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SFPUC outlines role in Bay-Delta voluntary agreements; urges model peer review as state teams finalize goals
Summary
SFPUC staff told commissioners they are engaged in voluntary-agreement negotiations tied to the State Water Board's 2018 water quality control plan, explained trade-offs between flows and habitat measures, flagged modeling disagreements within the state team, and said the state will release biological goals Aug. 23 with draft CEQA-level work due by summer 2020.
SFPUC Assistant General Manager Michael Carlin updated the commission on regional negotiations over voluntary agreements (VAs) that aim to implement the State Water Board's Dec. 12, 2018 water quality control plan for the Sacramento–San Joaquin River system. Carlin described the state "team" — including the Natural Resources Agency, CalEPA, State Water Board staff, Department of Water Resources and Fish and Wildlife — and said the PUC is working with stakeholders to craft a package of flow and non-flow (habitat) measures for the Tuolumne River and other tributaries.
Carlin told commissioners the voluntary agreements attempt to achieve measurable biological outcomes (fish population viability and habitat improvements) and that negotiations are linked to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission relicensing for Don Pedro/flow components (the fourth agreement). He said the state will publish biological goals on Aug. 23, and that staff expect the state's draft CEQA substitute environmental document (for sequencing/analysis) by summer 2020 with potential adoption of the plan in 2021.
Commissioners pressed staff on modeling and enforcement. Carlin acknowledged model discrepancies within the state team and described efforts to secure independent peer review of Tuolumne River models to support both FERC relicensing and state processes. He also said the PUC favors an enforceable governance structure to ensure commitments are met; staff discussed a cited government code provision in the presentation but noted they were not lawyers on the dais.
Public commenter Peter Dreckmeier of the Tuolumne River Trust urged better demand projections (citing a 31% difference between projected demand for 2018 and actual demand) and continued stakeholder engagement to meet coequal goals for reliable water supply and ecosystem restoration.
Carlin stressed that the PUC is coordinating with the Mayor's Office, planning staff and other stakeholders and will return with further briefings and a presentation to the Planning Commission on water supply assessments and implications for local planning.
