Achieving a reliable California water supply and a resilient Delta ecosystem necessitates the collective implementation of the Delta Plan – California’s blueprint for taking on the region’s current and predicted challenges. As required by the Delta Reform Act of 2009, the Delta Plan recommends specific and implementable actions to achieve these coequal goals. Its recommendations aren’t carried out by one party but rather the many State and federal partners at work in the region.
The Delta Plan includes two types of performance measures to understand the effectiveness of its recommendations: (1) Administrative and (2) output/outcome.
- Administrative performance measures track the status and effectiveness of implementing the Delta Plan recommendations. When an administrative performance measure is complete, it means that the responsible agencies successfully carried out the recommended actions.
- Output/outcome performance measures track quantitative metrics to evaluate the Delta’s responses to management actions and other factors (like climate, for example). Scientists analyze these metrics year-over-year to determine trends, which could lead to a changed approach or amended State policies like those in the Delta Plan.
The Delta Plan contains 120 administrative and 38 output/outcome performance measures. 37 of the 120 administrative performance measures were completed as of 2022. This is a great start, but much work remains to be done.
Administrative Performance Measures By The Numbers
Administrative Performance Measures Spotlights
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2021 - Review Methylmercury Control Studies - Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board In 2021, the Delta Science Program completed the Independent Science Review and Advice of the Delta Mercury Control Program. The review consists of two parts; Part 1: Review of Municipal Wastewater and Urban Stormwater completed in August 2019, and Part 2: Tidal Wetlands and Open Water Habitat completed in July 2021. An overview of the completed reports is available via the Council's website: Review of Delta Mercury Control Program Phase 1 Reports (ca.gov). The mercury control program continues in 2022, when dischargers will implement mercury and methylmercury control programs as appropriate, based on the findings of the methylmercury characterization and control studies and the latest relevant information and data. |
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2020 - Publish Guidelines for Expanded Water Supply Reliability Element – California Department of Water Resources In 2020, the DWR included an example methodology for the preparation of reduced Delta reliance elements as part of the Urban Water Management Plan Guidebook 2020. As a result, urban water suppliers that receive water from the Delta have a framework available to support how they report reduced reliance on the Delta. |
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2020 - Report Actions Addressing Critical Groundwater Basins – California Department of Water Resources The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) regulates chronic groundwater overdraft in California. SGMA mandates that local Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) in basins identified as critically over-drafted adopt Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSP) by 2020. GSAs in basins of medium or high priority must adopt plans by 2022. The 2020 GSP reporting actions for critical groundwater basins, as this performance measure defines them, were completed. |
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2019 - Congress Designates a National Heritage Area that includes the Delta and Suisun Marsh – Delta Protection Commission In 2019, the U.S. Congress established the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Suisun Marsh National Heritage Area (NHA) – the first one in California. This designation fulfilled a recommendation in the Delta Plan. The Delta Protection Commission is developing the Delta NHA Management Plan, and leading engagement activities to support historic preservation, education, tourism, and economic development. To learn more, view the DPC’s NHA info sheet. |
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2013 - Establishment of the Delta Plan Interagency Implementation Committee – Delta Stewardship Council In 2013, after adopting the Delta Plan, the Council established the Delta Plan Interagency Implementation Committee (DPIIC) consisting of the state and federal agencies responsible for implementing the Delta Plan. The DPIIC facilitates collaboration and alignment of agencies’ actions related to the region’s most pressing issues. |
| Year Completed | Performance Measure | Responsible Agencies |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 |
Completion of Report on Revisions to Delta Plan Performance Measures |
Delta Stewardship Council |
| 2013 | Delta Stewardship Council | |
| 2013 | Establish Delta Plan Interagency Implementation Committee | Delta Stewardship Council |
| Year Completed | Performance Measure | Responsible Agencies |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 |
Develop Proposals for Revised Fishing Regulations* |
California Department of Fish and Wildlife |
| 2014 |
Prioritize the List of Stage 2 Actions for Nonnative Invasive Species* |
California Department of Fish and Wildlife |
*These performance measures have been archived due to an amendment to the Ecosystem chapter of the Delta Plan. Even though they are completed, these will not count towards to overall number of administrative performance measures.
