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),[1] 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.[2]
The Council has seven members,[3] who are consulted by a 10-member board of scientists, the Delta Independent Science Board.[4]
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.[5]
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[6] " 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.[7] Likewise, the Delta Science Program[8] replaced the CALFED Science Program[9] and the Delta Independent Science Board replaced the CALFED Independent Science Board.[10]