Richard M. Frank Executive Director Center for Law, Energy & the Environment School of Law

1. The 2009 Legislation to Reshape Delta Governance2010 Water Law SymposiumU.S.F. School of Law, January 2010 Richard M. Frank Executive Director Center for Law, Energy & the Environment School of Law University of California, Berkeley (510) 642-8305 rfrank@law.berkeley.edu

2. Impetus for the 2009 Legislation • Continued decline of Delta ecosystem • Stalling of Cal-Fed program & progress • PPIC research findings • Delta Vision Task Force findings & recommendations • Increased litigation over ESA/water delivery issues • Concern over Bay Delta Conservation Plan • Sacramento’s need for a “success story”

3. The 2009 Legislative Process:Not Quick & Not Pretty, but Ultimately Effective

4. The 5-Bill Package: • SB 1 (Simitian/Steinberg)—Delta governance • SB 2 (Cogdill)—Water Bond Act • SB 6 (Steinberg/Pavley)—Groundwater monitoring • SB 7 (Steinberg)—Water conservation policy • SB 8 (Steinberg)—Water rights system reform

5. SB 1 (Delta Governance Reform) • Adoption of (DVTF) policies • Creation of new Delta Stewardship Council • Revisions to Delta Protection Commission • Creation of new Delta Conservancy • Creation of new Delta “Watermaster” • Specification of “early actions” • New Delta Independent Science Board • SWRCB flow criteria for Delta ecosystem • Others

6. SB 1—Delta Stewardship Council • Seven-member body—composition • Adoption of “Delta Plan” by January 2012 • DSC “consistency review” of local and state “covered actions” • exemptions • Other DSC duties

7. SB 2 (Delta Water Bond) • $11.14 billion General Obligation Bond Act • Purposes/objectives • Subject to voter approval in 11/2/10 election • Independence from other (substantive) bills • Key issues: • Concern over level of additional GF indebtedness • Taxpayer support vs. “user pays” model • Water privatization concern • “Christmas tree” of various projects/benefits

8. SB 6 (Groundwater Monitoring) • California’s lack of current GW regulation or monitoring • Required monitoring & reporting of GW basin elevations (cf. water extraction amounts) • Monitoring & reporting by local agencies; DWR default • DWR’s overall GW collection/reporting duties

9. SB 7 (Water Conservation) • Partially codifies Governor’s directive of 20% per capita water use reduction by 2020 • Urban water districts: 10% reduction by 2015; 20% by 2020 • Agricultural sector: adopt “efficient water mgmt. practices” & “water mgmt. plans” • No quantitative water use reductions required • Sanction for non-compliance: disqualified from eligibility for state water grants/loans

10. SB 8 (Water Rights Reform) • Expands reporting obligations of surface water diverters • eliminates exemption for in-Delta diverters • Creates 25 new SWRCB water rights enforcement staff positions • Funds $546 million for Delta ecosystem/water supply reliability purposes, from Propositions 1E & 84

11. Assessing the Delta/Water Legislation-A Panel Discussion • Alf Brandt, Assembly Water, Parks & Wildlife Committee Staff • Kate Poole, Attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council • Tim Quinn, Executive Director, Association of California Water Agencies • Mariko Yamada, Member, California State Assembly (D-8th District)

12. Question & Answer Period

13. For further information: Richard M. Frank Executive Director Center for Law, Energy & the Environment School of Law University of California, Berkeley (510) 642-8305 rfrank@law.berkeley.edu