| Year Completed | Performance Measure | Responsible Agency |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 |
Congress Designates a NHA that Includes the Delta and Suisun Marsh |
Delta Protection Commission |
| 2019 |
Consult with Caltrans on Effects of Flood Hazards on Delta Highways |
Delta Stewardship Council |
| 2017 |
Investigate Opportunity for Carbon Markets for Delta Farmers |
Delta Stewardship Council, Air Resources Board, Delta Conservancy |
| 2012 |
Complete Application for Designation of Delta as National Heritage Area |
Delta Protection Commission |
| Year Completed | Performance Measure | Responsible Agency |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board | |
| 2019 | Adopt Policies to Require Delta Water Users to Participate in CV-SALTS | Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, State Water Resources Control Board |
| 2018 | Implement Study Plan for Objectives for Nutrients in Delta by 2016 | State Water Resources Control Board, Regional Water Quality Control Board |
| 2018 | Complete Basin Plan Amendment for Dissolved Oxygen in Suisun Marsh | State Water Resources Control Board, San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board |
| 2017 | Complete TMDL and Basin Plan Amendments for Mercury | State Water Resources Control Board, Regional Water Quality Control Boards |
| 2017 | Central Valley Pesticide TMDL is Completed by January 2016 | Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board |
| 2015 | Delta Regional Monitoring Program (Delta RMP) is Implemented | Regional Water Quality Control Boards |
| 2015 | Complete Phase 2 Control Plan for Dissolved Oxygen in Stockton Channel | State Water Resources Control Board, Regional Water Quality Control Boards |
| 2014 | TMDL for Diazinon and Chlorpyrifos Completed by January 2013 | Regional Water Quality Control Boards |
| 2014 | Delta Regional Water Quality Monitoring Program is Developed | Regional Water Quality Control Boards |
| 2014 | Evaluate Ways to Reduce Contaminant Load of Discharge Wastewater | Regional Water Quality Control Boards |
| 2013 | Complete Work plan for Protection of Groundwater Beneficial Uses | State Water Resources Control Board |
| 2013 | Complete Central Valley Drinking Water Policy by July 2013 | Regional Water Quality Control Boards |
| Year Completed | Performance Measure | Responsible Agency |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Develops Funding Priorities for Investments in Delta Levees | Delta Stewardship Council |
| 2018 | Consider Multi-Hazard Coordination Task Force Recommendations | Department of Water Resources |
| 2018 | Develop Funding Priorities for Investments in Delta Levees | Delta Stewardship Council |
| 2018 | Local Agencies Develop Flood Emergency Action Plans | Delta Stewardship Council |
| 2017 | Evaluate Bypass and Floodways on San Joaquin River near Paradise Cut | Department of Water Resources, Central Valley Flood Protection Board |
| 2014 | Evaluate Potential for Stored Material Sites by Reinforcing Delta Levees | Department of Water Resource |
Learn more
To view the ongoing and completed administrative performance measures, please visit the Administrative Dashboard.
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Accomplishments
Administrative performance measures describe decisions made by policymakers and managers to finalize plans or approve resources (e.g., funds, personnel, projects) for implementation of a program or group of related programs. The administrative measures are near-term decisions and consist of actions identified by Delta Plan policies and recommendations.
The portfolio of administrative, output and outcome measures allows partner agencies, and others with an interest in the Delta, to evaluate how well the goals and objectives defined in the Delta Plan are being achieved and to detect environmental or administrative changes due to implementation of policies and recommendations in the Delta Plan.
The current portfolio of performance measures was adopted by the Council in April 2018 as Appendix E of the Delta Plan.
Delta Stewardship Council staff are developing additional and revised performance measures as part of the ongoing Ecosystem Amendment project.
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