AB 1813

Bill Subjects

Abstract

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Reform Act of 2009, establishes the Delta Stewardship Council as an independent agency of the state. The act requires the State Water Resources Control Board to establish an effective system of Delta watershed diversion data and public reporting by December 31, 2010. The act requires the board to establish an effective system of Delta watershed diversion data collection and public reporting by December 31, 2010. The act requires the board to develop new flow criteria for the Delta ecosystem, as specified. The act subjects the flow criteria to modification over time based on a science-based adaptive management program that meets specified criteria. This bill would require the system, for certain diversions, in lieu of requiring reporting, to use data from the consumptive use index modeling used by the Department of Water Resources to determine the Net Delta Outflow Index. The bill would authorize the system to enhance or replace the consumptive use index modeling with satellite imagery. The bill would require that the system, to the maximum extent practicable, use consumptive use data from consumptive use modeling or satellite imagery in lieu of public reporting. The bill would require the new flow criteria to ensure that there is no degradation in water quality in Delta channels and to include flows into, within, and out of the Delta to replicate conditions when local and anadromous fish populations were at healthy and self-sustaining levels. The bill would require the flow criteria to include specified flows for anadromous fish, as defined. The bill would subject flow criteria to modification over time based on measured fish populations in a management program that meets specified criteria. The bill would restrict to prescribed circumstances the use of measures other than flow as a substitute for flow.