Construction of California’s Delta Conveyance Project has moved a step closer after receiving crucial environmental clearance.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service have submitted Biological Opinions to the Department of Water Resources (DWR), completing the Endangered Species Act (ESA) process for construction.
Compliance with ESA is required to ensure a project will not jeopardise the continued existence of any federally listed species or adversely modify or destroy listed critical habitat.
The DWR says the project is now one critical step closer to completing the complex state and federal planning and permitting processes needed to begin project implementation.
The US$20bn project would involve the construction of a 72.5km tunnel under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to divert water from the Sacramento River to southern California. It aims to capture storm flows, reduce seismic and levee risks, and ensure reliable supplies for 27 million people and around 303,500ha of farmland.
The DWR says if the scheme had been in place for the eight months from October 1, 2025 to May 28, 2026 it would have captured 585,000 acre-feet of water, enough to 2.1 million households for a year.
