Bay-Delta Watershed
Protecting the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Bay-Delta) watershed and its many beneficial uses is one of the State Water Board’s primary responsibilities and top priorities. The State Water Board is responsible for adopting and updating the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan (Bay-Delta Plan), which establishes water quality control measures and flow requirements needed to provide reasonable protection of beneficial uses in the watershed.
Announcements
- Revised Notice of Petition Requesting Changes in Water Rights of Department of Water Resources for the Delta Conveyance Project (April 18, 2024)
- Notice of Board Workshop on Proposed Voluntary Agreements Related to Sacramento/Delta Update to Bay-Delta Plan (March 8, 2024)
- External Scientific Peer Review of the Final Draft Scientific Basis Report Supplement in Support of Proposed Voluntary Agreements for the Sacramento/Delta Update to the Bay-Delta Plan (March 7, 2024)
- Notice of Petition Requesting Changes in Water Rights of Department of Water Resources for the Delta Conveyance Project (February 29, 2024)
- Letter from California Department of Fish and Wildlife Submitting Instream Flow Recommendations (February 21, 2024)
Bay-Delta Plan Update and Implementation Processes
Two vast and distinct river systems join to form the Bay-Delta: the Sacramento River in the north and the San Joaquin River in the south. Each of these systems is fed by snowmelt from differing geographic regions and can vary significantly in terms of precipitation, topography, and at-risk native fish and wildlife.
The Bay-Delta Plan is being updated and implemented through separate processes. In December 2018, the State Water Board adopted Bay-Delta Plan amendments focused on flows in the Lower San Joaquin River and its three major tributaries (the Stanislaus, Tuolumne, and Merced Rivers) for the protection of fish and wildlife. In addition, the 2018 Bay-Delta Plan amendments included a new salinity objective for the reasonable protection of agricultural uses in the southern Delta. Separately, the State Water Board is considering possible updates to the Bay-Delta Plan that would be needed for a proposed voluntary agreement for the Tuolumne River.
The State Water Board is also considering updates to the Bay-Delta Plan focused on the Sacramento River and its tributaries, Delta eastside tributaries (including the Calaveras, Cosumnes, and Mokelumne Rivers), interior Delta flows, and Delta outflows, including consideration of proposed voluntary agreements.
Additional information about these processes can be found on the pages linked below.
Bay-Delta
Click on Map to Enlarge
Bay-Delta System
Recent Bay-Delta Actions
- December 11, 2023 – Public Hearing on Draft Staff Report (Day 3)
- December 1, 2023 – Public Hearing on Draft Staff Report (Day 2)
- November 17, 2023 – Public Hearing on Draft Staff Report (Day 1)
- November 2, 2023 – Staff Workshop: Modeling Used in Sacramento/Delta Draft Staff Report
- October 19, 2023 – Staff Workshop: Overview of Sacramento/Delta Draft Staff Report
- September 6, 2023 – Board approves Initial Biological Goals for Lower San Joaquin River
Outreach and Engagement
Water Rights Fact Sheets
- April 2024 – Water Rights 101
- April 2024 – Water Use Reporting Requirements
Environmental Justice
- June 7, 2023 – Environmental Justice Focused Listening Session
- March 27, 2023 – Environmental Justice Focused Listening Session
Bay-Delta Tribal Coordination
- November 9, 2023 – Tribal Workshop on Sacramento/Delta Draft Staff Report
- June 7, 2023 – Board Meeting Informational Item on Addition of Tribal Beneficial Uses to Bay-Delta Plan
- May 4, 2023 – Tribal Listening Session
Visit our tribal coordination webpage for more information on outreach and consultation with California Native American Tribes.
Mill, Deer, and Antelope Creeks
- February 21, 2024 – Revised Letter from California Department of Fish and Wildlife Submitting Instream Flow Recommendations)
- Flow Recommendations Main Webpage
Additional Resources
Water Quality Control Plans and Associated Water Right Decisions
Bay-Delta Compliance
Drought
- Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Watershed Drought
- Merced River Conditions in 2022
- Water Unavailability Methodology for the Delta Watershed
- Temporary Urgency Change Petitions
Other
Stay informed
Email Subscription List
Subscribe to the Bay Delta Notices email topic to receive notifications and the latest updates.
Contact Us
Lower San Joaquin River/Southern Delta: LSJR-SD-Comments@waterboards.ca.gov
Sacramento/Delta: SacDeltaComments@waterboards.ca.gov
Other Bay-Delta matters: Bay-Delta@waterboards.ca.gov
