The City of Fairfield, as a municipally owned utility, plays a crucial role in providing water to its residents. We engage in retail water sales, sourcing our water from two main suppliers: the Bay-Delta watershed (State Water Project) and Lake Berryessa (Solano Water Project). Our wholesale water agencies, the Solano County Water Agency (SCWA) and Solano Irrigation District (SID), are instrumental in ensuring a steady water supply to our city.

The State Water Resource Control Board is a regulatory agency which is updating the Bay Delta Plan. This Plan is intended to protect water quality through water flow and mandates increased flow into the Delta, but the draft Plan would have significant and detrimental impacts to Solano County. 

Impacts of the Bay Delta Plan 

Restrictions to Lake Berryessa

The State's proposed '55% unimpaired flows' would have a direct and significant impact on Lake Berryessa and the communities that depend on it. This amounts to approximately 144,000 acre-feet of water. Furthermore, the Plan would require Lake Berryessa to be kept at 65% capacity, regardless of drought conditions. This would effectively eliminate our drought resiliency, as it represents a 3-year water supply that our communities would not have access to. 

Local Economic Impact 

The City of Fairfield's largest water user has an agreement with the City to ensure access to a minimum quantity of water. If the City were to lose 75% of our current water supply, we would be unable to meet our legal obligations, restricting our ability to establish new service connections until we can meet our current commitments to the user. 

This would prevent the City from being able to build new housing, which would have a ripple effect throughout the Bay Area. It would also significantly diminish the City's ability to thrive as a local economy. There are extremely limited options for acquiring the necessary amount of water to meet our current obligations in the community if we were restricted to our current water supply. 

Healthy Rivers and Landscape Proposal - A Better Alternative

Voluntary Agreements, specifically the Healthy Rivers and Landscape Proposal, represent a suite of solutions among State, Federal, and local water leaders as an alternative to the State’s proposed unimpaired flow updates. It is a balanced approach, taking into consideration flow, habitat, science, and funding for a holistic approach. Voluntary Agreements seek to fulfill the State’s objectives of protecting watersheds and preserving ecological needs while supporting sustainable economic growth at the local level. The Healthy Rivers and Landscape Proposal would ensure Lake Berryessa's preservation as a vital water source for Solano County.

Call to Action 

Residents and community members are encouraged to voice their concerns by contacting their state representatives and the State Water Board. Residents can use the template letter below. 

Template Letter Opposing the Bay Delta Plan

State Representative Contacts 

Residents can either mail or e-mail their state representative a signed letter to voice their concerns and opposition against the draft Bay Delta Plan. 

State Water Resource Board Representatives

E. Joaquin Esquivel, Chair
State Water Resources Control Board
1001 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
OPP-Contact@waterboards.ca.gov

Dorene D'Adamo, Vice Chair 
State Water Resources Control Board
1001 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
OPP-Contact@waterboards.ca.gov 

State Representatives

Governor Gavin Newsom
State Capitol
1303 10th Street, Suite 9000
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 445-2841 
Contact form: https://www.gov.ca.gov/contact/ 

Senator Bill Dodd
State Capitol
1021 O Street, Suite 7610
Sacramento,  CA  95814
Phone:  (916) 651-4003
Contact form: https://sd03.senate.ca.gov/contact 

Assembly Member Lori Wilson 
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0011
Phone: (916) 319-2011 
Contact form: https://a11.asmdc.org/contact-me-0