As the planning process for the proposed Delta Conveyance Project continues to move forward, public information and community engagement will remain a central and important focus.

An aerial view of the Harvey O. Banks Delta Pumping Plant, the first major plant designed and constructed within the California State Water Project.
Delta conveyance refers to State Water Project (SWP) infrastructure in the vast network of waterways comprising the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) that collects and moves fresh affordable water to homes, farms and businesses throughout major regions of the state from the Bay Area to southern California. The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is the owner and operator of the SWP and is responsible for all associated upgrades and maintenance, including the proposed Delta Conveyance Project that will modernize SWP conveyance.
The Delta is the hub for much of the state’s water supply. Two-thirds of California’s water originates in the Sierra Nevada Mountains as snowpack, eventually flowing through the Delta, where, consistent with water rights, including applicable water quality requirements, it is delivered to more than 27 million Californians and 750,000 acres of farmland. The infrastructure that enables conveyance for California’s primary water supply is critical to the health of local communities and the success of our state’s economy.
Because the SWP relies on the Delta’s natural channels to convey water, it is vulnerable to earthquake and sea level rise. According to the United States Geological Survey, there’s a 72% chance of a 6.7 or greater magnitude earthquake occurring in the Bay Area by 2043 that could cause levees in the Delta to fail, crippling the state’s ability to deliver fresh water. As sea levels continue to rise, the Delta will be faced with increasing saltwater intrusion, which threatens fresh water supplies flowing through the Delta. Climate change is also expected to affect the type and timing of precipitation. Certain pumping restrictions in the south Delta can prevent the SWP from reliably capturing water when it is available, especially from storm events. The Project would add new diversions in the north Delta to promote a more resilient and flexible SWP in the face of unstable future conditions.
The best available science demonstrates that these are real, serious threats to California’s primary water supply. We need to take action now to upgrade Delta infrastructure, recognizing that this process will take years to complete improvements. Recent events have also underscored the need to protect public health and safety by taking the appropriate steps now before it’s too late.
View more frequently asked questions related to the Delta Conveyance Project.
As the planning process for the proposed Delta Conveyance Project continues to move forward, public information and community engagement will remain a central and important focus.
Large infrastructure projects typically develop a set of commitments made by the project proponent as a “community benefits program” that is created in coordination with the local community.
Selection of alternatives to evaluate in an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is an important component of public agency project planning and is typically a required as part of the environmental review decision-making process. The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has initiated this process for the proposed Delta Conveyance Project and is current ...
In the third episode in the Delta Conveyance Deep Dive video series, we asked DWR climate change experts to explain the ways in which the Delta Conveyance Project addresses the challenges of a warming climate.
Questions and More Information:
1-866-924-9955 | deltaconveyance@water.ca.gov
Media Inquiries:
Lisa Lien-Mager (916) 653-9402
Lisa.LienMager@resources.ca.gov
Ryan Endean (916) 798-1701
Ryan.Endean@water.ca.gov