Water that begins as snow in the Sierra Nevada travels more than 100 miles before reaching the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the vast estuary that supports California’s ecosystems, economy, and water system. As regulators consider updates to California’s plan for sustainable water supply into the future, the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan, one central question remains: how to improve environmental conditions in the Delta while maintaining reliable water supplies for the communities that depend on Sierra runoff.
Later this month, the California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) is expected to consider adoption of the updated plan. The decision will shape how water is managed throughout California for decades to come and, if adopted as written, could significantly affect Nevada Irrigation District (NID) customers, reservoirs, hydropower facilities, recreation opportunities, and the local economy.
NID supports the state’s goal of improving river and Delta ecosystems and recognizes the importance of maintaining flows that benefit fish, wildlife, and downstream habitats. At the same time, the District believes it can achieve environmental objectives more effectively through locally designed, science-based programs that deliver measurable benefits while preserving reliable water supplies for foothill communities.
At the center of the discussion are two approaches the state is considering. One is the traditional unimpaired-flow method, which would dedicate a fixed percentage of natural river flow to downstream environmental purposes. The other is the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes (HRL) Program, a collaborative statewide effort that combines targeted environmental flows with habitat restoration, fish passage improvements, and watershed enhancement projects.
For the past year, NID has participated in the HRL program through an agreement with a majority of state and local water agencies. The partnership is designed to support healthy rivers throughout California, improve habitat conditions, and provide environmental water at key times for fish migration while maintaining flexibility to respond to local watershed conditions and community water needs.
A Local Agreement Built Around Local Rivers
In August 2025, NID entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to participate in the HRL program through a coordinated regional effort. Unlike larger projects focused on Central Valley floodplains, NID’s agreement emphasizes environmental improvements that, once built, will protect juvenile salmon in Auburn Ravine, a tributary of the greater Sacramento River Watershed. The Auburn Ravine is the only salmon habitat located within NID’s jurisdictional area.
“We stepped into this agreement because it reflects the realities of our watershed and provides meaningful environmental benefits,” said NID General Manager Jennifer Hanson. “It allows us to improve conditions for fish and wildlife while continuing to protect the water reliability our customers depend on.”
Under the agreement, NID will provide targeted environmental water during specific migration periods in normal and dry years. The agreement also includes flexibility to adjust operations during extreme conditions, helping ensure that critical water supplies remain available for homes, farms, businesses, and public safety.
The partnership also requires coordination to ensure environmental water released by NID remains dedicated to its intended purpose and reaches downstream habitats that support ecological objectives.
Habitat Improvements Already Delivering Results
A major strength of the HRL program is pairing environmental water with on-the-ground habitat improvements that deliver long-term ecological benefits.
In 2022, NID removed the Hemphill Dam on Auburn Ravine and replaced it with a nature-like fish passage and modern diversion facility. The project reopened about six miles of upstream spawning and rearing habitat for fall-run Chinook salmon and Pacific lamprey.
NID’s commitment under the agreement includes approximately $1.7 million for agricultural fish-screen installations along Auburn Ravine to protect aquatic species from entrapment while maintaining critical agricultural operations. A technical advisory committee, including biologists, community representatives, and agency partners, will identify and prioritize additional habitat projects throughout the watershed.
“NID’s projects demonstrate that environmental progress and water reliability can go hand in hand,” said Hansen. “They create lasting benefits for fish and river health while protecting the communities and customers who depend on local water resources.”
Why the Decision Matters
NID’s participation in HRL reflects its belief that environmental goals are best achieved through a comprehensive and coordinated approach that combines habitat restoration, fish passage improvements, scientific monitoring, and strategic environmental flows.
The District is deeply concerned that the State Water Board’s proposed unimpaired-flow standard in the Bay-Delta Plan update could force substantial volumes of locally stored water out of the watershed, sacrificing water supply reliability without delivering commensurate environmental benefits.
A rigid, flow-based standard does not adequately account for the critical role local water storage plays in managing increasingly variable hydrologic conditions, nor does it ensure that water released from storage will produce the greatest environmental benefit.
NID relies entirely on Sierra Nevada snowmelt and has no access to groundwater to supplement its supplies. Every acre-foot of stored water is therefore critical to sustaining reliable water deliveries during dry years, when both communities and the environment face heightened risks from water scarcity.
Requiring additional releases under a strict unimpaired-flow framework could diminish the District’s ability to manage limited supplies when they are needed most, while diverting resources from targeted, science-based restoration efforts that can deliver measurable ecological improvements.
The State Water Board’s approach must recognize that protecting the environment and maintaining water supply reliability are not mutually exclusive objectives. The HRL is a more effective framework that would prioritize demonstrated environmental outcomes, targeted restoration, and adaptive watershed management rather than imposing a rigid flow standard that risks depleting essential local water supplies without ensuring equivalent ecological gains.
For local communities, water stored in NID reservoirs supports agriculture, recreation, hydropower generation, environmental stewardship, and the daily needs of more than 25,000 customers. Preserving that reliability is a central responsibility of the District and an important protection for ratepayers who depend on affordable and dependable water service.
“We support improving conditions for rivers, fish, and the Delta,” Hanson said. “The question is how to achieve those benefits in a way that is effective, measurable, and sustainable. We believe the HRL program provides a balanced path forward that delivers environmental improvements while protecting the water supplies our communities depend on.”
