DWR releases draft environmental impact report for Delta Conveyance Project

The next major step in updating California’s water infrastructure is complete. The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) released their Draft Environment Impact Report (Draft EIR) for the Delta Conveyance Project yesterday.

The release of the Draft EIR now starts the clock on the 90-day public comment period which will run through October 27 this year.

“Two out of three Californians rely on the State Water Project for all or part of their water supply,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “Modernizing this infrastructure is essential to adapting to a future that includes more frequent extremes of drought and flood, and greater water instability.”

If the project had been operational during the big storms in October and December of 2021, DWR could have captured and moved about 236,000 acre-feet of water. That is enough for about 2.5 million people for a year. If approved after completion of the environmental review process, the project will also help California manage through periods of severe drought like the one the state is experiencing now.

“We brought world class engineering and design creativity to the effort,” said DCA’s Executive Director Graham Bradner. “We sought input from the community to understand local effects and focused on ways to avoid or minimize issues related to noise, traffic, power, aesthetics, boating and waterways, land disturbance and the overall project footprint.”

The Draft EIR was prepared by DWR as the lead agency to comply with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act by evaluating a range of alternatives to the proposed project and disclosing potential environmental effects of the proposed project and alternatives, and associated mitigation measures for potentially significant impacts. No decisions will be made on whether to approve the project until the conclusion of the environmental review process, after consideration of public comments submitted on the Draft EIR and issuances of a Final EIR. At that time, DWR will determine whether to approve the proposed project an alternative or no project.

Everyone is invited to visit the Draft EIR website to access the document and accompanying informational materials and learn more about the proposed project and the public review process, including public hearing details and commenting opportunities.

Members of the public can submit comments on the Draft EIR in the following ways:

• Email: [email protected]
• Online: deltaconveyanceproject.com
• Mail: Department of Water Resources, Attn: Delta Conveyance Office, P.O. Box 942836, Sacramento, CA 94236-0001

Or in one of several virtual public hearings in September:

• • Tuesday, September 13, 2022, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
  • Thursday, September 22, 2022, 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday, September 28, 2022, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.