Delta Stewardship Council

File:Delta Stewardship Council New Logo.png

The Delta Stewardship Council is a Government of California agency that is tasked with managing the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta.

In November 2009, the California Legislature enacted SBX7 1 (Delta Reform Act),{{Cite web|url=http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=200920107SB1&search_keywords|title=Bill Text - SBX7-1 Public resources.|website=leginfo.legislature.ca.gov|access-date=2018-03-09}} one of several bills passed related to water supply reliability, ecosystem health, and the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The Act, effective on Feb. 3, 2010, called for the creation of the Delta Stewardship Council.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ca.gov/Agencies/Delta-Stewardship-Council|title=CA.gov {{!}} Delta Stewardship Council|website=deltacouncil.ca.gov|language=en|access-date=2018-03-09|archive-date=2018-03-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180318153315/http://ca.gov/Agencies/Delta-Stewardship-Council|url-status=dead}}

The Council has seven members,{{Cite web|url=http://deltacouncil.ca.gov/delta-council-members|title=Delta Council Members {{!}} Delta Stewardship Council|website=deltacouncil.ca.gov|language=en|access-date=2018-03-09}} who are consulted by a 10-member board of scientists, the Delta Independent Science Board.{{Cite web|url=http://deltacouncil.ca.gov/science-board/delta-independent-science-board|title=Delta Independent Science Board {{!}} Delta Stewardship Council|website=deltacouncil.ca.gov|language=en|access-date=2018-03-09}}

The Act required that the Council develop a management plan for the Delta to ensure coordinated action at the federal, state, and local levels. This document is referred to as the Delta Plan.{{Cite web|url=http://www.watereducation.org/aquapedia/delta-plan|title=The Delta Plan {{!}} Water Education Foundation|website=deltacouncil.ca.gov|language=en|access-date=2018-03-09}}

Part of SBX7 1, Water Code Section 85204 also mandated the Council "establish and oversee a committee of agencies responsible for implementing the Delta Plan{{Cite web|url=http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=85204.&lawCode=WAT|title=Law section|website=leginfo.legislature.ca.gov|access-date=2018-03-09}}" to ensure that the actions of other agencies conform to the Delta Plan's policies.

As stated in the Delta Reform Act, the Council stems from the CALFED Bay-Delta Program.{{Cite web|url=http://www.calwater.ca.gov/calfed/about/History/Detailed.html|title=History of CALFED Bay-Delta Program|last=Program|first=State of California, CALFED Bay-Delta|website=www.calwater.ca.gov|language=en|access-date=2018-03-09}} Likewise, the Delta Science Program{{Cite web|url=http://deltacouncil.ca.gov/science-program|title=Delta Stewardship Council|website=deltacouncil.ca.gov|language=en|access-date=2018-03-09}} replaced the CALFED Science Program{{Cite web|url=http://science.calwater.ca.gov/|title=CALFED Science Program - Home page|last=California|first=State of|website=science.calwater.ca.gov|language=en|access-date=2018-03-09}} and the Delta Independent Science Board replaced the CALFED Independent Science Board.{{Cite web|url=http://www.science.calwater.ca.gov/isb/isb_index.html|title=CALFED Science Program - Independent Science Board|last=Board|first=CALFED Science Program Independent Science|website=www.science.calwater.ca.gov|language=en|access-date=2018-03-09}}