California Advances Delta Conveyance Project to Secure Water Supply for 27 Million

California is confronting significant water challenges exacerbated by climate change, including droughts, damaged infrastructure, and saltwater intrusion. The State Water Project (SWP), a critical water delivery system serving 27 million residents, is aging and requires modernization to maintain reliability. A new California Department of Water Resources report highlights the Delta Conveyance Project (DCP) as the most effective strategy to improve water supply reliability, proposing new intakes and a tunnel to transport water directly from the Sacramento River, which would also protect against levee failures and earthquakes. Alongside the DCP, the plan calls for infrastructure repairs, including fixing canals damaged by land subsidence, and implementing Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations to better manage water storage and storm runoff. Additionally, innovative solutions like Water Farm 1, an underwater desalination system off Malibu that uses ocean pressure to reduce energy consumption, are being explored to supplement drought-strained water supplies. These combined efforts aim to secure a sustainable water future for California amid hotter temperatures, extreme storms, and severe droughts.