BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 2422
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Date of Hearing: April 24, 2012
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON WATER, PARKS AND WILDLIFE
Jared Huffman, Chair
AB 2422 (Bill Berryhill) - As Amended: March 29, 2012
SUBJECT : Western Delta Intakes feasibility study
SUMMARY : Would require the Department of Water Resources (DWR)
conduct a feasibility study of a new in-Delta water storage
concept. Specifically, this bill :
1)Requires DWR, with the consultation of the Department of Fish
and Game, to prepare and submit to the Legislature, by January
1, 2014, a report on the feasibility of a Western Delta
Intakes Concept (WDIC).
2)States that the purpose of the WDIC is to achieve the coequal
goals of ecosystem restoration in the Delta and reliable water
exports at the highest possible level.
3)Describes the WDIC as an intake facility on Sherman Island in
the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) that would take
surplus water during high flow periods and put it into tunnels
for export south of the Delta.
4)Appropriates $750,00 from the Safe Drinking Water, Water
Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal
Protection Bond Act of 2006 (Proposition 84) to fund the WDIC
study.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Makes $65 million available to DWR for planning and
feasibility studies related to the existing and potential
future needs for California's water supply, conveyance and
flood control systems.
2)Requires studies to promote an integrated, multi-benefit
approach.
3)Specifies that the Bay-Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) process
must include a reasonable range of Delta conveyance
alternatives including through-Delta, dual conveyance, and
isolated conveyance and alternatives including the design
options of a lined canal, an unlined canal, and pipelines.
AB 2422
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FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : The BDCP process is described as a long-term
conservation strategy that sets forth actions needed for a
healthy Delta. The purpose of the BDCP is to obtain 50-year
permits for State Water Project Delta facilities and operations
that comply with the California Endangered Species Act through a
state Natural Community Conservation Plan (NCCP) and the Federal
Endangered Species Act (FESA) under a federal Habitat
Conservation Plan (HCP). Currently, the BDCP is engaged in a
high-profile process of analyzing conveyance options in the
Delta as part of its alternatives development and environmental
review.
Support Arguments : The author states that this bill simply
requires the Department of Water Resources to undertake an
expedited study of the WDIC in order to evaluate its
feasibility, its potential for improving fish health and water
quality, and its ability to improve the manner in which water
supplies are conveyed through the Delta.
Opposing Arguments : Opponents state that fifteen conveyance
alternatives and one "no action" alternative are already being
studied under the BDCP process. Opponents state that to "throw
yet another alternative into the mix, well into the BDCP
process, would unnecessarily divert attention and
already-limited DWR resources from the current process."
While it is accurate that SB 1 (Simitian) Chapter 5, Statutes of
the 2009-10 Seventh Extraordinary Session, placed certain
requirements on the BDCP, including mandating a specified
minimum range of conveyance options, SB 1 X7 did not specify
that the statutorily-mandated BDCP options were the exclusive or
maximum number of storage and conveyance investigations that
should occur in the Delta. This bill does not propose to add an
additional conveyance option to the BDCP environmental review
process. This bill proposes a feasibility analysis of a
separate proposal to address Delta water supply reliability and
ecosystem health.
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REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Food and Water Watch
Opposition
AB 2422
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Alameda Flood Control and Water
Conservation District Zone 7
Association of California Water Agencies
California Chamber of Commerce
Calleguas Municipal Water District
Castaic Lake Water Agency
Coachella Valley Water District
Desert Water Agency
East Valley Water District
Eastern Municipal Water District
Inland Empire Utilities Agency
Kern County Water Agency
Kings River Conservation District
Las Virgenes Municipal Water District
Metropolitan Water District of So. California
Orchard Dale Water District
Rowland Water District
San Bernardino Valley Muni. Water Dist.
Southern California Water Committee
Three Valleys Municipal Water District
Upper San Gabriel Municipal Water District
Valley AG Water Coalition
Western Growers Association
Western Municipal Water District
Westlands Water District
AB 2422
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Analysis Prepared by : Tina Cannon Leahy / W., P. & W. / (916)
319-2096