245 



Under current law, the Bureau and US Fish and Wildlife Service are to dedicate and 

 manage 800 KAF of CVP "yield" for fish and wildlife purposes. Substantial controversy has 

 arisen over priorities and use of this 800 KAF, as well as an appropriate accounting method. The 

 proposed revision would aflSrm the reservation and management of the 800 KAF, consistent with 

 the 15 December 1994 Bay/Delta Agreement. The water would be avaibble to meet CVP 

 Bay/Delta and Federal ESA obligations. The proposed language would also clarify that the 800 

 KAF can be reused or diverted to agriculture or M&I purposes after it has fulfilled its 

 environmental purpose. 



With regard to meeting Bay/Delta standards, since the focus of the CVPIA is upstream 

 (and the focus of the Bay/Delta Agreement is in and through-Delta), it is appropriate that the 

 focus of the 800 KAF be upstream not some generic "outflow" or "export restriction". This is not 

 to say that an ecologically justifiable prescription, such as a pulse flow for the passage of a 

 particular species not already proteaed by the Bay/Delta standards, would be limited or 

 prohibited by the proposed change. 



Doubling Anadromous Fish Production 



The CVP only, federal only plan is being deleted AND REPLACED by a mandate that the 

 federal government participate m a jomt eflFort with the state and local agencies in meeting the 

 goals of the Salmon, Steelhead Trout and Anadromous Fisheries Program Act of 1988. That Act 

 and subsequent Salmon and Steelhead reports by the CA Dept. of Fish and Game (CDFG) 

 provided the basis for the "fish fixes" enimierated in the CVPIA As such, the Department of the 

 Interior need not and should not be re-mventing a fish doubling program separate and distinct 

 fi^om the established State program. This is a waste of valuable time and financial resource. 



The HR 1906 amendments are intended to accelerate the implementation of programs and 

 activities that have already been identified and studied and have a reasonable potential for 

 achieving fishery benefits. By establishing priorities based on identified needs of native species of 

 concern (saknon and steelhead), immediate protection, mitigation and restoration actions can be 

 undertaken. 



By authorizing and requiring the federal agencies to work jointly with the state of 

 California, making the CVPIA fish doubling program a part of the larger State program, the 

 federal actions taken under authority of the HR 1906 fish doubling section can be better 

 coordinated with the implementation of Bay/Delta water quality standards and the reservation and 

 use of the 800,000 acre feet of CVP water. 



Thus the proposed revision provides a nexus between federal/CVPIA "fish doubling" 

 activities and State sponsored or required actions - eliminating potential redimdancies and 

 providing for timely and eflBcient iiiq)lementation of activities and programs based on years of 

 CDFG study. 



CVPWA Statement Page 3 - 20 July 1995 



