HomeMy WebLinkAboutReso 2017-031 - Delta Flow Requirements RESOLUTION NO. 2017-031
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF REDDING
IN SUPPORT OF THE ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA WATER
AGENCIES' POLICY STATEMENT ON BAY-DELTA FLOW
REQUIREMENTS
WHEREAS, California is facing a defining moment in water policy that will be
substantially impacted by the State Water Resources Control Board's approach to water quality
objectives under the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San
Joaquin Delta; and
WHEREAS, the State Water Board has the responsibility for updating the Bay-Delta
Plan in a manner that establishes water quality objectives that ensure the reasonable protection of
all beneficial uses of water in a way that is consistent with the coequals goals of improving water
supply reliability and protecting, restoring and enhancing the Delta ecosystem and with respect
to the commitments made in the California Water Action Plan; and
WHEREAS, the State Water Board staff's current proposal, which focuses singularly on
an "unimpaired flow" approach, is irreconcilable with a policy of coequal goals of improving
both water supply reliability and ecosystem health; it is also inconsistent with the broader water
policy objectives of the Brown Administration; and
WHEREAS, the ACWA Board of Directors has unanimously adopted a strong policy
statement that calls for a better approach that can more effectively achieve ecological objectives
while maintaining water supply reliability. The statement calls on the State Water Board to set
aside its "unimpaired flow" approach and heed Gov. Jerry Brown's call for negotiated
agreements, which have been successful on many rivers and tributaries in California; and
WHEREAS, the ACWA statement notes that to be successful, the state's flow policy
must be consistent with the principles of collaboration, comprehensive solutions, science,
functional flows, economic considerations, consistency with state policy, and leadership; and
WHEREAS, California's local urban and agricultural water managers are united in their
vision for a future that includes a vibrant California economy as well as healthy ecosystems and
fish populations, and believe that vision is best achieved through a comprehensive, collaborative
approaches; and
WHEREAS, the citizens of the City of Redding rely on the Sacramento River for water
and electric utilities as well as recreation and its general economy and may be negatively
impacted by State Water Board's focused "unimpaired flow" approach to protecting, restoring
and enhancing the Delta ecosystem.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of
Redding hereby supports ACWA's Policy Statement on Bay-Delta Flows and encourages the
State Water Resources Control Board to embrace the approach articulated in ACWA's policy
statement.
I HEREBY CERTIFY that that the foregoing resolution was introduced and read at a
regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Redding on the 18th day of April, 2017, and
was duly adopted at said meeting by the following vote:
AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: McElvain, Schreder, Sullivan, Winter, & Weaver
NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: None
ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: None
ABSTAIN: COUNCIL MEMBERS: None
BRENT WEAVER, Mayor
ATTEST: FORM APPROVED:
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PAMELA #E, City Clerk BARRY E. DeWALT, City Attorney