The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 01082008 - C.135 A.L Contra Costa TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Z County ,rri coun`{-i FROM: TRANSPORTATION, WATER & INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE Supervisor Gayle B. Uilkema, Chair Supervisor Federal Glover DATE: January 8, 2008 SUBJECT: REPORT ON DELTA VISION PROCESS SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION ACCEPT report on the Delta Vision process: AUTHORIZE Chair to sign a letter reiterating the Board's positions, with a focus on levee rehabilitation and short-term actions within the context of the completed vision, as recommended by the Transportation, Water & Infrastructure Committee. FISCAL IMPACT There is no fiscal impact to the County from the abovementioned action. BACKGROUND/ REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS On December 10, 2007 the Transportation, Water & Infrastructure Committee (TWIC) reviewed a report on the third and final draft of the Delta Vision prepared by the Blue Ribbon Task Force. The Committee recommended that an update be provided to the Board, and that a letter be authorized by the Board to communicate County positions, with a focus on levees and short-term actions. The TWIC also directed staff to send a letter directly from the TWIC to the Task Force (attached) urging immediate action in these areas. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES SIGNATURE RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR x RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): �Upervfsor Gayle B. Uilkema, Chair u ervisor Federal Glover ACTION OF BOARD OWOM4 e APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED L�fO7HER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE r✓UNANIMOUS (ABSENT ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE ABSENT: ABSTAIN: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. cJ Contact: Roberta Goulart (925) 335-1226) ATTESTED 0-AD ry %/ �2� cc: Community Development Department (CDD) JOHN CULLEN, CLERK OF County Administrator Office (CAO) THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Public Works, Flood Control AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR BY ' DEPUTY BACKGROUND/ REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS (continued) In fall of 2006 the Governor signed legislation and issued an executive order directing development of a long-term Vision for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. A Blue Ribbon Task Force was created (as were other committees), with the task of developing a Vision for a sustainable delta by the end of 2007, and a Strategy to attain this Vision by October 2008. In September 2007, the TW IC recommended and the Board approved a number of comments and positions on a draft Delta Vision document, which were transmitted to the Task Force. The Task Force has completed their first major task by completing a Vision for the delta. The final revisions to the Vision occurred during the Task Force's meeting November 29 and 30th; the final report became available December 17, 2007. The final document contains 12 primary recommendations, all of which are intended to be interrelated, so that improvements in one area should not be contemplated without the others; all must move ahead together. Conveyance and ecosystem have been determined to be of equal importance; the delta as a valuable, unique place is also to be considered. The importance of the Delta ecosystem as part of the larger Bay-Delta estuarine system is recognized. The concepts of "reasonable use" and the "public trust" doctrine are to provide guidance for new policy. Recommendations in some of the major topic areas generally areas follows; Conveyance; the Task Force recommends new facilities for conveyance, preferring a dual conveyance scenario. The Task Force requested a study of isolated transfer options (to determine detail on an isolated facility, and to understand how the two systems could operate in conjunction with each other). The study would commence immediately through the CALFED Science process, with a report back to the Task Force in June 2008, for use in the Strategic Plan. The Task Force also recommended immediate improvements to the through-delta export system. Land Use; the Task Force included strong language relative to discouraging urbanization in the larger Delta, by avoiding deep flood plains and surrounding areas below sea level. Agricultural, habitat and recreation uses are encouraged. In its near-term actions, the Task Force recommends that the Governor issue an Executive Order direction relative to inappropriate land use in the Delta. The Task Force elected to include a map including lands within the five-foot contour, that would be at risk, due to thermal expansion associated with climate change. Large boundary areas were considered to be very significant, to be used for flood control bypass and habitat. Governance; the Task Force recommends one regional independent entity, or one "umbrella" agency, with authority and funding, to deal with the wide range of issues (including land use). Storage; new storage options need to be considered; no specific options are included. Levees; the state needs to prioritize levees that require repair; urban levees are the most important, then infrastructure levees. Conservation; the concepts of conservation, sustainability and efficiency must guide water policy decisions; more aggressive conservation efforts throughout the state need to occur. A more comprehensive report on the final Delta Vision will be forthcoming, as staff and the TWIC are able to review the final document in detail. 2 The Board of Supervisors Contra John Cullen Clerk of the Board and County Administration Building County Administrator Costa 651 Pine Street, Room 106 (925)335 1900 Martinez, California 94553-0095 County John Gioia, District I Gayle B. Uilkema, District II Mary Nejedly Piepho, District III Susan A. Bonilla, District IV - ' Federal D. Glover, District V The Honorable Phil Isenberg and Members of the Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force December 18, 2007 1416 Ninth Street, Suite 1311 Sacramento, CA 95814 Dear Chairman Isenberg and members of the Task Force: The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors' Transportation, Water and Infrastructure Committee has been following your work on a Vision for the Delta over the past months and we congratulate you all on the final Vision just released. We look forward to reviewing the final version in detail. In our deliberations over recent drafts, we have become concerned that actions labeled as near-term may not in fact be handled in the short-term at all. This action threatens water supply and the ecosystem we are going to such great lengths to protect. There are a number of actions that we believe should commence immediately while the other, more complex aspects of the Vision evolve as part of the Strategic Plan process. First, there are several islands in the western delta which protect the delta ecosystem and the state's existing water supply. This has been recognized for many years and will remain critical for years to come perhaps under any future delta supply scenario. In addition, central delta islands containing infrastructure need to be protected in the interim until long-term plans are in place. We see this as a relatively simple task to identify and repair high-risk areas. We doubt, however, that the state will fulfill this role unless specifically directed. Second, we support other measures to be implemented now, specifically including the following; o emergency response; stockpiling rock throughout the delta, including the western delta, to protect water quality and levees o water quality and fishery improvements at Franks Tract o additional and improved fish screens at pumps o habitat improvement projects at Dutch Slough, and Suisun Bay o multi-year funding commitment to restore levees (non-project levees and levees outside the state plan of flood control) We think these actions can be implemented now with a minimum of controversy. We want to urge protection of our vital resources while the Task Force grapples with the larger problems at hand. Thank you for your attention to these matters that we consider to be vitally important. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact our staff, Roberta Goulart at (925) 335-1226. Sincere] , Gayle . Uilkema, Chair Feral Glover, Member Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors' Transportatio Water and Infrastructure Committee 1