The Measure
The State Water Resources Control Board adopts updates to the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan, including updates to Delta outflow and Bay-Delta watershed tributary flow objectives, within one year of adoption of amendments to Chapter 4 of the Delta Plan.
Measure Details
Lower San Joaquin River and Southern Delta
In 2024, the State Water Board adopted Resolution 2024-0006 re-approving the Final Initial Biological Goals for Lower San Joaquin River Flow Objectives. The resolution re-approving the Final Initial Biological Goals provides greater clarity regarding the relationship of the biological goals to the 2018 Bay-Delta Plan and its prior environmental analysis, and why adoption of the biological goals does not require additional environmental analysis.
Sacramento River and Delta Eastside Tributaries
For the update to the Sacramento River and tributaries, Delta outflows, Delta eastside tributary inflows and cold water habitat, and interior Delta flows objectives, the State Water Board is considering and evaluating proposed Voluntary Agreements (VAs) for updating and implementing the Bay-Delta Plan and as part of that process has prepared the 2024 draft of the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Watershed.
In February 2020, the California Natural Resources Agency and the California Environmental Protection Agency released a framework for potential voluntary agreements to improve river flows and habitat to help recover salmon and other native fishes in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The framework is a milestone with ongoing discussions related to the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan.
In December 2018, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) adopted updates to the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan to increase water flows through the Lower San Joaquin River and its tributaries—the Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Merced Rivers. In September 2019, SWRCB released a draft of the initial biological goals for the Lower San Joaquin River.
Delta Plan Strategy
Create More Natural Functional Flows
Delta Plan Recommendation
ER R1. Update Delta Flow Objectives. The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) should maintain a regular schedule of reviews of the Bay-Delta Plan to reflect changing conditions due to climate change and other factors. The SWRCB should consult with the Delta Science Program on adaptive management and the use of best available science.
Related Output/Outcome Performance Measures
PM 4.2A Functional Flows: Yolo Bypass Inundation
PM 4.2B Functional Flows: Peak Flow
PM 4.2C Functional Flows: Recession Flow
PM 4.2D Functional Flows: In-Delta Flow