MCWRA Receives Response from Secretary Laird / Chair Hoppin
In August, 2012, MCWRA sent a letter to Governor Jerry Brown and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to applaud the Governor and Secretary efforts to address stakeholder concerns with the Governor’s July 25, 2012 announcement of changes to the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP). In particular, MCWRA appreciates his assurance that the “State and U.S. governments will make sure implementation of BDCP will not result in adverse effects on the water rights of those in the watershed of the Delta, nor will it impose any obligations on water users upstream of the Delta to supplement flows in and through the Delta.” We appreciate this confirmation that the BDCP must mitigate for the impacts caused by the project. MCWRA Letter to Governor Brown and Secretary Salazar
In December 2012, MCWRA and our North State Water Alliance partners sent a letter to Secretary Laird and Chairman Hoppin reiterating the Governor’s assurance that “State and U.S. governments will make sure implementation of BDCP will not result in adverse effects on the water rights of those in the watershed of the Delta, nor will it impose any obligations on water users upstream of the Delta to supplement flows in and through the Delta.”
The letter further “requested that the SWRCB include specific language in any order approving a change in point of diversion for the SWP and CVP to provide clear assurance that the impacts of any such change, and of the BDCP generally, will not result in any redirected impacts to upstream water users, whether to meet water quality requirements, increased flows, or for other mitigation requirements. The same provision should also be included in the BDCP DEIR/S. Laird-Hoppin letter re BDCP Dec 2012
On February 6, 2013, Secretary Laird and Chairman Hoppin responded:
“Thank you for your letter, dated December 20, 2012, in which you state that upstream water right holders should not be responsible for meeting the obligations of the State Water Project (SWP) and the Central Valley Project (CVP). We agree with the statement….
The policy of the California Natural Resources Agency is that BDCP:
1) will not result in any exemption for the CVP and SWP from contributing water when the needs of the entire Delta are evaluated in the Water Quality Control Plan,
2) will reflect in the EIR/S any impacts on upstream water rights holders. At this time, we believe that the EIR/S will not show any such impacts,
3) will not seek any change in the priority of water rights,
4) will not impact upstream water users, whether to meet water quality requirements, increased flows, or for other mitigation requirements,
We look forward to working with you and all stakeholders on both development and implementation of BDCP and review of the Water Quality Control Plan for the Delta.” Letter from Secretary Laird – Chair Hoppin
