CPOD Panel Highlights – May 22, 2025
The State Water Resources Control Board continues its hearing for the Petition for a Change in Point Diversion (CPOD) today with the operations witness panel. This panel described the information detailed in the Delta Conveyance Project Operations Plan. Specifically, describing the operations plan for the DCP and how DWR would continue to operate to meet water quality and other regulatory requirements. Additionally, this panel provided a historical evaluation of past years and how the Delta Conveyance Project would have been operated and the resulting available supply based on the applicable operating criteria.
Key Takeaways from Panel 4
Hearing Highlights
Documents & Resources
- Delta Conveyance Project CPOD information on the State Water Board’s website
- Watch the hearing on the State Water Board Administrative Hearing Office’s YouTube Channel
Request Access to Hearing Exhibits
To access all of the hearing exhibits through the AHO-FTP download folder, please submit an e-mail request to the AHO at AdminHrgOffice@Waterboards.ca.gov with “Request for AHO ftp password” in the State Water Resources Control Board subject line. After receiving the e-mail request, the AHO will send a reply e-mail with a password to access the download account. It is not necessary to include any other parties in the cc line for such an e-mail request.
- Operational flexibility, coupled with coordination, is essential for the State Water Project to ensure compliance with operational and regulatory requirements.
- The integration of the Delta Conveyance Project will provide the SWP with added flexibility while operating to all applicable regulatory requirements and criteria as described in the Operations Plan.
- The Delta Conveyance Project creates additional water supply and provides water supply reliability while still meeting all applicable regulatory requirements.
- Four historical years were evaluated—2018, 2019, 2022 and 2024—and in each there would have been a water supply benefit if the project had been operational.
- There are primarily two types of conditions that will support diversions through the project:
- During periods when excess flows are available
- Operational efficiency during balanced conditions when the north Delta intakes may be used to move water that would otherwise have moved through the south Delta facilities
- There are four proposed permit conditions that are relevant to operations of the Delta Conveyance Project and summarized below:
- DWR will not divert any additional stored water releases through the DCP beyond what would have been available absent the DCP
- When there is Excess Flow in the system, the SWP will prioritize exports from the south Delta facility
- DWR proposes to add the DCP north Delta intakes to the standard that limits how much water the SWP and CVP can export from the Delta relative to the total inflow entering the Delta
- Once the DCP is operational, DWR will coordinate operations with the Sacramento Area Sewer District and Freeport Regional Water Authority and provide projections of tidal reverse flows and anticipated diversions from the north Delta intakes
Expert Witness Biographies
Molly White is the Assistant Division Manager of Operations and Maintenance and State Water Project Water Management at DWR, where she oversees water management activities for the SWP and serves as the lead water operations manager.
- Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Resources Engineering from Humboldt State University
- Registered Civil Engineer in the State of California
- Nearly 25 years of professional experience working for the State of California, 14 of which have been directly in State Water Project water operations, including Lake Oroville and Delta water operations and compliance with Delta water rights standards and State and federal Endangered Species Act requirements
Bryant Giorgi is the Water Operations Scheduling Section Manager at DWR for the State Water Project (SWP) Operations and Maintenance, Water Management Branch
- Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of California at Davis
- Professional Engineering License (Civil)
- Over a decade of experience as a water resources engineer at DWR focused on SWP-specific work, including coordination, forecasting, planning, scheduling, accounting, modeling and water supply impact analysis.
