Note: The State Water Resources Control Board is considering adopting increased through Delta flows instead of the Voluntary Agreements to update the Bay Delta Water Quality Control Plan. The State Board’s staff is advocating for increasing through Delta flows that threatens to remove another one million acre feet from the Valley’s surface water supply by sending it out to sea under the Golden Gate.
Below is a flyer PDF 12-9-24-Farmland-at-Risk-Unimpaired-Flow_FINAL (1) developed by the Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley to help explain what is at stake. Following are three templates (linked to PDFs) you can use to send in a comment: personal letter as an individual, business or organization resolution and government entity resolution you can modify to suit your situation. It is very important your voice is heard. Please send a comment to the State Board. Ask your business or organization to do so too and get the resolution to your special district, city and county.
It is time we speak up. We did so recently with the Fall X2 Line and were successful in saving the Valley hundreds of thousands of acre feet of water. We can do so again if we act right away. There is an early January deadline for comments.
Personal Comment Letter Sample: PDF 12-9-24-SAMPLE-Response ltr to State Board through Delta flows
Your name
Your address
City, State, Zip
Your email address
Date
State Water Resources Control Board
P.O. Box 100
Sacramento, CA 95812-0100
Board.Clerk@waterboards.ca.gov
(916) 341-5600
Dear Chairman Joaquin Esquivel and Board Members:
I am writing in support of the State Water Resources Control Board amending the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Watershed (Bay Delta Plan) by approving the Voluntary Agreements proposed in March 2022 by numerous state agencies, the Bureau of Reclamation, multiple public water agencies, and supported by Governor Gavin Newsom.
The State Water Resources Control Board should exercise its discretion to approve the Voluntary Agreements, as proposed in March 2022, rather than the unimpaired flow objectives proposed by the State Water Board staff.
The Voluntary Agreements present an effective alternative to unimpaired flow objectives by:
- Providing similar or better fish and wildlife protection
- Proactively preventing devastating water supply by implementing the unimpaired flow standards that would reduce the delivery of water through the Central Valley Project and State Water Project would be reduced by more than 1.3 million acre-feet in already challenging dry years
- The unimpaired flow standards would increase land fallowing in the heart of California’s farmland which is already idling hundreds of thousands of acres due to the implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
- The unimpaired flow will reduce socioeconomic opportunity in environmental justice communities throughout the San Joaquin Valley
- Amending the Bay Delta Plan via the Voluntary Agreements would better balance the competing uses of water than adopting the unimpaired flow objectives.
- Accepting the Voluntary Agreements would provide reasonable and equivalent protection of fish and wildlife beneficial uses of water.
- The Voluntary Agreements include increased instream flow and Delta outflow above the current standards required under the Endangered Species Act permits.
- The Voluntary Agreements would avoid disastrous socioeconomic impacts including but not limited to the potential loss of jobs, high-quality food supply, and state and local tax revenue.
- To reiterate, I support the State Water Resources Control Board amending the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Watershed by rejecting the proposed unimpaired flow standards and approving the Voluntary Agreements proposed in March 2022.
Sincerely,
This is a sample resolution to be used by a business or organization:PDF 12-9-24-SAMPLE-Response to State Board through Delta flows
RESOLUTION
In support of the State Water Resources Control Board amending the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Watershed (Bay Delta Plan) by approving the Voluntary Agreements proposed in March 2022 by numerous state agencies, the Bureau of Reclamation, multiple public water agencies, and supported by Governor Gavin Newsom.
Whereas, ________(Name of Organization or business) does hereby find as follows:
Whereas, the State Water Resources Control Board should exercise its discretion to approve the Voluntary Agreements, as proposed in March 2022, rather than the unimpaired flow objectives proposed by the State Water Board staff.
Whereas, the Voluntary Agreements present an effective alternative to unimpaired flow objectives by providing similar or better fish and wildlife protection while proactively preventing against devastating water supply impacts that would occur by implementing the unimpaired flow standards.
Whereas, under the suggested unimpaired flow standards, the delivery of water through the Central Valley Project and State Water Project would be reduced by more than 1.3 million acre-feet in already challenging dry years, essentially requiring the dedication of the benefits of decades of conservation efforts by Californians throughout the State to Delta outflow.
Whereas, the suggested unimpaired flow standards would increase land fallowing in the heart of California’s farmland which is already idling hundreds of thousands of acres due to the implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and reducing socioeconomic opportunity in environmental justice communities throughout the San Joaquin Valley.
Whereas, amending the Bay Delta Plan via the Voluntary Agreements would better balance the competing uses of water than adopting the unimpaired flow objectives.
Whereas, accepting the Voluntary Agreements would provide reasonable and equivalent protection of fish and wildlife beneficial uses of water.
Whereas, the Voluntary Agreements include increased instream flow and Delta outflow above the current standards required under the Endangered Species Act permits.
Whereas, the Voluntary Agreements would avoid disastrous socioeconomic impacts including but not limited to the potential loss of jobs, high-quality food supply, and state and local tax revenue.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the (Name of organization or business), supports the State Water Resources Control Board amending the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Watershed by rejecting the proposed unimpaired flow standards and approving the Voluntary Agreements proposed in March 2022.
PASSED AND ADOPTED as a resolution of the (Name of organization or business) on ___________ (date).
Resolution for a government agency, city, county or special district: PDF 12-9-24-SAMPLE-RESOLUTION_WQCP_FINAL (1)
RESOLUTION
In support of the State Water Resources Control Board amending the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Watershed (Bay Delta Plan) by approving the Voluntary Agreements proposed in March 2022 by numerous state agencies, the Bureau of Reclamation, multiple public water agencies, and supported by Governor Gavin Newsom.
Whereas, ________(city council/board) does hereby find as follows:
Whereas, the State Water Resources Control Board should exercise its discretion to approve the Voluntary Agreements, as proposed in March 2022, rather than the unimpaired flow objectives proposed by the State Water Board staff.
Whereas, the Voluntary Agreements present an effective alternative to unimpaired flow objectives by providing similar or better fish and wildlife protection while proactively preventing against devastating water supply impacts that would occur by implementing the unimpaired flow standards.
Whereas, under the suggested unimpaired flow standards, the delivery of water through the Central Valley Project and State Water Project would be reduced by more than 1.3 million acre-feet in already challenging dry years, essentially requiring the dedication of the benefits of decades of conservation efforts by Californians throughout the State to Delta outflow.
Whereas, the suggested unimpaired flow standards would increase land fallowing in the heart of California’s farmland which is already idling hundreds of thousands of acres due to the implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and reducing socioeconomic opportunity in environmental justice communities throughout the San Joaquin Valley.
Whereas, amending the Bay Delta Plan via the Voluntary Agreements would better balance the competing uses of water than adopting the unimpaired flow objectives.
Whereas, accepting the Voluntary Agreements would provide reasonable and equivalent protection of fish and wildlife beneficial uses of water.
Whereas, the Voluntary Agreements include increased instream flow and Delta outflow above the current standards required under the Endangered Species Act permits.
Whereas, the Voluntary Agreements would avoid disastrous socioeconomic impacts including but not limited to the potential loss of jobs, high-quality food supply, and state and local tax revenue.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the _____________, supports the State Water Resources Control Board amending the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Watershed by rejecting the proposed unimpaired flow standards and approving the Voluntary Agreements proposed in March 2022.
PASSED AND ADOPTED as a resolution of the (City Council of the City of or Board of Supervisors of the County of) ________________, State of _________________ at its regularly scheduled meeting held on __________________.
________________________________
__________________________, (City/County) of _________________________
Mayor/Chair
________________________________
_______________________, (City/County) Clerk
