The Delta is at the center of California’s vital water distribution system. 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.
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, clean and 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 this water transport infrastructure in the Delta.
The project would add new facilities to divert water and upgrade the current system to also include a single underground tunnel for safer delivery.
Protects our water supply from earthquakes and rising sea levels, preserve delta fisheries, and meet the needs of cities and farms.
The Delta Conveyance Project will provide an affordable and reliable supply of high-quality and safe drinking water to disadvantaged communities.