CALFED Bay-Delta Program
Encyclopedia
The CALFED Bay-Delta Program, also known as CALFED, is a department within the government of California
, administered under the California Resources Agency
. The department acts as consortium, coordinating the activities and interests of the state government of California
and the U.S. federal government to focus on interrelated water problems in the state’s Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The coordination program was created in 1994 by Governor
Pete Wilson
and federal Interior Secretary
Bruce Babbitt
following a decade of chaotic disputes between the state of California, the federal government, environmental groups, agricultural interests, and municipal water services.
The current Director of CALFED is Joe Grindstaff. The department is located along Capitol Mall
in Sacramento
.
In addition to the state and federal agencies, nearly 60 Native American
tribes also participate in the program's actitvity coordinations.
, or LAO, published criticisms of the CALFED Program during its annual budget review, citing sources from the California State Legislature
and various independent review panels. The LAO report indicated that CALFED had "[failed] to develop a viable long-term finance plan (as directed by the Legislature)," as well as its "lack of focus and priorities," and "lack of a performance orientation." Due to its various coordination agencies and priorities, the LAO declared that "the program had strayed from its original focus of resolving conflicts among water-related interests in the Delta, by expanding into what looked like a statewide water management program, resulting in substantial overlap with the mission and responsibilities of [the] California Department of Water Resources
."
The LAO recommended to the Legislature and for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
to reform CALFED by establishing realistic budget reviews and create more confined responsibilities that would not overlap into other departments.
Government of California
The government of California operates in the context of a democratic republic with three branches of government: the executive branch consisting of the Governor of California and the other elected constitutional officers; the legislative branch consisting of the California State Legislature which...
, administered under the California Resources Agency
California Resources Agency
The California Natural Resources Agency is a state cabinet-level agency in the government of California. The institution and jurisdiction of the Natural Resources Agency is provided for in California Government Code sections 12800 and 12805, et seq...
. The department acts as consortium, coordinating the activities and interests of the state government of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and the U.S. federal government to focus on interrelated water problems in the state’s Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The coordination program was created in 1994 by Governor
Governor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
Pete Wilson
Pete Wilson
Peter Barton "Pete" Wilson is an American politician from California. Wilson, a Republican, served as the 36th Governor of California , the culmination of more than three decades in the public arena that included eight years as a United States Senator , eleven years as Mayor of San Diego and...
and federal Interior Secretary
United States Secretary of the Interior
The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior.The US Department of the Interior should not be confused with the concept of Ministries of the Interior as used in other countries...
Bruce Babbitt
Bruce Babbitt
Bruce Edward Babbitt , a Democrat, served as United States Secretary of the Interior and as the 16th governor of Arizona, from 1978 to 1987.-Biography:...
following a decade of chaotic disputes between the state of California, the federal government, environmental groups, agricultural interests, and municipal water services.
The current Director of CALFED is Joe Grindstaff. The department is located along Capitol Mall
Capitol Mall
Capitol Mall is a major street in the city of Sacramento that leads to the iconic Tower Bridge which connects Downtown Sacramento with the Yolo County city of West Sacramento. The Capitol Mall was previously also known as State Route 275, but was relinquished to the city in January 2006. A plethora...
in Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
.
Priorities
CALFED's priorities for the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta include:- To ensure the reliability of water supplies within the Delta.
- To improve and safeguard the Delta's water quality. The Delta currently serves as the tap to 25 million Californians who receive at least some of their drinking water.
- To restore the Delta's ecosystemEcosystemAn ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
by protecting native species and eradicating invasive speciesInvasive species"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
. - To improve leveeLeveeA levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
protection along the Delta's rivers.
Coordinating agencies
Various federal and state agencies fall into CALFED's coordination authority. These agencies include:State
- California Resources AgencyCalifornia Resources AgencyThe California Natural Resources Agency is a state cabinet-level agency in the government of California. The institution and jurisdiction of the Natural Resources Agency is provided for in California Government Code sections 12800 and 12805, et seq...
- California Bay-Delta Authority
- California Department of ConservationCalifornia Department of ConservationThe California Department of Conservation is a department within the government of California, belonging to the California Natural Resources Agency. With a team of scientists, engineers, environmental experts, and other layabouts, the Department of Conservation administers a variety of programs...
- California Department of Fish and GameCalifornia Department of Fish and GameThe California Department of Fish and Game is a department within the government of California, falling under its parent California Natural Resources Agency. The Department of Fish and Game manages and protects the state's diverse fish, wildlife, plant resources, and native habitats...
- California Department of Water ResourcesCalifornia Department of Water ResourcesThe California Department of Water Resources , is a department within the California Natural Resources Agency. The Department of Water Resources is responsible for the State of California's management and regulation of water usage...
