All Stressed Out: Is the BDCP the Right Rx?

1. Key population fish indices are at or near historic low levels, despite unprecedented cutbacks in water deliveries from the state and federal projects. Is this evidence that there are many stressors currently harming the estuary, or is this a symptom of three consecutive below-average runoff years?
2. An estimated 95 percent of the biomass in the Delta is non-native. Likewise, an estimated 95 percent of the original wetlands of the estuary have been eliminated due to levees. How much of the ecosystem problem for the native species is too much competition and not enough habitat?
3. Should striped bass in the Delta be designated as an important fishery that should be doubled, as is the current policy under federal law, or is this a non-native predator species that should be minimized as much as possible?
4. An underlying goal of BDCP is to restore water reliability for the Central Valley Project and State Water Project contractors and couple these water conveyance/supply actions with widescale ecosystem restoration. Is this goal realistic?
5. There is a theoretical consensus among many of the Delta stakeholders that separating the water supply movements from this tidal estuary could be good for both the Delta and for water supplies. But there has long been no consensus on how to achieve this, either by the size or route or operational criteria for such a new conveyance system. Is BDCP truly closer to resolving this question or is it one for the ages that will always be debated?
6. In order for the water contractors from throughout the state to complete BDCP, widescale habitat restoration will have to take place in Delta counties that are not direct permit holders in this process. The restoration is on a scale never before attempted in California. The Delta county representatives were staunch opponents of the Delta legislation and opponents of the water bond. How can BDCP succeed in this environment and what is the path to peace for BDCP in the Delta?
7. Lastly, money. The water community is on record to committing to paying for any new conveyance system in the Delta. The legislation mandates this approach. If voters approve a water bond, there is a source of funds to help restore the estuary. But voters may not approve the bond, and even if they do, somebody is going to have to pay for the new governing entities in the Delta – the Stewardship Council and Delta Conservancy. In addition, the goal of BDCP is to reach the highest environmental standard in California, a Natural Communities Conservation Plan that attempts to recover endangered species. This all requires major investments. Is there a real finance plan behind BDCP?