CALFED Bay-Delta Program Several CAP/CCCC researchers are aiding the goals of the CALFED Bay-Delta Program. This program was created in 2000 and leads scientific efforts to understand how the Bay-Delta functions.Last update: 23 January 2008
The State of Bay-Delta Science 2008
Summary for Policymakers and the Public
CALFED Science ProgramReleased January 18, 2008
From Michael Healey, Lead Scientist, CALFED Bay-Delta Program:
This report presents important new policy perspectives arising from recent advances in how scientists now understand the Bay-Delta ecosystem. Research promoted by CALFED and other science agencies has increased our understanding of how the Bay-Delta functions and has challeneged some long-held beliefs about the Bay-Delta. Problems of water management, environmental protection, and levee integrity continue to intensify, however, and are being further complicated by climate change and sea level rise.
From the report:
New perspectives on the Delta derived from recent science
Perspective One: The Delta is a continually changing ecosystem. Uncontrolled drivers of change (e.g., population growth, changing climate, land subsidence, seismicity) mean that the Delta of the future will be very different from the Delta of today. Perspective Two: Because the Delta is continually changing, we cannot predict all the important consequences of management solutions. The best solutions will be robust but provisional, and will need to be responsive and adaptive to future changes. Perspective Three: It is neither possible nor desirable to freeze the structure of the Delta in its present, or any other form. Strengthening of levees is only one element of a sustainable solution and is not applicable everywhere. Perspective Four: The problems of water and environmental management are interlinked. Piecemeal solutions will not work. Science, knowledge, and management methods all need to be strongly integrated. Perspective Five: The capacity of the Sacramento-San Joaquin water system to deliver human, economic, and environmental services is likely at its limit. To fulfill more of one water using service we must accept less of another. Perspective Six: Good science provides a reliable knowledge base for decision-making, but for complex environmental problems, even as we learn from science, new areas of uncertainty arise. Perspective Seven: Accelerated climate change means that species conservation is becoming more than a local habitat problem. Conservation approaches need to include a broad range of choices other than habitat protection. From Dan Cayan, CAP/CCCC PI:
This summary report is a very thoughtful progressive treatment of uncertainty, the value of science and monitoring, and adaptive planning/management. It has been remarkable watching CALFED come to grips with climate variability and climate change these last few years. Kudos to Mike in serving as the major conduit of climate change expertise in this process and he and his colleagues for producing a document with such clarity and farsight.
Healey, M., M. Dettinger and R. Norgaard, 2008: State of the science for the Bay-Delta system - Summary for policymakers and the public: CALFED Science Program Report, 19p. (Click here for web page detailing the report or click here for pdf file of the report)
Links to previous CAP/CCCC CALFED pages: