Draft delta plan falls short, scientists say

A mid-course review of the draft Bay Delta Conservation Plan by a panel of scientists found the document to be "fragmented, incomplete and hard to understand," according to a report by McClatchy Newservice reporter Michael Doyle.

UC Berkeley emeritus professor Henry Vaux Jr. chaired the panel that reviewed the plan, which has been in the works since 2006, has already cost about $150 million and involved hundreds of meetings among state and federal agencies, water districts and environmental and conservation groups.

"Given the time and expenditure of money, people could have reasonably expected to get a plan that was more complete," Vaux was quoted in the story.

AP reporter Gosia Wozniacka wrote that the panel found it unclear whether the main purpose of the plan was simply to build a canal or pipeline, or whether it is a broader plan that would restore and protect the delta ecosystem and provide a stable water supply.

"If you don't know what it is you want to do, it creates a lot of confusion, because the application of science is different depending on what you want to accomplish," Wozniacka quoted Vaux.

Deputy Secretary of the Interior David Hayes said the review provides useful guidance as the plan continues to be developed.

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