|
CalFed's Preferred
Alternative: Central Canal Building Blocks |
| In 1995-1999 a Bay Area nonprofit organization
sponsored a study by the National Heritage Institute to show CalFed what might be the best conveyance
alternative for diverting Sacramento River from the Delta. Meetings
were held with different water districts exclusive of Delta and
environmental groups trying to protect the Delta, and the group agreed to go
for what was called the "Preferred Alternative". From 2000 on the
"building blocks" of the preferred alternative were put together using
various different governmental, agency and nonprofit entities, each going
through their own EIR/EIS process for a particular building block.
Since there are so many different planning processes going on right now, and
so many in the past, its pretty hard to know what is, or is not, really
planned. So this page will refer to already-completed EIR-EIS building
blocks of the Central Canal and In-Delta Storage which appears to be the
true current goal of the legislators and the powers behind the legislators. |
The
Preferred Alternative-Through Delta Conveyance
NHI Delta Plans
NHI Delta Study
funded by Packard Foundation
 This
page provides the "building blocks" or construction elements to accomplish
the preferred alternative, a through-Delta canal or conveyance system.
When completed and in operation, and combined with other Sacramento River
revision plans, the central canal may take most of the rest of Sacramento
River freshwater flow into the Delta in the future. Included in the
plans, which are called "near term options" for more publicized BDCP
paperwork, are in-delta storage islands which will store water in high rain
years instead of letting it get out to the San Francisco Bay area.
Funding for the construction NOW IN PROGRESS came from the water districts
that will benefit, from large corporate farmers who will benefit, from
Stimulus funds and from California's other general budget and past bond
monies. However, funding for actions as proposed in the Bay
Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) (the mitigation building block) appears
to be dependent on a proposed bond fund.
|
 |
Building Block 1: Additional water intake at Freeport
Planned completion date: 2010 |
|
Building Block 2: Widen Delta Cross Channel to take in
more water
Planned completion date: 2012 |
 |
Building Block 3: Widen areas of the Mokelumne River
to allow for greater water volume passage
Planned completion date: 2012 |
|
Building Block 4: Improve levees of Statten Island to
be ready for extra pressure from water, and/or use of the island for water
storage
Planned completion date: 2008-2009 |
  |
Building Block 5: Tunnel under the San Joaquin River
to make sure the Sacramento River fresh water continues on its path to the
main water pumps
Planned completion date: |
|
Building Block 6: Tunnel under islands of the South
Delta or create gates to make sure the fresh water gets to the pumps for
export elsewhere
Planned completion date: |
|
Building Block 7: Add new intake areas along the
Sacramento River
Planned completion date: |
 |
Building Block 8: North Bay Aqueduct moves to take
advantage of opportunity to increase fresh Sacramento River water allotment
Planned completion date: |
|
Building Block 9: Contra Costa and Bay Area water
intake revisions and expansion of storage resovoir to assure future
development potential with use of more Delta water
Planned completion date: July 2010 |
|
Building Block 10: Move main utilities into alignment
with, or out of the way of, the new central canal
Planned completion date: |
 |
| Building Block 11: Prepare islands for in-delta
storage or use as dams |
  |
Building Block 12: Yolo Bypass expansion: Since
so much natural habitat will be destroyed by the taking of more Sacramento
River water, and by the construction projects needed to complete the central
conveyance and storage system, other areas of the Delta will be "restored"
or actually revised into new ecosystems as mitigation. Yolo Bypass
will start to be annually flooded for the benefit of fish and wildlife.
Planned completion date: 2010 |
|
Building Block 13: Since so much natural habitat will
be destroyed by the taking of more Sacramento River water, and by the
construction projects needed to complete the central conveyance and storage
system, other areas of the Delta will be "restored" or actually revised into
new ecosystems as mitigation. The Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP)
is another mitigation measure but there is no secure funding for this plan
unless the proposed California 2010 Bond Fund is passed in November.
Planned completion date: not determined, subject to funding
 |
 |
