California Regional Water Quality Control Board Central Valley Region Karl E. Longley, ScD, P.E., Chair Linda S. Adams Arnold 11020 Sun Center Drive #200, Rancho Cordova, California 95670-6114 Secretary for Phone (916) 464-3291 • FAX (916) 464-4645 Schwarzenegger Environmental http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralvalley Governor Protection 18 August 2008 See attached distribution list DELTA REGIONAL MONITORING PROGRAM STAKEHOLDER PANEL KICKOFF MEETING This is an invitation to participate as a stakeholder in the development and implementation of a critical and important project, the Delta Regional Monitoring Program (Delta RMP), being developed jointly by the State and Regional Boards’ Bay-Delta Team. The Delta RMP stakeholder panel kickoff meeting is scheduled for 30 September 2008 and we respectfully request your attendance at the meeting. The meeting will consist of two sessions (see attached draft agenda). During the first session, Water Board staff will provide an overview of the impetus for the Delta RMP and initial planning efforts. The purpose of the first session is to gain management-level stakeholder input and, if possible, endorsement of and commitment to the Delta RMP planning effort. We request that you and your designee attend the first session together. The second session will be a working meeting for the designees to discuss the details of how to proceed with the planning process. A brief discussion of the purpose and background of the project is provided below. In December 2007 and January 2008 the State Water Board, Central Valley Regional Water Board, and San Francisco Bay Regional Water Board (collectively Water Boards) adopted a joint resolution (2007-0079, R5-2007-0161, and R2-2008-0009, respectively) committing the Water Boards to take several actions to protect beneficial uses in the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary (Bay-Delta). The resolution directed Water Board staff to prepare a strategic workplan that describes the scope, timelines, and resource needs for implementing the actions in coordination among the Water Boards and with stakeholders. Water Board staff prepared the June 2008 Draft Strategic Workplan for Activities in the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary (Strategic Workplan), which the State Water Board adopted on 16 July 2008 (Resolution 2008-0056). The Central Valley Regional Water Board and San Francisco Bay Regional Water Board will consider adopting the Strategic Workplan later this year. One action identified in the Strategic Workplan is the evaluation, development, and implementation of a comprehensive Delta RMP. As stakeholder involvement and coordination will be critical to the success of this effort, the Water Boards propose to convene an expert stakeholder panel. The panel, consisting of representative stakeholders, will be tasked with assisting the Water Boards in developing the goals, objectives, scope, and strategy for a sustainable Delta RMP. In addition to stakeholder coordination, this project will be closely coordinated with other similar, ongoing efforts such as the CALFED Science Program’s project to develop a strategy for Delta monitoring, assessment and research; the Sacramento River Watershed Program’s pilot project to develop a regional monitoring program; and the US EPA’s efforts to develop a monitoring directory and strategy for monitoring in the San Joaquin River basin. California Environmental Protection Agency Recycled Paper Delta Stakeholders - 2 - 18 August 2008 Prior efforts to develop a comprehensive monitoring program for the Delta, such as CALFED’s Comprehensive Monitoring, Assessment and Research Program (CMARP), have failed to establish a sustainable and fundable program, primarily because the programs were too ambitious. The Water Boards will utilize lessons learned from these previous efforts, as well as from existing RMPs (e.g., San Francisco Estuary, San Gabriel River, and Southern California Bight), to attempt to develop a feasible, sustainable, and fundable Delta RMP using a phased approach. The first phase is to establish a framework for compiling, analyzing, and reporting data collected by existing monitoring programs on a regular basis. The initial phase will provide a foundation upon which to develop and implement additional aspects of the monitoring and assessment program. The second, longer-term phase will be to develop and implement a comprehensive RMP that coordinates, and as needed expands, monitoring being conducted in the Delta. Stakeholder involvement and coordination are essential to both phases of this process. Thank you in advance for your participation in this important Water Board project and we look forward to seeing you and your designee on September 30 th . If you have any questions or would like additional