The entire program would be one of adaptive management, with flexibility and monitoring of actions that have been undertaken. According to CalFed Bay-Delta Program officials, ecosystem restoration will focus on rehabilitation, protection or restoration of ecological processes that create and maintain Delta habitats. The water quality strategy is to protect public health and the environment, while the levee system strategy is aimed at protecting the crucial Delta system that keeps Delta flows within channels. The plan proposes to rely upon water conservation, water recycling, water transfers, watershed management and water quality control measures as well as groundwater storage and conjunctive use programs. Heavy reliance on such approaches is favored by many in the environmental community.
Program designers say the various program elements are interrelated.
They say they expect actions in one resource area to help solve problem in others. CalFed envisions that its plan will be implemented in three phases over 30 years. Other early actions will be designed to test hypotheses and conceptual models. The Accord has been extended twice. A public hearing will be conducted in Visalia on the evening of Tuesday, September 14.