not expected to be available but will be included in future outreach efforts following publication of the Draft EIR.

All information and materials related to the webinars can be found here.

Webinar Schedule and Registration Information 

Topic Details

  • Operations of the State Water Project and Delta Conveyance
    • State Water Project (SWP) basics, including how water moves through the Delta and current SWP operations
    • Future challenges and risks to SWP
    • Methods to model operations for Delta Conveyance Project environmental review
    • Interpretation and use of modeling results
    • Water quality requirements and related operational constraints
  • Fisheries 
    • Environmental setting details, including fish species evaluated, migration patterns and fish life cycles
    • Fish screen considerations
    • Models, data and analytical methods being used for evaluating potential impacts 
  • Climate Change
    • DWR’s overall climate change planning efforts, including the Department’s Climate Action Plan
    • Purpose of climate change analysis for the Delta Conveyance Project
    • Current climate change data
    • Approach to climate resiliency evaluation in the Draft EIR
    • Climate change and other resource area analytical methods being used for evaluating potential impacts, including for air quality and traffic 
  • Environmental Justice
    • Environmental Justice (EJ) Survey results overview, including lessons learned about EJ outreach in the Delta
    • Environmental Justice evaluation methodology to be included in the Draft EIR, including National Environmental Policy Act methods considered and the use of EJ Survey data 

Webinar Format
The webinars will include a presentation and an opportunity to ask clarifying questions regarding the material presented. 

The webinars will be conducted using Zoom and can be accessed through the internet or by using your phone. For instructions on how to use Zoom, click here. Closed captioning will also be provided. Meeting material will be available in English and Spanish, and a simultaneous Spanish translation will be offered during each webinar. 
 
Additional information regarding planned webinar topics will be sent out and posted prior to each session, along with the Zoom link and call-in information. 

If you cannot attend but are interested in the information covered, the presentation and a video recording of each webinar will be made available. If you have any questions on the content covered before or after each event, please email DeltaConveyance@water.ca.gov. 
 
About the Delta Conveyance Project The proposed Delta Conveyance Project would modernize the water transport infrastructure in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) by adding new facilities to divert water and upgrading the current conveyance system to also include a tunnel for conveyance. If approved, these updates would ensure climate resiliency and the reliability of the state’s largest source of safe, affordable and clean water for 27 million Californians, 750,000 acres of farmland and continued support for local water supply projects such as regional stormwater capture, water conservation, recycled water and groundwater management. The Delta is the center of California’s vital water distribution system and a critical link in how water is moved to all parts of the state, however, the infrastructure that moves this water through the Delta is outdated and at risk of failure due to sea level rise or seismic activity. The infrastructure updates proposed as part of the project would give DWR the flexibility to divert, move and store water, consistent with all regulatory requirements, when it becomes available for use when supplies may otherwise be limited.
 
The project is currently in the initial planning and permitting phase, including compliance with state and federal environmental review processes and all other required regulatory approvals. Additional project-related information and resources can be found here.

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