May 8, 2018 - Presented to: Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife
January 24, 2008 - First, we recommend the Legislature set explicit policy priorities in statute for addressing environmental problems at the Sea. We consider protection of air quality and preservation of wildlife habitat to be the highest priorities. Second, we recommend the Legislature adopt a comprehensive plan at the outset of the restoration process. Finally, we recommend the Legislature consider funding interim measures to address priority issues such as air quality or wildlife habitat in the near term.
November 29, 2011 - Presented to: Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Resources and Transportation
January 15, 2015 - The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) is a biodiverse ecosystem that covers about 1,150 square miles and supports over 700 species of fish and wildlife. The Delta is an important source of water for the state and is used to convey water from Northern California to Southern California. The Delta faces several significant problems, including: (1) a decline in key native fish species, (2) reductions in the amount of Delta water available for use elsewhere, (3) water pollutants that cause harm to species and increase treatment costs, and (4) levees at significant risk of failure. The state has engaged in numerous efforts to address these problems and achieve its "coequal goals" for the Delta: water supply reliability and ecosystem restoration. There are many opportunities for the Legislature to improve the success of these efforts. We identified several issues for its consideration, including (1) demands for Delta water, (2) uncertain funding sources and slow implementation of some key activities, (3) limits on the effectiveness of governance in the Delta, and (4) challenges to restoring the Delta ecosystem. By addressing some of these issues, the Legislature can improve the likelihood that its goals and objectives for the Delta will be realized.
April 27, 2016 - Presented to: Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Resources and Transportation
September 23, 1996 - (1) The Bay Delta: A Key to Solving California’s Water Problem, and (2) Economic and Revenue Developments
June 3, 1996 - The Department of Water Resources concluded in its 1994 California Water Plan Update that California's annual water supplies are generally adequate to meet current demand in "normal" (nondrought) years. However, the department forecasts a shortage in the year 2000 for California's water users as a group (domestic, industrial, agricultural, and environmental) that will increase in subsequent years. The projected shortage results both from factors that reduce supply and those that increase demand. Among the most important factors reducing water supply for nonenvironmental users are recent federal limits on water diversions in order to protect fish and wildlife habitat. Projected population growth adds most to future increases in demand.