The document outlines the State Water Board's processes for updating flow objectives in the 2006 Bay-Delta Plan. It discusses phasing in a review of the San Joaquin River flow objectives by 2012 and other Delta flow objectives by 2013. It also describes prioritizing work on establishing flows in key Delta tributaries like the Merced, Tuolumne, and Stanislaus Rivers either through site-specific criteria or watershed-scale objectives to be implemented through water rights by 2014 and 2018. The Delta Stewardship Council's Delta Plan policy is to achieve co-equal goals of water supply reliability and ecosystem restoration by adopting and implementing Delta flow objectives in 2014 and criteria for high priority tributaries by 2018.

1. Slide 1
Delta Related State Water Board
Processes
 Phased review, update, and
implementation of 2006 Bay-Delta Plan
 San Joaquin River flow objectives
 Other Delta flow objectives
 Delta tributary flow work
 Proceed concurrently

2. Slide 2
Update and Implementation of Bay-
Delta Plan
 San Joaquin River flow objectives
 Narrative flow objectives and program of implementation for
salmon and steelhead-bearing streams (Merced, Tuolumne, and
Stanislaus Rivers)
 Concurrent with southern Delta water quality objectives to
protect agriculture
 Board consideration, June 2012
 Other Delta flow objectives
 Scoping, early 2012
 Board consideration, June 2013
 Water Rights Implementation
 Board consideration of Water Rights Decision, June 2014

3. Slide 3
San Joaquin River Flows
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
O
ct
N
ov
D
ec
Jan
Feb
M
ar
A
pr
M
ay
Jun
Jul
A
ug
Sep
AverageFlow(cfs)
Actual
2006 Plan
50% of unimpaired
Unimpaired

4. Slide 4
Priority Delta Tributary Work
 Two approaches to establish flows:
Develop site-specific criteria or flow objectives
for select tributaries and implement through
water rights
Develop watershed-scale criteria or objectives
and implement through water rights

5. Slide 5
Delta Stewardship Council
 Delta Stewardship Council’s fifth draft
Delta Plan includes the following policy to
achieve the co-equal goals:
June 2014 – adopt and implement Delta flow
objectives
June 2018 – develop flow criteria for high-
priority Delta tributaries

6. Slide 6
High Priority Delta Tributaries
(Identified to Delta Stewardship Council)
 Merced River
 Tuolumne River
 Stanislaus River
 Lower San Joaquin River
 Deer Creek (tributary to Sacramento River)
 Lower Butte Creek
 Mill Creek (tributary to Sacramento River)
 Cosumnes River
 American River

7. Slide 7
More information
 Follow Bay Delta / Delta Watermaster
Program link at State Water Board website:
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/
 Contact Les Grober, Assistant Deputy
Director for Water Rights
lgrober@waterboards.ca.gov