[Updated March 25, 2017 to remove active comment section and point to BDCP Summary Site. The proposed Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP), is a complex, expensive program which its proponents claim will restore the ecosystem of the fragile Sacramento Delta, protect endangered species, assure State water system reliability, protect Delta communities from levee failure and much, much more. Whether or not the BDCP will achieve these bold objectives is the focus of the statewide review of the draft plan and the companion environmental documents.
It is easy to dismiss the BDCP as yet another chapter in the long history of the California water wars that divide Northern California and Southern California, environmentalists and Delta farmers, urban areas and rural communities; this plan claims to be different and should be carefully reviewed and considered by an informed public. While stakeholders debate the “right solution” to the Delta’s problems, most agree the current conditions of the Delta and the State water system are unsustainable.
Much of Santa Clara County relies on water from the Delta and will be affected by the outcome. For this reason and because the BDCP, as proposed, will be one of the boldest and most expensive projects in the history California, the Leagues of Women Voters of Santa Clara County are sponsoring a forum to understand the scope of the plan and the various perspectives with pros and cons on issues such as governance and financing.
Join us on March 1 to hear the points-of-view about the BDCP, understand the elements of the plan, how it will be implemented, how much it will cost and who will pay. Speakers will be announced soon.
BAY DELTA CONSERVATION PLAN FORUM
Martin Luther King Jr. Library
Main Meeting Room
150 E San Fernando St, San Jose, CA 95112
HOW TO STUDY THE ISSUE…
1. Below are a series of background articles on the topic.
2. Read more about the Bay Delta Conservation Plan at the website.
Myth: The BDCP doesn’t include financing costs or debt service payments over the 50-year term of the project.
Myth: Major public works projects always far exceed initial cost estimates.
Myth: The water exporters don’t want to pay for the conservation measures they need to get the project permitted, so they are expecting taxpayers to fund them with a water bond.
Myth: The BDCP cannot guarantee reliable water supplies….etc.
The following .pdf file lists some of the people and agencies involved in the BDCP Governance Working Group. The Delta Stewardship Council, the Delta Protection Commission, CA Dept. of Water Resources, US Dept of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation, and the CA Natural Resources Agency are also involved in the planning.
3. This website is a good read – Mavensnotebook.com It offers encylopedic coverage of a couple years worth of news flow about the politics of water, drought and the BDCP, plus maps and analysis. She updates it everyday!
The Draft BDCP and BDCP Draft EIR/EIS are being made available to the public in accordance with the California Natural Community Conservation Planning Act (NCCPA), Section 10 of the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA,) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for a 120-day [plus 60 day extension] review period.
Twelve public meetings will be held throughout California in January and February 2014 to provide more information on the contents of the draft documents and to accept public comments.
The Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) including public comments can be accessed on this Page.
