1. Delta Smelt Science Could Affect Future Water Export Levels Staff presented the 2025 Scientific Achievements Report, which included a structured decision-making analysis showing that proposed summer outflows for Delta smelt habitat would have come at a high water supply cost—potentially reducing State Water Project deliveries and depleting cold water pools needed by salmon. The scientific findings were described as the basis to off-ramp the costly fall X2 action, resulting in estimated water savings of approximately 105,000 acre-feet during wet and above-normal water years. Non-flow alternatives such as aquatic weed control and expanded hatchery production are now being explored instead.
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