CALFED Operations
CALFED Operations
The CALFED Operations (CALFED Ops) Group meets once a month, from October through June, during each year. The duration of the meetings is approximately 1 hour.
Verbal summaries by staff from the United State Bureau of Reclamation (USBR), California Department of Water Resources (CDWR), California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) are made to meeting attendees (attendance is open to the public) concerning recent activities related to Endangered Species Law (both Federal and State) regulations and SWRCB Bay-Delta Water Quality Plan standards implementation. After each presentation, the opportunity for questions and answers is available to any members in attendance. Occasionally, specific topics such as recent model development and Delta smelt hatchery release plans and status are also covered.
The meeting is designed to facilitate open communication to the public about water management activities in the Bay-Delta being implemented to protect Bay-Delta aquatic species and beneficial uses of Bay-Delta waters.
State Water Project and Central Valley Project
The CDWR and the USBR operate, maintain, and manage the State Water Project (SWP) and Central Valley Project (CVP) facilities, respectively. Both projects are water storage and delivery systems composed of reservoirs, aqueducts, power plants, and pumping plants. Their main purpose is to store water and distribute it to urban and agricultural water suppliers in Northern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, the San Joaquin Valley, the Central Coast, and Southern California.
For more information regarding CVP and SWP operations, please visit the websites for the USBR and the CDWR.
Compliance with the Federal and California Endangered Species Acts
The USFWS Biological Opinion for the Reinitiation of Consultation on Long-Term Operations of the CVP and SWP, and the NMFS Biological Opinion on Long-Term Operations of the CVP and the SWP were issued on October 22, 2019. They include incidental take statements for Delta smelt, winter-run Chinook salmon, spring-run Chinook salmon, green sturgeon, and steelhead. These biological opinions (BiOps) were formally adopted on February 19, 2020 when the USBR signed the Record of Decision.
In 2020, the CDFW issued the CDWR a California Endangered Species Act (CESA) Incidental Take Permit (ITP) for the long-term operation of the SWP in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for the protection of Delta smelt, longfin smelt, spring-run Chinook salmon, and winter-run Chinook salmon.
UNITED STATES BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
Water Operations Management Team
The Water Operations Management Team (WOMT), comprised of agency managers, coordinates the implementation of water operations under the 2019 Biological Opinions and 2020 Record of Decision for the coordinated Long-Term Operation of the CVP and the SWP. WOMT oversees Watershed Monitoring Workgroups, seeks to resolve disagreements within the technical teams, and elevates policy decisions to the Directors of the agencies where necessary. This management-level team was established to facilitate timely decision-support and decision-making. The goal of WOMT is to reach agreement on decisions; but the participating agencies retain their authorized roles and responsibilities.
Click Here to Access the Archived WOMT Notes
Smelt Monitoring Team
The Smelt Monitoring Team (SMT) is a technical team that evaluates up-to-date biological and technical issues regarding Delta Smelt. The SMT develops information for consideration by the USBR in its implementation to reduce adverse effects of Delta operations of the CVP and the SWP to Delta Smelt.
The SMT consists of experts in Delta Smelt biology from the USBR, USFWS, United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), CDWR, NMFS, and the CDFW. The working group will have weekly phone conferences to discuss, review, and synthesize information related to project operations and fisheries issues.
The team will:
- Review and synthesize information on species abundance, species distribution, life stage transitions, and relevant physical parameters to inform real-time management of Delta operations;
- Review annually project operations in the Delta and the collected data from ongoing monitoring programs;
- Evaluate Old and Middle River (OMR) Management in reducing mortality or impairment of essential behaviors of Delta Smelt; and
- Coordinate with the Salmon Monitoring Team to maximize benefits to all listed species.
The SMT provides annual written reports to the USBR, CDWR, and the USFWS. Annual reports include a summary of major actions taken during the year to implement Delta OMR Management Actions as well as salvage and loss of listed fish, an evaluation of their effectiveness, and recommendations for future actions.
Click Here to Access the Archived SMT Notes
Salmon Monitoring Team
The Salmon Monitoring Team (SaMT) is a technical advisory team that provides information to the WOMT, USBR, and the CDWR to reduce adverse effects of Delta operations of the CVP and the SWP to salmonids and green sturgeon.
The SaMT is comprised of biologists, hydrologists, and other staff with relevant expertise from the USBR, CDWR, CDFW, USFWS, and NMFS. The working group will have weekly phone conferences to discuss, review, and synthesize information related to project operations and fisheries issues.
The team will:
- Review and synthesize information on species abundance, species distribution, life stage transitions, and relevant physical parameters to inform real-time management of Delta operations;
- Review annually project operations in the Delta and the collected data from ongoing monitoring programs;
- Track the implementation of the Delta Performance Objectives, OMR Management, and Delta Cross Channel (DCC) gate operations described in the 2019 Final Biological Assessment for Reinitiation of Consultation on the Long-Term Operation of the CVP and SWP;
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the Delta Performance Objectives, OMR Management, and DCC gate operations in reducing mortality or impairment of essential behaviors of listed species in the Delta; and
- Coordinate with the SMT to maximize benefits to all listed species.
The SaMT provides annual written reports to the USBR, CDWR, and NMFS, including a summary of major actions taken during the year to implement Delta OMR Management Actions as well as salvage and loss of listed fish, an evaluation of their effectiveness, and recommendations for future actions. The SaMT also provides a coordinating function for the other technical working groups, to assure that relevant information from all technical groups is considered for actions to implement Reasonable and Prudent Measures rated to Delta Operations.
Click Here to Access the Archived SaMT Notes
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE
Smelt Monitoring Team
The SMT consists of representatives from the CDFW, USFWS, CDWR, USBR and SWRCB. The SMT considers survey data, salvage data, and other pertinent biotic and abiotic factors to assess the risk of entrainment to Delta smelt and longfin smelt from the operation of the SWP and CVP. Based on the risk assessment, the SMT provides advice for real-time management of operations to the WOMT that is consistent with the USFWS BiOp and SWP ITP. To view archived SMT Risk Assessments and Findings, click here.
Salmon Monitoring Team
The Salmon Monitoring Team (SaMT) consists of representatives from the CDFW, USFWS, NMFS, CDWR, USBR, and SWRCB. The SaMT considers the effect of hydrology, meteorology, real-time fish monitoring surveys, and other biotic and abiotic factors to assess the risk of CVP/SWP operations on listed salmonids and green sturgeon. The SaMT provides advice, based on the risk assessments, for real-time management of operations to the WOMT that is consistent with the NMFS BiOp and SWP ITP. To view archived SaMT Risk Assessments and Findings, click here.
You may request copies of notes from previous CALFED Operations Group, WOMT, and DAT meetings by sending a request to the Contact listed in the "How To Contact Us" section.
How To Contact Us
CALFED Operations:
Delta Scheduling Unit
Section Manager: Bryant Giorgi
(916) 574-2660 | Bryant.Giorgi@water.ca.gov
Fax: (916) 574-2785
Address:
SWP Operations Control Office
Attn: Export Management Section
Department of Water Resources
3310 El Camino Ave., Ste. 300
Sacramento, CA 95821-9000