1.Sustainable Water and
Environmental Management in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta studies and
reports
(a)
(1)Not later than 60
days after funding is made available for this Act, the Secretary, acting
through the Bureau of Reclamation, shall offer to and, if the NAS agrees, shall
enter into an agreement under which the NAS shall conduct a study to help
ensure the scientific basis of plans for management of the Delta so as to help
maintain and restore the estuary while enhancing the quality and reliability of
California's water supply. The study conducted under this paragraph shall
include the following:
(A)A review of the scientific information
assessing the extent of ecosystem decline in the Sacramento and San Joaquin
rivers and Delta, including the status and trends of pelagic organisms and
anadromous fish species.
(B)A list of the
factors that may have contributed to the decline of federally and State listed
species in the Delta. To the extent practicable, a ranking of the contribution
of those factors, in order of their likely impact on the survival and recovery
of Delta species, for purposes of informing future conservation actions.
(C)A description of
gaps in available scientific information and uncertainties that constrain the
ability to identify the factors to be listed under subparagraph (B).
(D)A review and
evaluation of the scientific information referenced in the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Biological Opinion (USFWS, Dec. 15, 2008), the interpretation of that
information by the Fish and Wildlife Service in the effects analysis, and the
extent to which the effects analysis supports the Fish and Wildlife Service’s
jeopardy and adverse modification determination and reasonable and prudent
alternatives.
(E)A review and evaluation of the scientific
information referenced in the National Marine Fisheries Service Biological
Opinion (NMFS, available June 2009), the interpretation of that information by
the National Marine Fisheries Service in the effects analysis, and the extent
to which the effects analysis supports the National Marine Fisheries Service’s
jeopardy and adverse modification determination and reasonable and prudent
alternatives.
(2)Not
later than 18 months after funding is made available to the NAS for the study
under paragraph (1), the NAS shall submit to the Secretary a report containing
the findings of that study.
(3)Authorization of
appropriationsThere is authorized to be appropriated to the
Secretary, $900,000 to carry out this subsection.
(b)The Secretary, acting
through the Bureau of Reclamation, may commission additional studies by the NAS
to provide more strategic advice on water and environmental management
challenges facing the Delta. Such studies, if commissioned, shall address
issues such as the following:
(1)Review the science underlying the extent of
ecosystem decline in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers and Delta, and
evaluate its implications for the management of the Delta for water supply and
other purposes.
(2)Identify options
for future water supplies for the region and state that reflect proper
consideration for climate change and compatibility with objectives of
maintaining a healthy Delta hydroecosystems.
(3)Advise how to most
effectively incorporate science and adaptive management concepts into holistic
programs for management and restoration of the Delta with the objective of
providing a credible basis for providing a sustainable water supply and
ecosystem for the future.
(c)For
the purposes of this Act:
(1)The term Delta means the
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in California.
(2)The term NAS means the
National Academy of Sciences.
(3)The term Secretary means the
Secretary of the Interior.