Delta Conveyance Project receives critical federal clearance to advance construction
What you need to know: The Delta Conveyance Project, which will improve water resilience and water supply for millions of Californians, has received Biological Opinions under the federal Endangered Species Act.
SACRAMENTO – Governor Newsom’s Delta Conveyance Project achieved another major milestone this week as it continues to advance towards construction.
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has received Biological Opinions from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for Delta Conveyance Project construction and construction-related maintenance activities. This important milestone marks the completion of the Endangered Species Act process for construction.
California is now one critical step closer to completing the complex state and federal planning and permitting processes needed to begin project implementation.
The science is clear: California must quickly complete the Delta Conveyance Project to meet our water needs in the future. I thank the federal government for their partnership in moving this project forward. By meeting this important milestone, we are closer than ever to seeing this vital piece of infrastructure completed and benefiting all Californians. Let’s get this built.
Governor Gavin Newsom
This action comes on the heels of a decision from the Delta Stewardship Council in April that largely upheld a certification of consistency for the Delta Conveyance Project. That decision left just two technical issues to be resolved in future proceedings, reaffirming that the project can be built while also protecting the precious ecosystem of the Delta.
The Delta Conveyance Project is vital to ensuring that California can continue to provide water to all of its residents through the State Water Project, which moves, and stores water used by 27 million people and 750,000 acres of farmland. California is expected to lose 10% of its water supply due to hotter and drier conditions by 2040, threatening the water supply for millions of Californians — and the reliability of the State Water Project could be reduced by as much as 23%. The Delta Conveyance Project will help offset and recover these future climate-driven water losses.
The Delta Conveyance Project will expand the state’s ability to improve water supply reliability, while also maintaining fishery and water quality protections. During atmospheric rivers last year, the Delta Conveyance Project could have captured enough water for 9.8 million people’s yearly usage.
The State Water Project stretches from Oroville to Riverside, serving 29 public water agencies largely based in the South Bay, Central Coast, South Coast, Inland Empire, and Kern County. The local public water agencies cover the costs of operating the State Water Project. Without the completion of the Delta Conveyance Project, the ability of the State Water Project to reliably deliver water to homes, farms, and businesses will decline.
Governor Newsom first announced his commitment to the project during his first State of the State, modernizing the previous administration’s plans to address seismic and reliability issues and ensure that this critical piece of infrastructure could be built quickly and without delay. The Governor has led efforts to move the DCP forward, including DWR’s certification of a final environmental impact report in December 2023 and securing financial support from water agencies throughout the state serving a majority of Californians.
California is building more, faster for all. Learn more at build.ca.gov.