The Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee and the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee held a joint oversight hearing on the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) on Tuesday. Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency John Laird, Director of the Department of Water Resources Mark Cowen, and Director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) Chuck Bonham provided the committee members with an update on the BDCP and answered numerous questions. The current drought plaguing the state was often raised during the hearing.
Secretary Laird stated that he was committed to have the Delta Counties at the table, and that he was personally meeting with Delta County representatives to this end. Director Cowen explained that the BDCP is part of the California Water Action Plan, and stated that there is need to refine adaptive management and how assurances for the parties of the BDCP will be defined and/or limited. Director Bonham explained the role of the DFW and stated that the DFW’s review of the permit applications would be informed by comments made on the BDCP. In response to a question regarding concerns to the impact on salmon, the Director stated that the BDCP alone will not get us where we need to be to recover the species.
The second panel included representatives of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Northern California Water Association, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Contra Costa Water District, Westlands Water District, and San Joaquin County. Perspectives on the BDCP included concerns raised about the potential for flows being required from Northern California water right holders, the potential for fees being imposed on non-beneficiaries, flaws in the modeling being conducted, who will pay for cost overruns, and the lack of investments in levees.
For additional information, please contact RCRC Legislative Advocate Kathy Mannion at 916.447.4806 or kmannion@rcrcnet.org.