Conservation plan an important part of the solution
The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta east of San Francisco Bay is critical to San Diego regional water supplies yet many North County residents and businesses may not know where it is or why it matters.
Simply put, the Delta provides drinking water for as many as 25 million California residents. It also supports the California economy by providing irrigation for millions of farm acres and water supplies for manufacturing and other businesses, including, for instance, North County's important biotech community.
How does the Delta impact our region? Because the Delta has been stretched to the breaking point and the water supply that many Californians depend upon is at risk. The ecosystem is in steep decline. As the health of the Delta environment has deteriorated and fish populations declined, state and federal regulations have limited the Delta's ability to convey an adequate water supply to southern, central and northern California.
About 30 percent of Southern California's water supply moves across the Delta to the aqueduct system of the State Water Project. Although it's 400 miles away, a major seismic event in the Delta region would have significant impacts on water supplies available to San Diego.
Local water agencies have instituted many measures to increase water use efficiency, conservation, and water recycling. But the Delta is still a critical piece of the San Diego region's water supply security. As such, securing the Delta ecosystem also helps provide economic certainty for North County and San Diego's $186 billion economy.
Through an ongoing, seven-year collaborative process between scientists, environmentalists and water experts, the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) has developed into a comprehensive strategy committed to meeting the co-equal goals of restoring the Delta ecosystem and ensuring water supply reliability. The BDCP will enhance reliability by changing the way water is conveyed through the Delta and restoring thousands of acres of important habitat.
The BDCP will be funded through a "beneficiaries pay" principle, meaning the cost will be borne by those who receive the benefit, including municipal, industrial, and agricultural water users who rely on the Delta for water supplies. While the BDCP is expected to cost $24.5 billion over a 50 year implementation period, benefits of increased water supply reliability, improved water quality, and reduced risk of water supply interruptions after a major earthquake will outweigh the costs.
After factoring in all costs, the total average annual economic benefit of the BDCP ranges from $4.7 to $5.5 billion for the communities that rely on the Delta for water supplies. Some of that benefit will be seen right here in North County.
The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta east of San Francisco Bay is critical to San Diego regional water supplies yet many North County residents and businesses may not know where it is or why it matters.
Simply put, the Delta provides drinking water for as many as 25 million California residents. It also supports the California economy by providing irrigation for millions of farm acres and water supplies for manufacturing and other businesses, including, for instance, North County's important biotech community.
How does the Delta impact our region? Because the Delta has been stretched to the breaking point and the water supply that many Californians depend upon is at risk. The ecosystem is in steep decline. As the health of the Delta environment has deteriorated and fish populations declined, state and federal regulations have limited the Delta's ability to convey an adequate water supply to southern, central and northern California.
About 30 percent of Southern California's water supply moves across the Delta to the aqueduct system of the State Water Project. Although it's 400 miles away, a major seismic event in the Delta region would have significant impacts on water supplies available to San Diego.
Local water agencies have instituted many measures to increase water use efficiency, conservation, and water recycling. But the Delta is still a critical piece of the San Diego region's water supply security. As such, securing the Delta ecosystem also helps provide economic certainty for North County and San Diego's $186 billion economy.
Through an ongoing, seven-year collaborative process between scientists, environmentalists and water experts, the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) has developed into a comprehensive strategy committed to meeting the co-equal goals of restoring the Delta ecosystem and ensuring water supply reliability. The BDCP will enhance reliability by changing the way water is conveyed through the Delta and restoring thousands of acres of important habitat.
The BDCP will be funded through a "beneficiaries pay" principle, meaning the cost will be borne by those who receive the benefit, including municipal, industrial, and agricultural water users who rely on the Delta for water supplies. While the BDCP is expected to cost $24.5 billion over a 50 year implementation period, benefits of increased water supply reliability, improved water quality, and reduced risk of water supply interruptions after a major earthquake will outweigh the costs.
After factoring in all costs, the total average annual economic benefit of the BDCP ranges from $4.7 to $5.5 billion for the communities that rely on the Delta for water supplies. Some of that benefit will be seen right here in North County.