1. The board considered an update to the Sacramento–Delta components of the Bay-Delta Plan, last comprehensively updated in 1995. The proposal has two implementation pathways for affected water rights. The regulatory pathway begins with a 55% unimpaired-inflow requirement. Initial water-supply adjustments would set requirements at 55% in the wettest third of conditions, 45% in the middle third, and 35% in the driest third. Separate provisions allow adaptive management within a 45%–65% range. Under the alternative Healthy Rivers and Landscapes (HRL) pathway, participating water users would meet flow and habitat commitments instead. Rights outside HRL would follow the regulatory pathway; withdrawal or unmet commitments could also lead to that pathway under the plan’s procedures. The proposed HRL pathway would begin in October 2027 and initially run for eight years. Annual public reviews and a year-eight decision would provide opportunities to assess it, and the board could act sooner if commitments fall short or fish are not protected.
2. Speakers raised competing concerns about water reliability and ecosystem protection. Speaking through a representative, Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi urged a science-based, enforceable plan that protects Delta communities while recognizing the water needs of residents and farmers. Agricultural, municipal, and tribal representatives warned of potential effects on supply, affordability, farming, and groundwater. Solano Irrigation District said applying the proposed regulatory criteria to 25 years of data would have yielded zero allocation from Lake Berryessa in one of every five years—not an adopted allocation change. Yolo-area speakers said Cache Creek’s rainfall-dominated hydrology, lack of salmon, and infrequent connection to the Delta warranted a locally tailored approach. A Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation representative said that, if the proposed 55% requirement applied to Cache Creek, irrigation allocations would be reduced in more than 60% of years, including reductions of 50%–100% in drier years. The representative also described risks to tribal farming and groundwater. Many tribal, environmental justice, fishing, and other speakers opposed the voluntary pathway, arguing that it would not provide adequate flows or protection for Delta communities and fisheries. A representative of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations said the federation was agnostic about the two pathways in principle and emphasized harvestable salmon populations, independent monitoring, and enforcement.
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