Tuesday February 10, 2026
Maven’s Notebook —
Big changes are likely on the way for the Delta, thanks to new federal policies, state water management plans, and planned infrastructure. These changes will almost certainly alter the volume, timing and objectives of water flowing through the Delta, but due to recent changes in long-established monitoring programs, the impact on water quality and the ecosystem may be very hard for water managers and scientists to evaluate.
In early December the Bureau of Reclamation issued a Record of Decision adopting a new long-term plan for the coordinated operations of the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project, designed to maximize water deliveries from the projects Under the new approach, the CVP may increase annual water deliveries by between 130,000 to 180,000 acre-feet.