information regarding this matter please contact us at the numbers provided below or Karen Larsen at (916) 464-4646. Pamela C. Creedon Executive Officer Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (916) 464-4839 Dorothy Rice Executive Director State Water Resources Control Board (916) 341-5615 Enclosures (2) Delta Regional Monitoring Program 1 18 August 2008 Stakeholder Panel Kickoff Meeting Distribution List State Agencies Tam M. Doduc, Board Chair Lester Snow, Director Gary Wolff, Board Vice Chair State Water Resources Control Board California Department of Water State Water Resources Control Board Resources Arthur G. Baggett, Jr., Board Member Linda Fiack, Executive Director Dorothy R. Rice, Executive Director State Water Resources Control Board Delta Protection Commission State Water Resources Control Board Tom Howard, Chief Deputy Director Joe Grindstaff, Director Jonathan Bishop, Chief Deputy Director State Water Resources Control Board CALFED Bay-Delta Program State Water Resources Control Board Co-Chair California Water Quality Co-Chair California Water Quality Monitoring Council Monitoring Council Karl E. Longley, Board Chair Mary-Ann Warmerdam, Director Katherine Hart, Board Vice Chair Central Valley Regional Water Quality California Department of Pesticide Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board Regulation Control Board Pamela C. Creedon, Executive Officer Donald Koch, Director Bruce H. Wolfe, Executive Officer Central Valley Regional Water Quality California Department of Fish and Game San Francisco Bay Regional Water Control Board Quality Control Board John Muller, Board Chair Rufus Howell, Deputy Director Terry Young, Board Vice Chair San Francisco Bay Regional Water Center for Environmental Health San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board California Department of Public Health Quality Control Board Federal Agencies Steve Thompson, Regional Director Rodney McInnis, Regional Administrator Michael V. Shulters, Director U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Geological Survey California/Nevada Operations Southwest Regional Office California Water Science Center Donald Glaser, Regional Director Alexis Straus, Regional Water Colonel Ronald N. Light U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Mid Pacific Management Division Director U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Region U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Sacramento District Water Agencies, Districts and Contractors Elaine Archibald, Executive Director Terry Erlewine, General Manager Rosemary Kamei, Board Chair California Urban Water Agencies State Water Contractors Santa Clara Valley Water District Dante John Nomellini, Manager & Co- Henry Kuechler, Board President Dennis W. Westcot, Project Administrator Counsel North Delta Water Agency San Joaquin River Group Authority Central Delta Water Agency John Herrick, Counsel & Manager Greg Gartrell, Assistant General Manager Patricia Corey, General Manager South Delta Water Agency Contra Costa Water District East Contra Costa Irrigation District Melvin Panizza, Board President Thomas R. Flinn, Director of Public Works Steven Stroud, General Manager Stockton East Water District San Joaquin County Flood Control and South San Joaquin Irrigation District Water Conservation District Dan Nelson, General Manager Dennis Diemer, General Manager Michael Boccadoro, General Manager San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water East Bay Municipal Utilities District Coalition for a Sustainable Delta Authority Steve Knell, General Manager Rick Gilmore, General Manager Mic Stewart, Manager, Water Quality Oakdale Irrigation District Byron-Bethany Irrigation District Section Metropolitan Water District Delta Regional Monitoring Program 2 18 August 2008 Stakeholder Panel Kickoff Meeting Wastewater Dischargers Debbie Webster, Executive Officer Mark Houghton, Director/City Engineer Paul M. Sensibaugh, General Manager Central Valley Clean Water Association City of Manteca Mountain House Community Services Public Works Department District Jeff Willet, Assistant Director/Engineering Marty Hanneman, Interim Director Brent Salmi, Director/City Engineer Manager City of Sacramento City of Rio Vista City of Stockton Department of Utilities Department of Public Works Municipal Utilities Department Balwinder S. Grewal, Director/City Jim Colston, Tri-TAC Chair Gary Darling, General Manager Engineer Orange County Sanitation District Delta Diablo Sanitation District City of Brentwood Public Works Department Wally Sandelin, Director Mary Snyder, District Engineer John Chillemi, President City of Lodi Sacramento Regional County Sanitation Mirant Delta, LLC Public Works Department District Contra Costa Power Plant Kevin Tobeck, Director David Tompkins, Assistant Director Catherine