to protect our water supply.
We can’t afford to wait until disaster strikes
About Us
 Established in 1984
 Nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to
education & outreach on water issues
 Regional leader on water policy
 Spans Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, San Bernardino,
Imperial, Riverside, Ventura & Kern Counties
 Diverse membership representing water, business, local
government, agriculture & labor
 Regional base; statewide influence
Sacramento-San
Joaquin Delta:
California’s Water
Epicenter
Distribution Center for California’s
Water Supply
Levees for
channeling flows
Irrigation water
for millions of
acres of prime
farmland
Pumps for
moving water to
cities and farms
Drinking water
for 25 million
Californians
Clean water for
businesses and
industries
statewide
A Threatened Natural Resource
Largest estuary
on the West
Coast
95% of original
wetlands erased
by levees
Invasive species
plaguing the
estuary
Home to 750
species of
wildlife and
plants
Fragile native
fish populations
Long-Standing Communities
500,000 acres of
farmland,
vineyards and
orchards
Home to
515,000 people
Popular boating,
windsurfing and
ecotourism
center
Corridor for key
utility lines and
railways
A Vulnerable & Incomplete System
 Past generations invested in a network of dams,
aqueducts and pumps to move water around the state
 100-year-old man-made levee system is old and fragile
 Much of the land has subsided below sea level
 Future sea level rise and changing weather patterns will
put greater pressure on the levees
“California must implement a sciencebased plan to ensure safe and adequate water
supplies while addressing the severe
challenges facing the Delta.”
-Governor Jerry Brown
Due to political conflicts,
forced to rely on a
vulnerable system
Bay Area, Los Angeles,
San Joaquin Valley,
Inland Empire, San
Diego and Central Coast
all depend on this critical
lifeline.
Major Earthquake
According to the CA Department of Water Resources:
- Levees collapse
- Loss of lives
- Seawater rushes in; contaminates fresh water
- Water deliveries interrupted for up to 1 ½ years
- Up to $40 billion in economic damage
- Require $2.3 billion in repairs
How likely is a
major earthquake
(6.7 magnitude)
to hit Northern California?
U.S. Geological Survey
predicts Bay Area has a
63% chance
of experiencing
a major earthquake
in the next 30 years
It is not an issue of IF
It is an issue of WHEN...
“Should the Delta levees
fail,
the consequences are likely to
be sudden and catastrophic
for local residents, landowners,
Delta species, and water exporters.”
-Public Policy Institute of California
We can act now...
Survival Kit for the Delta:
Bay Delta Conservation Plan
 Would be one of California’s
largest public works and
environmental restoration
projects
 Cooperative effort between
federal and state agencies, public
water agencies, leading scientists
and key environmental groups
Bay Delta Conservation Plan
Two Vital Goals
Restoring
water
supplies and
reliability
Preserving
and
enhancing the
environment
for fish,
wildlife and
people
Redesigning the System
 Significant habitat restoration
 New conveyance facility to protect water supply
and environment
 Moves portion of freshwater supply under or around
the Delta, separating from fragile ecosystem
 Engineered to withstand earthquakes, floods and
changes in sea level
 Operated under nation’s toughest
environmental standards
New Water Conveyance
Several Options Under Review
Tunnel System
Canal System
• Under the Delta
• Varying capacities
under study
• 35 miles in length
• Open air canal
• Alignment east of
the Delta
• 42 miles in length
A retrofit of the
existing system
that secures it
from risk of
flood,
earthquake and
sea level rise in
the Delta is the
most sensible
approach
Widespread Benefits For People
 Water supply protected from
earthquakes, floods and sea level
rise—restores reliability
 Dependable, clean water supply for
communities
 Improved water quality
 Stability for California’s $35B
agricultural industry
 Security for varied economic sectors
Benefits For The Environment
 Protection of endangered fish
 Enhancement and preservation of
113,000 acres
 Natural floodplains restored
 Returns more natural flow patterns to
the Delta
 Creation and protection of wetlands
 Better control of non-native species
Investing In The Seismic Retrofit
 Project is prudent, affordable & urgently needed
 Cost of the water conveyance project would be
covered by public water agencies
 ~$10 billion
 Project would be financed over many years
 No state general fund dollars involved
 Broader funding sources, including potentially
voter approved bonds, would pay for
environmental improvements
An Investment Long Overdue
$$$
¢
Tough Times in the Golden State
2nd highest unemployment in the nation
2.1 million unemployed
One out of three unemployed have been jobless
for a year or more
UC Berkeley study shows
the tunnel construction
alone would create
130,000
new jobs
during 7-year period
“…This is the moment to push forward with
solutions, apply the best science available, and
build a water future for California…”
-Ken Salazar, U.S. Secretary of the Interior
“…The Bay
Delta Conservation Plan
has long seemed to me to be the best hope
for ‘peace on the river’: water supply reliability and
restoration of the ecosystem.”
-U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein
Here’s How YOU Can Help




Send a support letter to the Governor and Legislature
Publish an article in your newsletter
Post a banner link to this program on your web site
Submit an opinion editorial or commentary to your local
newspapers
 Link to this program in your social media outlets
 Distribute our brochure and other materials to your
membership
 Invite SCWC to speak at your regional conferences/events
For more information:
Southern California Water Committee
www.socalwater.org
State Water Contractors
www.swc.org
Bay Delta Conservation Plan
www.baydeltaconservationplan.com