Published: Jul 30, 2013 | 16:52 PM

Irvine Ranch Water District Urges Support for the Bay Delta Plan

 

Irvine Ranch Water District Urges Support of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan; A Plan to Increase Water Supply Reliability in Southern California.

Over the past two decades, the Irvine Ranch Water District has successfully taken many steps to diversify the District’s water supply and reduce reliance on imported water. These supply diversification efforts have included investment in water recycling, water use efficiency, groundwater production, and water banking programs. Despite these efforts and like most of Southern California, IRWD continues to have some degree of reliance on imported water supplies including supplies from the Delta.

The Bay Delta provides water to 25 million Californians and three million acres of agriculture lands. The water the Delta provides supports California’s $1.7 trillion economy, and sustains 750 different plant and animal species. The Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) is a joint state and federal effort to develop and implement a 50-year comprehensive plan to fundamentally and systematically improve both the state’s water supply reliability and restore the Delta’s ecosystem. As part of the plan, a new water conveyance facility will be built to protect California’s water supply, habitat will be restored, and pollutants and invasive species will be removed to improve the health of the Delta ecosystem.

A reliable and high quality imported water supply is a vital component of the District’s and Southern California’s water resources portfolio. Implementing the BDCP is essential to ensuring a sustainable water supply for millions of Californians and the protection of the Delta as a unique natural asset.

For more information on Bay Delta Conservation Plan Policy Principles adopted by the IRWD Board of Directors, please click here.