The Bay-Delta Effort and Phase 4 Instream Flow Criteria

1. Sierra Water Workgroup Summit Daniel Schultz State Water Resources Control Board Division of Water Rights June 12, 2014 The Bay-Delta Effort and Phase 4 Instream Flow Criteria

2. State Water Board’s Mission To preserve, enhance and restore the quality of California’s water resources, and ensure their proper allocation and efficient use for the benefit of present and future generations

3. Recent History • 2010: State Water Board submittal to Legislature – Instream Flow Studies for the Protection of Public Trust Resources: A Prioritized Schedule and Estimate of Costs • Included 138 rivers and streams (28 Delta tributaries) • Determined which rivers and streams should be prioritized for instream flow studies • 2010: State Water Board completed report: Development of Flow Criteria for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Ecosystem

4. Phase 1 Project Area

5. Phases 2 and 4 Project Area:

6. Bay-Delta Processes Timeline Phase 1: San Joaquin River Flow & South Delta Water Quality Phase 2: Comprehensive Update of Bay-Delta Plan Phase 3: Plan Implementation Phase 4: Delta Tributary Flow Work (through 2018 and beyond) June 2014 June 2015 June 2016

7. Phase 4 Process • Non-binding flow criteria -Ensure species viability and geomorphic processes • Flow objectives and implementation plans -Includes balancing of beneficial uses • Policies for water quality control -Tributary-specific • Implementation of policies -Water rights terms and conditions -Other measures as appropriate

8. Phase 4 Objectives • Achieve characteristics of a natural hydrograph • Inter-annual variability • Intra-annual events • Restore natural fluvial processes • Inundate floodplains • Flush fines • Maintain channel habitat • Restore natural high flow recession rates • Prevent juvenile salmonid stranding • Promote riparian seed dispersal • Trigger natural species reproduction patterns

9. Phase 4 Objectives • Restore self-sustaining resilient populations of anadromous salmonids and other native species • Preserve existing beneficial uses of water to the maximum extent possible • Minimize impacts to water right holders

10. Phase 4 Next Steps (con’t) • Develop Strategy for Establishing Flows for Tributaries to the Bay-Delta(Phase 4 Strategy); Anticipate Strategy will contain: • Goals and objectives of Phase 4 effort • Overview of process • Flow criteria methodology • Priority Tributaries • Timeframe: Draft Strategy anticipated for release for public comment in Fall 2014

11. Bay-Delta/Phase 4 Resources • Bay-Delta Program Webpage: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/bay_delta/ • Phase 4 Webpage: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/bay_delta/flow_objectives/index.shtml • To receive email subscriptions: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/resources/email_subscriptions/ • Select “State Water Resources Control Board” • Enter email address and full name • Under Categories, select “Water Rights Topics” • Select “Bay Delta Notices” and/or “Delta Watershed Flow Objectives (Phase 4 of Bay-Delta effort)” • Click “Subscribe” button at top

12. Thank You