California Environmental Water Caucus

Glossary of Water Policy Terminology

8500: This number refers to the California Department of Water Resources desired pumping rate for exporting water from the Delta to the State Water Project (SWP) measured in cubic feet per second (cfs). The SWP currently has permission to pump at 6680 cfs. The total pumping capacity of the SWP is 10,300 cfs, and the Federal export pumps have the capacity to pump at a rate of 6,200 cfs.
B2: The section of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA) that states that 800,000 acre-feet of water should be allocated from the CVP for the restoration of anadromous Central Valley fisheries which is supposed to be part of the Delta's "base flows" for environmental purposes. Westlands Water District sued to try to prevent full implementation of this measure. While the environmental groups who defended the law lost the main issues on B2, the Judge declared that a "PRIMARY PURPOSE" of the CVP is environmental.
Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP): The BDCP is intended to satisfy the requirements of the federal and state Endangered Species Acts while providing assurances that sufficient water is taken from the Delta for the water agencies (Bureau of Reclamation and the California Department of Water Resources) and the water districts who have contracts to buy water from these two agencies (e.g. Tulare Lake Water Storage District, Westlands Water District, and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California). The conservation part of the planning process is trying to identify habitat restoration measures for the Delta and the nearby Suisun Marsh to ensure conservation of the nine fish species that are currently considered at risk, while at the same time providing for water conveyance through and/or around the Delta for water supply. The plan is being developed by state and federal agencies with input from water contractor stakeholders, and some environmental organizations. The BDCP is currently focusing its analysis on the Pipeline/Tunnel Option to divert water from north of the delta. A public review or the draft plan is anticipated to be available in 2012. The plan will then be subject to environmental evaluation. The BCDC has specifically excluded from consideration the study of reduction of demand for water from the Delta.
Conjunctive Use: The combined use of surface and ground water systems to optimize resource use and minimize impacts of using a single water source.
Delta Stewardship Council: The Delta Stewardship Council was created by the legislature in 2009. The seven member council Council must adopt and implement a comprehensive management plan for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta by January 1, 2012. The Delta Plan is intended to guide state and local agencies to achieve the coequal goals of providing a more reliable water supply for California and protecting, restoring, and enhancing the Delta ecosystem.
Delta Vision: In 2006, the Governor established a Blue Ribbon Task Force to develop a vision for a sustainable Delta that would continue to support environmental and economic functions. The task force recommended actions to address the full array of natural resource, infrastructure, land use and governance issues necessary to achieve that goal. The panel's findings and recommendations were published in early 2008, and the strategic plan to implement the vision was published in October 2008.
EWA: Refers to the Environmental, or more accurately, the Exporters Water Account. The EWA is a program within CALFED set up to ensure that endangered species (mostly fish) have a sufficient amount of water at all times in order to live. The EWA was supposed to ensure enough water by 1) maintaining a continuous supply of water to water contractors, and 2) purchasing additional water through water storage and water transfers to meet the needs of endangered species. Like many parts of CALFED, this program was not sufficiently funded, and much of the water in the EWA account was expended to benefit water contractors, while environmental water went to satisfy pre-existing water quality and fish protection laws, providing no additional benefit to the environment.
Hard Path/Soft Path: Hard path refers to the traditional water supply augmentation strategies such as building new dams and canals. Soft path refers to nonstructural water management innovations to improve water supply reliability such as water conservation, water reclamation, groundwater banking and changes in reservoir operation to improve sustainability.
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL): TMDLs are action plans to restore the health of seriously polluted water bodies. They define how much of a pollutant a water body can tolerate and still meet water quality standards. Section 303(d) of the federal Clean Water Act requires that states identify all water bodies (rivers, streams, bays, creeks, and coastal areas) that do not meet water quality standards, and the pollutants that impair them. TMDLs examine water quality problems, identify pollutant sources, and specify actions that will restore clean water. The California Coastkeeper Alliance has launched a series of interactive maps identifying the impaired water bodies of CA for which TMDLs are required.
Water Use Efficiency: Reducing water use through water recycling, water reuse, and water conservation. Water Use Efficiency was one of the program focus areas within CALFED.
X2: This is the term used to define the distance that salt water stretches from the Golden Gate Bridge to the point in the Delta where salinity is measured at 2 parts per thousand (ppt). 2 ppt is generally considered the breaking point between brackish water and fresh water. If the X2 value is high, then there is more saltwater intrusion into the Delta. If the X2 value is low, then there is more freshwater in the Delta.