State Water Board hears sharply divided views on draft Sacramento Delta updates to Bay Delta Plan

The State Water Resources Control Board held a public workshop on Jan. 23 to receive comments on draft Sacramento Delta updates to the Bay‑Delta Plan, focused on two staff‑described provisions: an in‑stream flow protection approach intended to expand curtailment beyond the State and federal projects during extremely dry conditions, and several options to protect the base upon which Voluntary Agreement (VA) flows are intended to be added from new water supply projects.

Why it matters: these options affect how the board will balance in‑stream flows for fish and wildlife, tribal beneficial uses and public health against water deliveries for cities, farms and other users. They also affect whether the projects will again seek temporary urgency change petitions (TUCPs) in drought years, and whether new water‑supply projects can divert during months and years when VA flows are intended to provide ecological benefits.

Staff presentation and the two options Diane Riddle, assistant deputy director in the board’s Division of Water Rights, introduced the day and said staff would summarize two potential provisions released in the October 2024 draft updates. Jeff Laird, water resources control engineer, and Claudia Bucelli, environmental scientist, described the provisions and related policy questions. Laird summarized the in‑stream flow concept as an alternative to expanding the so‑called term 91 curtailment language: "Building on this concept, additional curtailments would be added during critical water years and declared drought…