New Report Examines Water and Environmental Management in Calif. Bay-Delta

On Thursday, March 29, the National Research Council will hold a one-hour telephone news conference to release its new report, SUSTAINABLE WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT IN CALIFORNIA’S BAY-DELTA. 

Supplied by the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and their tributaries, the California Bay-Delta ultimately flows into San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean.  Water-pumping stations divert water from the delta, primarily to supply Central Valley agriculture and metropolitan areas in southern California, the Bay Area, and in the delta region.  An increasing population and the operation of the engineered water-control system have substantially altered the delta ecosystem, including its fish species.  In addition, conflicts among various water users have grown, and there are sharp differences of opinion concerning the timing and amount of water that can be diverted from the delta for agriculture and municipal and industrial purposes and how much water, and of what quality, is needed to protect the delta ecosystem. 

The new report examines the factors affecting fish species in the delta, reviews future water-supply and delivery options, identifies gaps in knowledge, and advises on the degree of delta restoration that is likely attainable, while maintaining both an environmentally sustainable ecosystem and a reliable water supply. 

Advance copies will be available to reporters only beginning at 3 p.m. EDT Wednesday, March 28.  The report is embargoed and not for public release before 1 p.m. EDT Thursday, March 29.  To obtain an embargoed copy of the report and to receive the call-in number and password for the telephone news conference, reporters should contact the National Academies' Office of News and Public Information; tel. 202-334-2138 or e-mail news@nas.edu.