Bay Delta Plan
The State Water Resource Control Board is a regulatory agency which is updating the Bay Delta Plan. This Plan is intended to protect water quality through water flow and mandates increased flow into the Delta, but the draft Plan would have significant and detrimental impacts to Solano County.
Impacts of the Bay Delta Plan
Restrictions to Lake Berryessa
The State's proposed '55% unimpaired flows' would have a direct and significant impact on Lake Berryessa and the communities that depend on it. This amounts to approximately 144,000 acre-feet of water. Furthermore, the Plan would require Lake Berryessa to be kept at 65% capacity, regardless of drought conditions. This would effectively eliminate our drought resiliency, as it represents a 3-year water supply that our communities would not have access to.
Local Economic Impact
For Suisun City, the proposed plan would reduce our water allocation from 1600-acre feet to 400-acre feet. Such a drastic reduction would not only impose building moratoriums on our city, which could put our financial solvency in jeopardy, as well as additional impacts such as affordability of housing in the Bay Area. In addition to preventing the City from being able to build new housing, which would have a ripple effect throughout the Bay Area. There are extremely limited options for acquiring the necessary amount of water to meet our current obligations in the community if we were restricted to our current water supply.
Healthy Rivers and Landscape Proposal - A Better Alternative
Voluntary Agreements, specifically the Healthy Rivers and Landscape Proposal, represent a suite of solutions among State, Federal, and local water leaders as an alternative to the State’s proposed unimpaired flow updates. It is a balanced approach, taking into consideration flow, habitat, science, and funding for a holistic approach. Voluntary Agreements seek to fulfill the State’s objectives of protecting watersheds and preserving ecological needs while supporting sustainable economic growth at the local level. The Healthy Rivers and Landscape Proposal would ensure Lake Berryessa's preservation as a vital water source for Solano County.
Call to Action
Residents and community members are encouraged to voice their concerns by contacting their state representatives and the State Water Board. Residents can use the template letter below.
Template Letter Opposing the Bay Delta Plan Call to Action(DOCX, 26KB)
State Representative Contacts
Residents can either mail or e-mail their state representative a signed letter to voice their concerns and opposition against the draft Bay Delta Plan.
State Water Resource Board Representatives
E. Joaquin Esquivel, Chair
State Water Resources Control Board
1001 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
OPP-Contact@waterboards.ca.gov
Dorene D'Adamo, Vice Chair
State Water Resources Control Board
1001 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
OPP-Contact@waterboards.ca.gov
State Representatives
Governor Gavin Newsom
State Capitol
1303 10th Street, Suite 9000
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 445-2841
Contact form: https://www.gov.ca.gov/contact/
Senator Bill Dodd
State Capitol
1021 O Street, Suite 7610
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 651-4003
Contact form: https://sd03.senate.ca.gov/contact
Assembly Member Lori Wilson
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0011
Phone: (916) 319-2011
Contact form: https://a11.asmdc.org/contact-me-0
Solano County Water Agency Documents
The following are resources about the proposed Bay Delta Plan provided by the Solano County Water Agency (SCWA).
Information about the Solano Project - The Solano Project is a federal project with the Bureau of Reclamation that stores water in Lake Berryessa for delivery to users throughout the region.
Lake Berryessa Storage Chart - Storage data from 1959 to 2024.
Fact Sheet about Bay Delta Plan - Impact of the States Unimpaired Flow Mandate to Solano County Water.
State Water Resource Control Board (Water Board)
The following are resources about the proposed Bay Delta Plan provided by the State Water Resource Control Board.
Bay-Delta Plan Update including the draft report, FAQs, and presentations from the State Water Board about this proposed updated.
Notice on Water Board Workshop for April 24-26, 2024