The California Delta, a 700,000-acre collection of islands and waterways just east of the San Francisco Bay Area, is the heart of the California water system providing water to 2/3 of all Californians and well over 3 million Bay Area residents and habitat for fish and species that can live in one of North America’s largest estuaries.

An unparalleled fish crash, increasing pressures from real estate development, political retribution against vocal public agency scientists, uncertainty about the scale of regional climate change impacts, and mushrooming risks of flood and earthquake damage all cloud our ability to manage this intricate ecosystem effectively.

Today, the Delta's future and the structure and governance of California’s water system is in play.  The Bay Area Council is at the table providing advice to the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on what the vision for a sustainable Delta should be and how it should be managed.  For the past two years the Bay Area Council Water Policy Committee has also been building ties with Southern California water stakeholders, including the Metropolitan Water District (MET) to find a common agenda that addresses the water supply, water quality, water reliability and ecosystem needs of the Delta.

Despite the risks of stalemates and standoffs in addressing the water issues of the state among the multiple stakeholders, the Bay Area Council thinks now is the moment to breakthrough inertia and building key relationships to achieve needed investments in the water infrastructure that would include water storage, more reliable conveyance systems, and habitat restoration.

Relevant Committee:
Water Policy