Delta Conveyance Project achieves important milestone, advances closer to construction

The Council’s decision upholds a vast majority of the certification of consistency and leaves just two technical issues to be resolved in future proceedings, reaffirming that the project can be built while also protecting the precious ecosystem of the Delta. 

The Delta Conveyance Project is vital to ensuring that California can continue to provide water to all of its residents through the State Water Project, which moves, and stores water used by 27 million people and 750,000 acres of farmland. California is expected to lose 10% of its water supply due to hotter and drier conditions by 2040, threatening the water supply for millions of Californians — and the reliability of the State Water Project could be reduced by as much as 23%. The Delta Conveyance Project will help offset and recover these future climate-driven water losses. 

Built starting in the 1960s, the State Water Project stretches from Oroville to Riverside. Its canals, hydroelectric generators, and pumping plants move water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to 29 public water agencies, largely based in the South Bay, Central Coast, South Coast, Inland Empire, and Kern County. The local public water agencies cover the costs of operating the State Water Project. Without the completion of the Delta Conveyance Project, the ability of the State Water Project to reliably deliver water to homes, farms, and businesses will decline.  

The Delta Conveyance Project will expand the state’s ability to improve water supply reliability, while also maintaining fishery and water quality protections. During atmospheric rivers last year, the Delta Conveyance Project could have captured enough water for 9.8 million people’s yearly usage.

Governor Newsom first announced his commitment to the project during his first State of the State, modernizing the previous administration’s plans to address seismic and reliability issues and ensure that this critical piece of infrastructure could be built quickly and without delay. The Governor has led efforts to move the DCP forward, including DWR’s certification of a final environmental impact report in December 2023 and securing financial support from water agencies throughout the state serving a majority of Californians.  

California is building more, faster for all. Learn more at build.ca.gov.