- California State Parks
- Reclamation Board
- Delta Protection Commission
- San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development CommissionSan Francisco Bay Conservation and Development CommissionThe San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission is a California State commission dedicated to the protection, enhancement and responsible use of the San Francisco Bay. The Commission was created by California's McAteer-Petris Act, which the legislature passed on September 17 1965...
- California Environmental Protection AgencyCalifornia Environmental Protection AgencyThe California Environmental Protection Agency is a state cabinet-level agency within the government of California. Cal/EPA is composed of six departments, boards and offices responsible for environmental research, regulating and administering the state's environmental protection programs, and...
- State Water Resources Control Board
- California Department of Food and AgricultureCalifornia Department of Food and AgricultureThe California Department of Food and Agriculture , is a cabinet-level agency in the government of California. Established in 1919 by the California State Legislature and signed into law by Governor William Stephens, the Department of Food and Agriculture is responsible for ensuring the state's...
- California Department of Health and Human Services
- California Department of Public HealthCalifornia Department of Public HealthThe California Department of Public Health is the state department responsible for public health in California. It is a subdivision of the California Health and Human Services Agency...
- California Department of Public Health
Federal
- U.S. Department of the Interior
- U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- U.S. Geological Survey
- U.S. Bureau of Land Management
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- U.S. Department of Defense
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Natural Resources Conservation ServiceNatural Resources Conservation ServiceThe Natural Resources Conservation Service , formerly known as the Soil Conservation Service , is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that provides technical assistance to farmers and other private landowners and managers.Its name was changed in 1994 during the Presidency of...
- U.S. Forest Service
- National Marine Fisheries ServiceNational Marine Fisheries ServiceThe National Marine Fisheries Service is a United States federal agency. A division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Department of Commerce, NMFS is responsible for the stewardship and management of the nation's living marine resources and their habitat within the...
- Natural Resources Conservation Service
- U.S. Department of Energy
- Western Area Power AdministrationWestern Area Power AdministrationThe Western Area Power Administration markets and delivers hydroelectric power and related services within a 15-state region of the central and western U.S. It is one of four power marketing administrations within the U.S...
- Western Area Power Administration
In addition to the state and federal agencies, nearly 60 Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribes also participate in the program's actitvity coordinations.
Criticisms
In February 2006, the California Legislative Analyst's OfficeCalifornia Legislative Analyst's Office
The Legislative Analyst's Office , located in Sacramento, California, has been providing fiscal and policy advice to the California Legislature for more than 70 years. It is known for its fiscal and programmatic expertise and nonpartisan analysis of the state budget...
, or LAO, published criticisms of the CALFED Program during its annual budget review, citing sources from the California State Legislature
California State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
and various independent review panels. The LAO report indicated that CALFED had "[failed] to develop a viable long-term finance plan (as directed by the Legislature)," as well as its "lack of focus and priorities," and "lack of a performance orientation." Due to its various coordination agencies and priorities, the LAO declared that "the program had strayed from its original focus of resolving conflicts among water-related interests in the Delta, by expanding into what looked like a statewide water management program, resulting in substantial overlap with the mission and responsibilities of [the] California Department of Water Resources
California Department of Water Resources
The California Department of Water Resources , is a department within the California Natural Resources Agency. The Department of Water Resources is responsible for the State of California's management and regulation of water usage...
."
The LAO recommended to the Legislature and for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
to reform CALFED by establishing realistic budget reviews and create more confined responsibilities that would not overlap into other departments.
See also
- California Department of Water ResourcesCalifornia Department of Water ResourcesThe California Department of Water Resources , is a department within the California Natural Resources Agency. The Department of Water Resources is responsible for the State of California's management and regulation of water usage...
- Sacramento RiverSacramento RiverThe Sacramento River is an important watercourse of Northern and Central California in the United States. The largest river in California, it rises on the eastern slopes of the Klamath Mountains, and after a journey south of over , empties into Suisun Bay, an arm of the San Francisco Bay, and...
- San Joaquin RiverSan Joaquin RiverThe San Joaquin River is the largest river of Central California in the United States. At over long, the river starts in the high Sierra Nevada, and flows through a rich agricultural region known as the San Joaquin Valley before reaching Suisun Bay, San Francisco Bay, and the Pacific Ocean...
- Central Valley ProjectCentral Valley ProjectThe Central Valley Project is a Bureau of Reclamation federal water project in the U.S. state of California. It was devised in 1933 in order to provide irrigation and municipal water to much of California's Central Valley—by regulating and storing water in reservoirs in the water-rich northern...