CALFED and the Record of Decision

When CALFED was established from the 1994 Bay-Delta Accord, it was created to identify the problems, set goals, and propose a range of alternatives for long-term solutions for the Bay-Delta estuary. In August 2000, state and federal officials signed the Record of Decision implemented the proposals listed in the Framework for Action released two months before.

The list includes a wide range of proposals from ecosystem restoration projects including fish screen installations and habitat improvements, local watershed management programs, establishment of a drought contingency plan, expansion of two existing reservoirs and construction of a new offstream storage site, expansion of groundwater storage, and encouragement of more water conservation and recycling programs.

The details of all of these proposals are yet to be worked out in its $8.7 billion seven-year Stage 1 plan. Funding is also pending, although the ROD immediately release more than $500 million in State funds to spend on environmental programs. However, the success of CALFED’s ambitious plan will ultimately be determined by the cooperation of all parties involved.

CALFED is also coordinating its work with other agencies and their programs, such as DWR’s South Delta Program. The Integrated Storage Investigation program, funded by the 1996 Water Bond issue, and its findings will also be used in determining solutions that may be acceptable to all stakeholders involved.