Federal and state officials say they already have taken steps to address some of the concerns raised in a National Research Council report that was critical of a draft plan to protect fragile and endangered species in the California Bay-Delta while diverting water to the central and southern parts of the state.
The draft plan, which was circulated in fall 2010, calls for the construction of a large structure—either a canal or two 33-ft-dia 37-mile twin-bore tunnels—to provide a reliable source of freshwater from areas north of the delta, where water is plentiful, to central and southern California. The plan also calls for restoration of thousands of acres of marshes and other sensitive areas near the delta to protect endangered wildlife.