The status quo in the Delta is not an option and puts the state’s clean water supply at risk.
DWR Updates
![Aerial view of McCormack Williamson Tract.](/-/media/DWR-Images/Placeholder-images/blog/FL_McCormack-0910_01_04_2018.jpg?mw=200&hash=16DC1185D08A7242DE45DC3806BA151F)
Driving along Interstate 5 south of Sacramento, you wouldn’t notice anything unique about the land stretched out beyond your car window. But hidden between Interstate 5 and Walnut Grove, lies one of the most important environmental restoration sites in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
![Photo of truck-mounted drill rig with support trucks and equipment used for soil exploration. A temporary tent structure by the drill rig is used to process soil samples and provide shade for the working crew.](/-/media/DWR-Images/Delta/conveyance.jpg?mw=200&hash=C8393175D9E442D0ACFBA62D1DD7E85D)
Following Governor Newsom’s recent direction, DWR is pursuing a new environmental review and planning process for a single tunnel solution to modernize water infrastructure in the Delta.
Rain and snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada flows through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta and supplies drinking water—through the State Water Project (SWP)—to 27 million people. Yet the reliability of this critical water supply is compromised.
![A view of the Lake Oroville main spillway in Butte County, California. The spillway gates are designed with seals to minimize leakage around the edges of the gate. This modest leakage is beneficial with respect to reducing friction when the gates are operated.](/-/media/DWR-Images/Oroville/KG_oroville_40680_06_06_19.jpg?mw=200&hash=445ACF6A214FE001C9088CE5CB0ED8B4)
Due to late precipitation and based on inflows, DWR has taken steps to prepare for potential use of the spillway.
![A view of the Lake Oroville main spillway as heavy equipment crews work to remove blast material from the nearby hillside at the Butte County, California site. Photo taken May 30, 2019.](/-/media/DWR-Images/Oroville/KG_oroville_39746_05_30_19.jpg?mw=200&hash=B52DFB9C6DB3E7831CDC7EA6CB9576A0)
Due to forecasted inflows into Lake Oroville, DWR is preparing for the potential use of Oroville’s main spillway next week.
On May 31, we commemorate National Dam Safety Awareness Day, a day to reflect on lessons learned from past dam incidents and to persevere in our core commitment toward public safety by ensuring that California's dams remain safe, operational, and resilient.
![Crews working on Upper Sausal Creek Restoration Project.](/-/media/DWR-Images/Other/Sausal-Creek.jpg?mw=200&hash=C47339B4E4E612E8A918BCD8E617A353)
Local agencies, State government representatives, and community members came together May 11 to celebrate the completion of the Upper Sausal Creek Erosion Control Restoration Project, a collaborative effort that provides improvements to the community of Oakland and local fish habitats.
![Algal scum](/-/media/DWR-Images/Other/San-Luis-Dinosaur-Pt-Dock272616.jpg?mw=200&hash=FADABE213230EF0E201E4C66CAED420C)
DWR urges swimmers and boaters to take the necessary precautions and stay away from algae. While some algae are harmless, certain types can produce toxins that can make people and animals sick. There is no way to tell if an algal bloom is toxic just by looking at it.
![DWR scientists dissect Delta smelt as part of a study to monitor the effects of introducing hatchery smelt into the wild.](/-/media/DWR-Images/Fish/KG_smelt_study_2.jpg?mw=200&hash=DDE1B0207F25231EEE277B759F6200F2)
About seven miles north of Rio Vista in Yolo County, DWR’s Sentinel research vessel gently approaches the underwater cages.